The New Year is a very special time of year. It offers us the opportunity of wiping the slate clean, shutting the door on the past and looking ahead to fresh hopes and dreams.
It is also a time when millions of us embrace the custom of making New Year’s Resolutions despite the fact that 25% of them have fallen by the wayside by the 25th of January. So as we gamble up the start of 2018 with armfuls of enthusiasm and bucket loads of good intentions how on earth do we make our resolutions stick?
Well here’s Earthmonk’s seven-step guide to making your resolutions a reality!
1. Instead of plucking your resolutions out of thin air take the time to find out what it is you really need.
Over the next few days ask yourself ‘what do I need to do this year for myself?’. To answer this it may help to reflect ‘what should I cease doing that no longer serves me’, or possibly ‘what should I start doing that reflects who I would like to be?’.
Allow the question to really sink into the depths of your being and sit with it. Set aside time to be quiet and alone (even if that’s short five or ten minute bursts of time) so that you can really connect with the still small voice within you – your intuition. It has all the answers you need – we just forget to listen.
Intentions created from this innermost point of connection and intuition are deeply personal and carry the greatest resonance. You are more likely to embrace and achieve them than fanciful wish lists the mind has thrown out.
2. Write your list (however long or short) down.
Putting pen to paper is a much more powerful process of intention setting than just carrying the ideas around in your head. Not only are you setting the intention for your unconscious mind you are also setting the intention with the universe (whatever you conceive that to be).
You could pin the list up on the inside of a bathroom cabinet or kitchen cupboard so you see it every day.
3. Take your list to the next level and enjoy the creative process of making a vision board.
Whether you believe it or not visualisation works by harnessing the power of the unconscious mind. Studies have shown that the brain creates the same patterns of activity whether you are visualising something or actually physically doing it.
So flick through some magazines or scroll through the internet and download images, words and pictures to your board that captures the outcome, energy, sense and or feelings of your aspirations and intentions. You might like to include printed out affirmations of your intentions that you can say and connect with every day.
There are no rules – anything goes.
4. Once you have your list or vision board begin to brainstorm what small daily actions or activities you can do on a daily basis to realise your resolutions?
The aim is to incorporate the resolutions into the fabric of your life so every little action counts as together they form new habits and routines.
Anticipate any problems, people or events that will get in the way of what you want to achieve and get creative planning strategies for how you will navigate this.
5. Remember that having a friend to help or support you can make a big difference.
So is there something on your list you can share with someone close? Don’t forget technology – there are a wealth of apps out there to help you achieve all sorts of goals from getting fit to stressing less.
6. Give yourself a break if you get it wrong or fall short of the mark.
We all stray from the track – what counts is recognising this and getting yourself back on target. This process is about making you and your world happier so that includes compassion and kindness for yourself.
7. Keep yourself motivated with small rewards.
Whether weekly, fortnightly or monthly if you have stuck to your plans then give yourself a treat in honour of your success and commitment.
And remember to keep on keeping on.
So there you have it – seven ideas that can enable you to set yourself heartfelt intentions for 2018 and some simple steps to help you achieve them.
Good luck and may we wish you and yours a healthy and happy New Year.
Fiona and Gavin
