Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, Try This…

Every year it bugs me to see all the directives to map out your year, or list your goals, or make another vision board or what have you.  Don’t get me wrong, I think all of these things are awesome and useful tools, but there seems to be a LOT of pressure that comes with that impending January 1 deadline to “have it all figured out.” As if the holiday season isn’t busy enough!So this year I decided to boycott the whole thing, and I didn’t write down a single goal.

Change happens in the moment.It happens with every thought you think and choice you make.

Will you choose in this moment to continue to see yourself as broken or weak, or will you choose to view yourself as perfect, whole and complete no matter what you are struggling with?Will you choose to view your eating challenges or unwanted weight as a dreadful and shameful thing that you must force away, or will you choose to view them as an invitation to learn and grow?

Will you choose to set yourself up for striving and pushing by setting another unattainable goal, or will you choose to connect to what you truly desire, WHY you desire it, and allow that to pull you forward?

See, these changes are available to you moment by moment, every day of your life. It’s about becoming conscious of what’s happening inside of you in the now, and gently course correcting when needed.

Here are two alternative New Year strategies to help you begin to create those present moment changes (and ensure the lasting change you desire) right away:

1. Get intentional about your day. You’ve got to start by chunking it down a little. Placing a big set of expectations on yourself a whole year at a time can have the opposite effect of what you want.

Here’s what I do instead:  Every morning I sit down and write out 3 specific intentions for the day…

1. How do I wish to feel today?
2. What do I wish to experience today?
3. What do I wish to enjoy today?

(See the rest of my daily practices here) 

This enables you to tune into the energy of what you want and makes it more likely that you will have that experience. It’s like a subconscious guidance system operating in the background of your mind as you go about your day.

Bonus tip: Every month on the New Moon (which brings the energy of new beginnings), I write a list of intentions for the coming month around what I want to create or experience in my life and business. It may sound a little woo-woo, but this practice has worked magic in my life since I started practicing it about 5 years ago.2. Identify a few Themes that you want give some attention to.   
A theme is more expansive than a specific intention, it gives you an overarching focus for what you really want to embody in the coming year.

For example, a theme could be Spaciousness – time to feel more fluid and open. Or Authenticity – speaking your truth and being yourself with courage and confidence. The themes that I have chosen to work with this year are Systems & Structures, Spiritual Connection/Faith, and Visibility.

(One important theme I’d like to personally suggest to you: NOURISHMENT!)

Then, day to day, moment to moment, you can ask yourself, “Will this decision, action or thought give me more of that theme or less?”  And you can reassess as you go through the year. Perhaps after a few months you feel fulfilled with one theme and are drawn to a new one!

Ultimately the fluidity of themes gives you a lot more possibility (and a lot less pressure) than a list of goals. Our goal here in the land of Living & Eating Fearlessly is always to have you experiencing LESS stress and pressure in your life, because ultimately it’s peace of mind and relaxation that revs up your metabolism and allows you to release unwanted food or body issues!