True life is lived when tiny changes occur.
-Leo Tolstoy
Many of us begin the New Year by making life-changing resolutions. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more, quit coffee, save money, or spend more time with our family. We start with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits, and then we feel bad for not sticking to our resolutions.
Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year’s resolutions? That’s because we often make big resolutions that require drastic overnight changes. Lasting change occurs by taking mindful baby steps and fully enjoying the ups and downs of our journey.
This year, I invite you to shift your perspective on resolutions, instead, create meaningful Intentions. Ask yourself, what are the “desired feelings” that you would like to have in your life? Perhaps you want to feel happy, healthy, balanced, or self-love & appreciation. What are some small changes that you can make to reach these desired feelings?
Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this year:
1. Write down your positive intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car.
2. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don’t tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal.
3. Be clear about how you would feel and what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you and how would you feel? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick with your plan.
4. Adopt a mindfulness practice like yoga, meditation, deep breathing, hiking in nature, or just quite time alone. These practices can help you to be more grounded allowing you to stay focused on your intentions and desired feelings.
5. Share your intentions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call or text you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you.
6. Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with something nice like a hot bath or massage.
Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.
Enjoy these New Year Gifts, from Me to You!
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Tune in to our discussion about setting positive lasting intentions and staying committed to your most meaningful New Year goals. We hope this episode will inspire you to find balance, success, and joy!
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