Innovative Intentions: the Solution to Beat Blue Mondays

Did you have good intentions to keep your resolutions at New Year? If you made a resolution and you are still doing it, congratulations!

Chances are, though, that you have already abandoned it. Quitters’ Day (second Friday of January) has come and gone. Have you fallen into the same trap that many do and given up already? 

Feeling that you’ve failed is such a horrid feeling. That could be why the third Monday of January is called Blue Monday and labelled as the worst day of the year.

(You may know that it is quite arbitrary as to which day was picked as Blue Monday. Supposedly it has to do with the greater likelihood of bad weather but that is usually only more likely in the Northern hemisphere.) 

Why We So Often Fail to Keep our Resolutions

One of the most common resolutions to get broken quickly are the ones to lose weight and get fit. It sounds simple to just go and do it, but the majority don’t find it at all easy to do that.

One factor is that although what we think we want is to be fit, we aren’t necessarily motivated to do what is necessary to achieve that end. So we need to think if this is what we really want. 

A second factor is that we tend to concentrate on the means. Most people couch it into choices such as “go to the gym 5 times a week” or “do twenty sit ups five times a day”.

They are resolutions that might seem very reasonable to deliver results. But it is extraordinarily easy to fail at doing twenty sit ups five times a day. It’s boring and can make you sore or ache.

Personally, I would fail to do more than about two of them because I always seem to get neck ache.  (And yes, it’s probably because I do sit-ups the wrong way. But I’m sure I’m not the only one.) 

Then there are all the excuses that you can come up with as to why you haven’t kept your resolution

Why do Excuses Too Often Call the Shots?

‘re So many excuses.  Why do they work so well and make it so difficult to do even the simplest things?

It seems that we have limited amounts of will power to make ourselves do stuff. Or maybe, deep down, we’re genetically programmed not to do anything. With failure greedily lurking to lap up your misery, it makes sense to try a different way to achieve the outcome that you really want.

Trying something different is more productive than the feel of failure that makes you want to give up!

But how can we help ourselves turn our intentions into reality?

The Power of Your Intentions

If you think about it, your intention comes before your resolution. You think  ‘How can I make life better for myself this year’? Choose a vision that inspires you. 

My example is getting fitter (and to stop fooling myself that I am fit now). I want to stay in good health for longer and to cuddle my great-grandchildren. Yours might be to be more careful about budgeting so that you save enough for a fab holiday. Be honest and choose something that not only inspires you, but is realistic for your life and something you can live with for an extended period.

Once your vision has burst upon you (e.g. become the kind of person who is fit), you must make sure that you’re not going to forget the intention to do something to achieve it.  You’ll need to integrate the necessary actions into your life.  The more invested you are in achieving your intentions, the more your brain and sub-conscious will strive to help you.

How are you going to do that?  

Power up with  Implementation Intentions

The idea is that when the situation arises, (scientist call it a cue), you can dive straight into a suitable solution. You don’t have to stop and think about what you are going to do or where or how you are going to do it. It’s a far easier way to keep faith with your original intention than just a single resolution. (Especially when your brain has had quite enough of doing sit ups, thank you.)

So, how do you make a plan to deal with all those solutions to potential if – thens?

Obstacles and Excuses that Tear You Away from your Good Intentions

The first task for your if-then plan is to work out what your obstacles and excuses might be.

Make a list of all the obstacles you may encounter. It is SO easy to come up with loads of excuses. You forget, you get distracted.  You’re too tired. You have to wait in for your working neighbour’s parcel delivery. You don’t feel like it. It’s too cold and might snow. It’s too hot. Maybe you have your back problem is playing up or is it your knees this time?

Everybody has different sets of obstacles and excuses. You need to identify your most likely candidates. Later on, you can always add problems that you didn’t think of first time round.

Making Your Intentional If-then Plan

Let’s dive deeper into the details of your if-then plan. You’ve chosen your intention, goal or vision (feel free to call it what you prefer).  I’m sticking to the example of becoming a fitter person.  You’ve come up with your list of excuses and obstacles.  What next?

You might give yourself a time limit to work towards. The end of the calendar year serves very well, but you might want to be quicker! Eg: you’re going to a wedding or on holiday.  Set a deadline that suits you but which focuses your mind on when you’re going to achieve that vision.

Then, add in your list of potential excuses and obstacles and start dreaming up the solutions that could work for you.  Here are some examples.

Obstacle: It’s raining. If you go out you will get wet.  You don’t like getting wet. What are going to do instead of going for your daily walk?

