It’s time to flip the script on making a New Year’s resolution. We all know the drill, instead of thinking about what we’ve done right the past year, we are bombarded with mind-boggling messages about change, the need to change, why we should change and how completely awful our lives will be if we don’t…you guessed it, change.
Here’s a different message. It begins with you thinking about three things in 2016 that went well for you. Take a few moments, reflect, avoid self-judgment and write them down. If you have trouble thinking of anything, stop, relax, close your eyes while inhaling deeply visualize the last time that you felt satisfied or were happy. What were you doing? Who were you with? How did you know that you were feeling joy? What did you learn from a painful situation? Self-growth often happens after challenges.
Instead of focusing on a specific problem like losing weight, picking up a new hobby or finding new love, 2017 is going to be about your potential, your greatness, your making bigger what’s good about your life.
How?
- Identify the feeling first. When you are in flow, doing your thing, what is the feeling? Name it and get comfortable with how you that feeling will manifest in your body.
- Shut down the inner voice that tells you that you can’t. We all have one. The nagging, negative words that we hear when we are trying something new. Clap back at it. Shut it down by replacing your inner voice with your own mantra ie. “Yes, I can and will”.
- Be kind to yourself in the process. Self-compassion trumps circumstances. Our brain’s automatically turn towards negativity. Fight that by choosing to keep your awareness on positive goals.
- You are worth it. We all deserve to have fulfillment and joy. What you have done or has been done to you does not mean that you are unworthy of inner peace and satisfaction. Give yourself a break and a pat on the back for being a warrior.
- Have a mindset of strength and abundance. What you seek is there. There is more than enough of whatever you desire for your life in the universe because what you want wants you. Stop thinking about measurable things and instead focus on meaning. In others words, If I … then I will feel… and have….
Make this New Year a time for reflection and thoughtful meditation about your feelings and connecting with what’s important to you throughout the year. Instead of a list of things to do for 2017, make a list of what you’re good at and want to build upon. Your best self is not new because your best self is within you already waiting to shine even more.
Originally published at medium.com