I bet your inbox is chock full of advice on Resolutions for the New Year. Here is my obligatory contribution:
Resolutions don’t work because they require resolve, which is just another way of saying that they require high motivation.
Motivation is fleeting. It does not remain at a consistent level. We take advantage of the uncommonly high motivation present at the first of the year and we make big statements about habits we want to break or make, things we want to accomplish, places we want to go . . . but rarely ask the question who do I want to become next?
There are three important things you need to do when discovering who is trying to emerge during the next season of your life:
Evaluate, Visualize and Plan.
Evaluate: Take stock of where you have been in the last period of time, and who you have been presenting yourself to be. I like doing this quarterly, and I follow the acronym ALSWOT. This stands for Accomplishments, Lessons Learned, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Evaluating the past year in this way (be it for work, family, or personal growth) gives us the information we need for the next part of the equation.
Visualize: Take 10 minutes to see yourself as you will appear once you have met your goals and are living a life that is in integrity with your vision. What skills have you acquired (aka – what weaknesses have you turned into strengths)? How do you physically appear? What relationships do you have that support the new you? What is no longer important and has been left to the wayside? Write about or sketch your new self.
Plan: Write 3-4 SMART goals that will help you grow into the person you want to be. SMART = Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, Time Bound. Regularly (daily or weekly) score your SMART goals so that you can see the fruits of your labor. Want to exercise more? Set a SMART goal that includes where, when and with whom you will work out. Then track your progress and score yourself accordingly. As a health coach, I always tell my clients to shoot for a solid B-! That keeps the perfectionism monster from sabotaging your success.
Super-Charge Your New Year
Get into a miracle mindset and set your intentions for 2019.
Join me for a special workshop: IGNITE THE SUPERHERO IN YOU at Zin Yoga in Garner, NC on Saturday, January 5th at 10:30am.
We will move through a gentle yoga practice to warm up before writing reflections from 2018 and visualizing our becoming for 2019.
Register for Ignite the Superhero Workshop
I look forward to seeing you this year.
Pure Life is here to support your vibrant health. Our massage and Ayurveda treatments, workshops and health coaching are all here for you. If you have questions about how our services will help you relieve pain, prevent illness and disease, and improve your relationship with yourself and others, please get in touch. I would love to help you create a plan for your best year ever.
In pure health,
Gin
919-619-0211
ayurvedagin@gmail.com