To Resolve or Not to Resolve
That is certainly the big question up for most of us this time of year. I admit that I am not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions…mostly because it sounds like work and I, quite frankly, don’t need another thing on my “to do” list. That said, there’s something about a fresh new year that inspires us to set intentions that could somehow make our life just a little better than it was last year. We wonder what we would have to do differently in order to experience just a tiny bit less stress or a smidgen more joy than the 2014 version of ourselves. And that, my friends is the key!
It’s not likely going to be the quantum goals that you set (which are coincidentally the same ones you have set for the past 10 years) that will be creating the new, improved you in 2015. I’m all about thinking big and in no way mean to discourage your BHAG (big hairy audacious goals). It’s entirely possible to look like Christie Brinkley by swimsuit season or clean 38 years of clutter out of your garage next weekend. People do it all the time. Hold that thought if it makes you feel good. Yet, my belief is that, if I were emotionally and physically ready to make that leap, I would already be on that path.
Might I suggest that you allow yourself to find renewal in just setting positive “intentions” for your lifestyle and just start “being” that person…one small change at a time. Maybe it feels like semantics to you, but a “resolution” requires massive conviction and usually a giant dose of deprivation. That’s hardly inspiring and the main reason that resolutions start to fizzle out by late January. This year, instead of making a list of things to DO, join me in writing a description of what you’d like your life to BE. Tell a new story about who you are and what’s possible for you! Then take action toward that vision. Check for where there might be contradictions in your life that are blocking you from getting there. If you’re seeking a loving relationship, you may want to clear some space in your closet and stop parking in the middle of your garage. If you want to be fit, you can’t focus on dieting and weight. Study fit people and how they live. Then do those things! But mostly, happiness will come not from what you add to your life, but what you are willing to leave in the past. Lighten your load by releasing whatever no longer serves you (people, habits, things). For me this year, I resolve to release the need for resolving!
— added from the Bliss Blog Archives