Often we feel a sense of elevation, because in our heads it represents a new start. We feel we can make those changes that we were unable to last year: we can lose that weight, get fit, start a new job, have more me time, be a better partner, mother, daughter etc. We are often filled with anticipation of what we could achieve, what we could change, and then we think about when we do achieve those changes how wonderful our lives will be then……..hence the good old New Year’s resolutions.
However, we do know that most of them will be broken by the end of January and we enter the long, dark, cold nights feeling a slight sense of failure, a slight sense of having been here before and with no motivation or knowledge or desire even to change things.
That is not going to be me and it doesn’t have to be you either!
As most of you know, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. If I want to make changes, do something different, start something new, I wouldn’t wait until New Year to start it, it is just a date, nothing more – just start when you are ready.
Also, when I set intentions, I keep them manageable, small as I believe it is the small changes but done consistently that transforms our lives.
Yes, we are led to believe (and secretly hope) that our lives will transform overnight, but deep down, we all know that life isn’t quite as simple as that.
I set an intention, then I take small achievable steps towards my intention daily, weekly, monthly… That way, when I reflect back over the year, I can see massive transformations that have taken place in my life – that really is the only way to do it.
Perspective is important too. When we are caught up in a difficult situation, it is so hard to see anything positive in it, but when reflecting back, you can see how perhaps that did work out just fine after all. It wasn’t necessarily how you wanted it to go or had planned, but actually, looking back, you can see that it was right for you.
We are here to Experience life and that means the good and bad – we can’t experience one without knowing the other, it just doesn’t work like that.
So, when you reflect back on the year gone by, why not try to be less critical of the lows, the hard times, the not so good, and just accept that they are all part of life’s rich journey that we are travelling.
And when you look forward and plan your intentions, set your desires, your hopes and dreams, why not make sure that this year, you consistently take a small step in the direction of your intention and imagine where you could be when you are reflecting back next year!