2020, a whole new decade is here. Are you feeling pressure to establish some significant and grandiose goals for this new year? Me too! 2020 calls for a new and different approach to resolutions. No “lose weight” “or “exercise more.” What, you too? Yes, we all pick the same ones. 

What if this year we pick goals we actually really want to stick to and ones that would really make a difference in our lives and the people around us?  I am not saying we shouldn’t eat healthy food and exercise our bodies, but our minds could use our focus too. 

There’s lots of reasons that this may be a good idea. Mindfulness is not a trend. It’s an important movement towards understanding the power of our minds. Our thoughts are energy and this energy can create our reality. Mindfulness can truly be life-changing.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is also increasingly being touted as a measure of one’s ability to succeed at work and in life. We need to ensure our minds are healthy so we can reduce stress and deal with all the stuff we have to do and people we have to do it with. We need the ability to stay positive in times of conflict and create strong relationships that can weather any storm.

And wow is it clear that the climate today is stormy. We could certainly use more love, compassion, and kindness in this world. It can all be overwhelming yet if we take care of ourselves, we can all make a difference– one day and one person we encounter at a time. 

To be our best, we have to take care of ourselves from the inside out. So, for this New Year’s resolutions, I want to manifest being more joyful, grateful and peaceful. Here are my goals for this new year in hopes they give you some new ideas for yours.

Joyful

Joy means prioritizing relationships and spending quality fun time with friends, family and my pets. The real goal is more laughter. More just hanging out and being. And, more just being together. 

Joy also means giving. It takes so little to make someone else’s day brighter. I want to give more time and attention to people who need support. I want to be more present for myself and others.

The being a present thing is a big one and will take lots of discipline. Yet it could be as simple as less time spent looking down at my screen and more looking up at the sky and around at the beautiful world and people surrounding me. 

Grateful

While I want to remain ambitious, I mostly want to truly embrace gratitude for everything I already have.  I’m so thankful to now recognize that I am in control of my mind and my actions. I know that I have the power to continue creating the life of my dreams. And I know I can help others do the same.

Life has been such a fun journey so far. Has it been luck? Good fortune? Fate?  I have worked hard, but there is clearly also a greater force that has proven to be very good to me. I feel blessed so more of this feeling and spreading it around is a must.

Peaceful

Peaceful to me means accepting that I am doing my best and believing that everyone else is doing their best too. Constructive feedback is always welcome, but no more undue pressure, unreasonable comparisons or harsh judgments. Just feelings of peace and unconditional love. 

Worrying simply has to go this year too. I choose to believe everything works out for the best. When I feel worried about setting in, I will breathe deeply, get up and write down what I am grateful for and what I can do to help others.

Are you feeling this mindful goal-setting thing?

What emotional experiences do you want to cultivate in 2020? What feelings do you want to manifest going into this new decade?

When you take care of your emotional wellness, you are sure to feel better. When you feel your best, you can also more easily share your unique gifts with others. 

Let’s band together and generate lots of loving positive energy in 2020. We can feel our way to a better future together.