January… It signals new beginnings, a time to make new choices, setting new goals and taking action. Everyone wants us to make resolutions and get busy honoring the resolutions. Think about this. How many years in a row have you made the same resolutions? I know I am guilty of this. Why? Because the new year is revered to be a time of fresh starts. Resolutions are a time honored tradition. What if you looked at January in a different way this year?
What if, instead of choosing the same old goals and resolutions which most likely will fizzle out, you took a moment and went “inside”? By this, I mean inside of yourself.
Often, goals and resolutions are made out of habit, obligation, fear or what you think others think you should do. When goals and resolutions are made from these places, the key ingredients are often missing: commitment and ownership. They don’t resonate from a place of passion, or that higher level of energy. Remember, what you focus on you achieve.
Let’s be honest, most of you don’t take the time to sit and listen within. It’s okay, I get caught in the same trap. My friend and I were talking on New Year’s Eve about how we are struggling to “hear” what we need to hear. December is all about hustle and bustle and I love it but it also leaves me feeling a little lost when it comes to the next steps. My routines get messed up, I don’t take time out to really listen to what I need to hear, I miss the little signs that are laid out for me and my vision becomes cloudy. Then, old beliefs and trusty old actions, my ego, start to lure me in. “Go back to your old ways, that way you know what to expect”, it says enticingly. This is why resolutions often don’t work. They are not made based on your passions and desires, they are made out of your fears and obligations.
So this month, I am going to ask you to spend some time alone. I want your vision for 2017 to be steeped in you, your dreams, desires and passions. Your goals or your resolutions must be based on what is right for you, and the best part is, deep down you know what these are. Your vision is like a tea bag, the longer it steeps the more potent, intense and powerful the flavor becomes. You might find the flavor too strong and have a strong desire to throw it away and start over.
And there lies the problem. You react to the urge to throw it away, rather than find a way to respond. No one wants to go deep, after all what you find may scare you. Yet, it’s time to be explored. You know your dreams won’t go away by covering them up with superficial ideas of your age old resolutions and beliefs. They have been there for too long, waiting for you to discover them, remember them. They are ready to be opened and explored. You just need to listen, trust and believe in yourself and your deep desires.
I know, it’s a lot to have sink in! But I can’t leave you without your weekly challenge. After all, change begins with action!
So for this week, your challenge is to consider the resolutions or goals you may have set for yourself so far in 2017. Ask yourself, do these resolutions fulfill me in a way that will create lasting commitment and accountability? Secondly, ask yourself why do they fulfill you? How does sticking with this resolution make me feel, why do I want it? Then ask yourself why again, then one time. And then one more time. Does it feel right? If so, woohoo you are in alignment with your true desires. If not, it’s ok, together we can get you there.
