January is now upon us, and so too is that time of year where we all list the changes we plan to carry out over the next 12 months. Drink less alcohol, do more exercise, loose weight or pursue a passion...how many times do we all fall into using the same statements and yet by December 31st, how much have we ever actually changed?
So, for 2015 I have decided to tinker with my approach to new year's resolutions. Instead of rehashing last years aims, I am making little changes to my language in order to create a rather different group of intentions. My goals are now defined, with markers for success that I can check in with throughout the year. An example, I hear you ask.
Where I have previously stated 'do more yoga', I have now written 'do my own yoga nidra practice weekly for 30 minutes and do my own pranayama practice weekly for 15 minutes.' Instead of 'loose weight', I have written 'drop 18lbs to achieve a weight of 185lbs'. Finally, 'learn a language' or 'try something new' has become 'take the 6 week beginners french course at a local college'.
By giving a value to my intentions, I can look and see how successful I have been in maintaining my resolution. If I have stayed true to my goals then I know to continue with my efforts; if I have let my goals slip, then I know where I need to inject a little more consideration in order to get myself back on track.
What do you think? Could this help you follow your new year's resolutions? Have a look at what you have written and see if it could benefit from a bit more thought. It is never too late in the month to outline your plans for the year ahead. Here is how I went about it:
- Start by thinking about what makes you feel at your best, or what makes you most proud of yourself. It could be when you are doing a certain activity, when you fit into an article of clothing, when you help out someone in need or when you progress in your chosen career path. Be honest with yourself! Take the time to list a couple and mull them all over to see what one fits best for you now.
- Once you have done this, ask what steps you would need to take in order to move towards that point. If there are a lot of steps between the present and your final goal then 'chunk it'; just look at the first one or two smaller steps along that path. It doesn't matter if it is something as simple as 'clear the clutter from the office desk so that there is space to work'.
- At what point would you feel like you have achieved your goal? There may be an award or a certificate to make you aware of your achievements, but it is more likely that you will need to assess when you have been on track. Whatever your marker may be, make a note of it here.
- You can do a final check in to see if it your plan of action is right for you by asking how it would feel to take that step. Would it feel good, healthy, liberating, energising? If so, perfect!
- Pop your resolution(s) somewhere accessible, the more visible the better. Out of sight is, after all, out of mind. Mine are in the front of my work diary so that I see them every time I open up my book to put an appointment in.
This is it, I can feel it. The year I will set to actioning all those pesky resolutions. I won't look back in 12 months time and think sadly of what could have been. I will look back and be grateful that I took the time to listen to my heart, to my little desires for who I want to be and how I am going to get there...that I took the time to start the path to becoming a happier me.
If you were to jump to December 2015 and all of your resolutions were true, how would you feel? I'd love to know what resolutions you have all set yourselves.
Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all!!
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