Intentions Over Resolutions: A More Supportive Way to Move Through January

Intentions Over Resolutions: A More Supportive Way to Move Through January

Anchored Insights

By the second week of January, many people quietly decide they have already fallen off track.

Resolutions feel heavy. Motivation feels inconsistent. And self-criticism often begins to replace the hope that came with a fresh start.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.

For many parents, professionals, and neurodivergent individuals, the challenge is not a lack of effort or desire. It is that resolutions often rely on willpower alone, without enough attention to support, capacity, or the realities of daily life.

This is where intentions can be far more helpful than resolutions.

Why Resolutions Often Miss the Mark

Traditional resolutions tend to focus on outcomes. Do more. Be better. Fix the problem.

But executive function skills like planning, follow-through, emotional regulation, and time management do not operate in isolation. They are deeply influenced by stress, sleep, emotional load, and environmental demands.

When life is already full, adding pressure rarely creates lasting change. Instead, it often increases frustration, shame, or a sense of failure.

Intentions shift the focus away from what you should accomplish and toward how you want to show up.

What Intentions Do Differently

An intention offers direction without demanding perfection.

Instead of:

• I need to be more organized

• We need to fix mornings

• I should be more consistent

An intention sounds more like:

• I want to create more ease

• I want mornings to feel calmer

• I want to respond with more patience, including toward myself

Intentions allow for flexibility. They acknowledge that capacity changes from day to day and season to season.

For busy brains, this flexibility is not a weakness. It is essential.

Support Beats Willpower

One of the most common patterns I see in both parenting and adult life is expecting change without changing the level of support.

When expectations remain high and support remains the same, frustration is almost guaranteed.

Support might look like:

• Adjusting expectations to match current capacity

• Simplifying systems instead of adding new ones

• Reducing cognitive load before asking for more follow-through

• Offering yourself or your child more scaffolding, not more reminders

This applies to adults and kids alike. Executive function challenges are not a reflection of character. They are a signal that support may need to shift.

Grounded, Not Rushed

Rather than asking yourself or your family to do more this January, consider what it would look like to feel more grounded.

Grounded might mean:

• Fewer goals, not more

• One small adjustment instead of a full reset

• More compassion and less self-criticism

Progress does not require urgency. Sustainable change rarely comes from pressure.

A Gentle Reflection

As you move through this week, you might reflect on:

• What intention feels most supportive right now?

• Where have I been relying on willpower instead of support?

• What would “good enough” look like in this season?

You are not behind.

You are learning what works for your brain, your family, and your life right now.

Throughout January, I will continue sharing reflections and practical strategies related to executive function, parenting, and creating calm and connection at home.

For now, choose intention over pressure.
Grounded, not rushed.