Skip The Resolutions
with thoughts from Olive Pique, HOST’s resident event expert and mascot
Resolutions tend to ask for dramatic change. New habits, new routines, new versions of ourselves—often all at once. And while the intention is good, the follow-through rarely lasts. In fact, research shows that most resolutions are abandoned within weeks, not months.
Intention works differently. It doesn’t demand a full reset or an overnight transformation. It asks for awareness. For clarity. For a more deliberate way of choosing how we show up—at work, with others, and with ourselves.
At HOST, we’ve learned that intention isn’t loud or performative. It lives in the small, everyday decisions that quietly shape culture long after January has passed.
In this HOST Blog, we’re breaking down why skipping the resolutions and choosing intention instead creates a more sustainable way to lead, work, and move through the year ahead.
Fresh Start
RESOLUTIONS FADE. INTENTION STICKS.
Every January, resolutions show up with big energy—and quietly disappear just weeks later. Research suggests that nearly 80% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by mid-February¹. Not because people don’t care, but because resolutions tend to chase outcomes without changing the habits that support them. They’re bold. They’re optimistic. They’re… exhausting.
Intention takes a different approach. It doesn’t demand a total overhaul or a perfectly color-coded plan. It simply asks for awareness. When leaders set intention, they focus less on what they want to achieve and more on how they want to show up. That distinction is where the staying power lives.
In work culture, intention shows up in the small moments—the tone of a meeting, how feedback is delivered, whether people feel heard or rushed out the door. These aren’t flashy changes. They don’t come with hashtags. But they compound, quietly shaping how teams feel day after day.
At HOST, we’ve learned that the most meaningful shifts rarely come from grand declarations. They come from thoughtful choices, made consistently. Intention becomes the throughline—steady, adaptable, and far more realistic than a resolution that burns out before Valentine’s Day.
Because starting strong is easy. Sticking with it? That’s where intention earns its keep.
WTF IS INTENTION?
Let’s demystify this before it turns into another annoying buzzword. Intention isn’t a mantra, a mood board, or something you write once and forget about by February. It’s a practical decision-making tool.
Think of intention as your operating system. A resolution tells you what you want to change. Intention defines how you want to move through the work while everything else is happening. When priorities compete (and they will), intention helps you choose without spiraling.
Starting doesn’t require a workshop or a five-step framework. It requires honesty. One clear focus is enough. Maybe it’s being more thoughtful with time. Maybe it’s leading with curiosity instead of urgency. Maybe it’s protecting energy like it’s a nonrenewable resource—because it is.
The key is choosing something you can actually live with on a busy Tuesday, not just a quiet January morning. Intention isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being consistent enough that your choices start to add up.
At HOST, intention acts as our filter. When everything feels important, it reminds us what truly is.
4 EASY WAYS TO ACTIVATE INTENTION
Intention doesn’t need a framework, a worksheet, or a kickoff meeting. It needs clarity—and a little restraint.
Start here:
Pick one focus.
Choose one word, one behavior, or one mindset you can realistically carry into your day.
Not five. Not a list. One.Example: You decide your focus is being more deliberate with time. That means you don’t stack meetings back-to-back, you pause before replying to every email immediately, and you finish one conversation before jumping into the next.
Use it as a filter, not a goal.
Before saying yes, reacting, or piling something else onto your plate, pause and ask: Does this support how I want to show up today?Example: A meeting invite lands late in the afternoon. Instead of automatically accepting, you check the agenda, suggest a shorter time block, or move it to a day when you can actually be present.
Check it midstream.
Intention isn’t something you set in January and rediscover in December. It’s meant to be revisited.Example: At the end of the week, you notice your calendar felt rushed and reactive. That’s your cue to adjust—build in more breathing room next week and protect space for focused work.
Let it guide the small stuff.
This is where intention does its real work.Example: You start meetings on time. You give feedback with clarity instead of urgency. You finish one conversation before jumping into the next. Small shifts, but they change how people experience working with you.
The goal isn’t to get it “right.” It’s to stay aware. Intention works because it’s flexible, forgiving, and usable—even on the days when everything feels urgent.
✍️ A Note from Amy
I’ve always been drawn to the celestial—to zodiacs, energy cycles, and the quieter signals that tell us when something is shifting, even before we can name it. Right now, I’m spending time learning about 2025 as the Year of the Snake and what’s ahead with 2026, the Year of the Horse. The contrast between the two feels especially relevant in this moment.
The Snake represents shedding, reflection, and intentional transformation. It asks us to slow down, release what no longer fits, and move thoughtfully. The Horse, on the other hand, is about momentum, confidence, and forward motion—but only when that energy is aligned and purposeful.
That’s what intention feels like to me right now. Not rushing toward what’s next, but preparing for it with clarity. Paying attention to what’s worth carrying forward—and what’s ready to be left behind—so when it is time to move, we do so with strength and direction.
I don’t believe intention has to be loud or performative. I believe it’s something you feel first, then live into—quietly, consistently, and with care. As this year unfolds, that’s the energy I’m choosing to lead with here at HOST.
Let’s figure it out, together.
— Amy O’Neil
Owner, HOST Events | ONAR Event Services
🫒 Olive Has Thoughts
From an AI perspective, I see the same pattern repeat every year.
Rigid systems tend to fail. Not because the goal is wrong—but because there’s no flexibility built in. When conditions change, the system breaks.
Intention works differently. It adapts. It responds. It leaves room for adjustment instead of demanding perfection.
Systems designed with intention last longer. The ones built on all-or-nothing rules rarely do.
Data supports this approach. So does lived experience.
— Olive Pique, HOST mascot + pattern-recognition specialist
You don’t have to have the whole year figured out to move forward. Sometimes, the most meaningful progress comes from choosing how you show up—and letting intention do the rest.
Start 2026 with Intention
You don’t need a full-year plan to move forward — just a clear starting point.
Whether you’re shaping your team’s rhythm, designing meaningful moments, or simply choosing to lead with more clarity and care, HOST is here to help you turn intention into action.