Solutions: Make a choice. Perhaps you’ll make a cake for the kids.  Then, ask yourself if your choice is the best one to fulfil your commitment to fitness today .

Here are some possible responses.  Do you:

• Tell yourself you’ll go tomorrow? (The slippery slope Blue Monday solution?)
• Look up the weather forecast and see if it will clear up later? (The pretending not to be a quitter solution?)
• Recognise that it’s a great chance to use your wonderful waterproof trousers and your wellington boots? (The fun solution that has you bouncing out of doors enjoying the rain like a six year old?)

Think of how you would respond. Is it the best way to fulfil your original intention?  Can you of an easier way?  E.g. go to your nearest shopping mall and walk round the inside where it doesn’t rain.  Oh, and do all your shopping at the same time?  (Nothing like multi-tasking because it’s raining!)
Errh – have you thought about using an umbrella?

Fulfilling Your Intention with Laughter and Joy

Another way of looking for solutions to the obstacles to your intentions is to think of the things that bring you more fun and joy and then choose to do more of those actions.  Could you choose a quick walk  but concentrate on jumping in all the puddles?  

If puddle jumping doesn’t appeal, maybe you could go to the swimming pool instead and get your exercise in walking across the shallow end and back – also great exercise!  (Walking in water = more calories gobbled up?)

But perhaps you prefer roller skating. (You’ll use more calories too.) Perhaps not the best choice if you’re frail. Such fun though that you probably won’t even notice that it’s raining. 

Or maybe you could choose to do leg raises on your living room floor instead.  They will also help you become fitter!

(Come on! Surely you can think of something a bit more fun than that?)  Well maybe as a last resort if it’s that or doing nothing. And that’s a choice that makes you feel a failure and turns all your days into  Blue Mondays. 

Fun is a Serious Requirement

Fun is a requirement if you want your intention to blossom into some life-enhancing habits. Here are some solutions for when it’s raining that sound like far more fun to me. You could:

• Walk on the spot while you watch a rerun of your favourite TV comedy.
• Put on some cheerful music and dance around the house for 15 minutes.
• Play a video fitness game, if you have them.
• Go walk round the shopping mall and buy a video fitness game for next time!

There! You’ve fulfilled your commitment to your intention. You recognised the rainy obstacle AND got in some exercise. You’re going to be far more likely to do it next time too.  Much more productive than rather than dropping into the easiest course of action – i.e. to do nothing. Which doesn’t get you to success.

Doing something positive delivers the satisfaction of an achievement.  The exercise produces feel good hormones and the fun means you’ll feel great too. 

For me, I’ve invested in some great waterproofs and a wet walk is an opportunity to jump into puddles. It’s such fun! 

Getting Your Intentions to Stick

Now we’re at a point where we can take an overview of the whole system that will keep you on track.  You:

• choose a vision of who you want to become within the next year
• take steps to make sure you embed it well into your memory by repetition or visual reminders
• come up with a list of the obstacles you might face, adding to it as you encounter new or unknown obstacles
• prepare an ‘if – then plan’ identifying the solutions to bash down those obstacles
• look for cues and opportunities to use those solutions as the obstacles appear
• Make it fun
• Don’t beat yourself up if it all goes wrong now and then.

Keep on improving your if–then plan until you have turned your actions into automatic habits that make it as easy to implement your intention as cleaning your teeth each day.

Your Intentions have Blown Away Blue Monday

Blue Monday has come and gone.  Did you feel its miserable tentacles?  Have you already given up on a recent resolution?  Don’t worry. You can banish those types of blues for ever.  

You set your intention and craft your plan to avoid the pitfalls.  Soon, your effort turns your actions into automatic habits. You save your precious reserves of  will power for harder fights.

See yourself bashing those blues over the head and scattering them to the winds of the past.  You’re on a roll.  You are turning into that fit person you saw in your dreams.  You have a pocket full of if-then solutions to call on if you meet a set-back.  You know what you can do to banish that too.

Don’t forget, you can use the same method for any other visions and goals you might want to achieve.  Fitness is just one example.  

Implement your intentions right now with less effort and a higher probability of success!  Go forward and succeed!

Blue Monday?  Nah – you’ll crush it by fulfilling your intentions.

You Might Also Like:

Glorious New Year’s Resolutions 

Make Exercise a Habit: 9 Super-Easy Ways (Using Your Smartphone)

If you want to find out how to make walking into your daily dose of fun, then

Click here to find out how my new book, Go Walking , can help you.

It’s never too late to start on finding more fun in life.