The Step Before Making New Year's Resolutions
We made it! Christmas has come and gone and now we’re staring New Year’s in the face.
You’re likely still nursing your eggnog hangover and shaky nerves after all that family time, but now you may be looking forward into the light of 2017. Oh, the possibilities!
Too often, we make resolutions that start off great, but then turn into burdens. The mindset we adopt on our way to New Year’s Resolutions is often one of perfectionism, leading us to failure through simply being human.
This year, I want to help you make smart, realistic resolutions. Resolutions that aren’t all about waiting until they’re yours, but finding joy, peace and acceptance in the CREATION of them. How we live our lives on the way to where we’re going is even more important than the destination.
This post is the first in a 2-part series to help you develop New Year’s resolutions that won’t have you crying in a puddle of your own shame within 6 weeks. No more using guilt as motivation. No more goals that root into “I’m not good enough.” I’m going to teach you how to create Love-based intentions that positively affect your life the moment you start working toward them.
Today, we reflect. Next week, we resolve.
The How-To
To start, we have to determine what worked and didn’t work this last year. How else would we know what we want to continue to do and allow in 2017, and what we choose to actively release?
To do that, I’ve come up with a list of journaling cues for you to work through over the next week. Don’t rush this! Take your time. Make some tea. Maybe put on your favorite jams and throw some calming essential oil into the diffuser and just let yourself reflect.
ALIGN
These prompts will help you determine what you loved about 2016, and what you'll bring into 2017. Be honest and try not to think too much. Just let yourself write it out.
Throughout 2016:
- When did you feel the most whole?
- When did you feel like you loved yourself the most?
- When did you feel the happiest?
- When did you feel the most at peace?
- What little everyday things were you grateful for?
- What special things did you do for yourself?
RELEASE
These prompts will help you determine what you choose to leave in 2016.If 2016 was a hard year for you, please take breaks as you go through the RELEASE prompts. Come back to the present if you feel yourself starting to sink into the darkness of past experiences. You don’t need to fall back into that place in order to learn from it. If you feel yourself starting to sink, take some deep breaths into this mantra: “The past stays in the past. I’m safe in the here and now.”Throughout 2016:
- When did you feel the most lacking?
- When did you feel stretched thin?
- When did you feel like your boundaries were pushed too far?
- What do you regret?
Again, take your time going through these prompts. You won’t take the next step until next week! It helps me to schedule 15 minutes a day to journal through these until I’m done. That way, I keep myself from getting overwhelmed with the idea of doing all of these at once.
Put It Altogether
Pulling from your answers to the above prompts, determine what qualities, actions, maybe even relationships you want to leave in 2016 and what you choose to bring with you and create more of in 2017.
Use the questions in the ALIGN category to sum up in a positive word or phrase your theme for 2017. For example, you could choose “Fearless” or “Be here now.” To keep it positive and empowering, steer clear of negative phrases like “Never again,” or “Stop being weak.” We want this phrase or word to be rooted in a Loving place, not a judgmental or fearful place.
Whatever you choose will be your mantra for the year. When you make decisions, you will first state this mantra to root yourself into who you choose to be. If the action doesn’t align with your theme, you get to make an informed decision as to whether you take it or not.
Next week, we’ll go over how to take your 2017 theme and put it into aligned action!
'Til next week, Strongie...
Stay strong,
Amy