HOWTOAPPROACHANEWYEAR’S RESOLUTION
1. Consider Your Intentions. The most common resolutions are to lose weight, spend less money, and get organized. Those are all valuable and healthy practices. But why are they your intentions? Do you want to feel better about your body? Know that you won’t need to worry about money for retirement? Honoring the personal meaning behind an action helps us maintain our resolve. 2. Focus on Process, Not Results. Don’t focus on a result, with no identification of a process for how to get there. Intensely focusing on results paradoxically makes us less likely to achieve them. Instead of focusing on “losing 10 pounds,” try focusing on going for walks or eating healthy salads for lunch — you will probably end up losing some weight in the process. And you’ll probably enjoy the journey a lot more. The focus of our resolution should be the process — the infinite present moments in which transformation will occur — rather than the single instance of its attainment.
3. Consider Resolution Alternatives. If the pressure of New Year’s Resolutions is too much, consider a few alternative ways to set your intentions for the upcoming year: Make a Vision Board: A vision board compiles images that represent what you want for yourself in the upcoming year. It’s a great way to have a visual reminder of your intentions. Choose a Word of the Year: Many people have embraced the trend of choosing a word for the year — like breathe, trust, dance, fly — that encapsulates the feelings, attitudes, and behaviors they desire in the year ahead. This word can guide your choices and actions — instead of setting firm expectations for yourself, you can ask if a particular behavior aligns with your word and your intentions. Ultimately, New Year’s Resolutions are about growth and improvement. They are about bringing health and joy and ease into our lives. With mindfulness we can bring awareness to our habits and hold ourselves with compassion and kindness as we seek meaningful transformation.
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