I’ve been seeing lots of “New Year’s Resolution” stuff on social media and the interwebs lately. No big surprise these last weeks of the year. But once again, I find myself grumbling at the wave of (what i think is) unrealistic goal setting and expectations, wrapped in cloaks of personal growth.
It’s not that I’m against reflection, planning and intention setting; I’m all for them. Absolutely. But resolutions? I hate ’em.
Why? Statistics prove that they rarely work. That’s because we’re often looking for miracles and quick fixes to situations that we’ve created over years of habit, all-or-nothing thinking, and a belief that one day we’ll “get there.” To the longed for end-goal that is unchanging.
Goals like:
- Get organized
- Lose weight/get fit.
- Financial security.
- Career satisfaction.
- Amazing relationship.
- Travel more.
Any of those static? unchanging? completely under your control?
Nope. (duh)
Because all those things are fluid; processes.
Yet so many look at the turning of the new year and think: Tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow I get a clean slate. Tomorrow I’ll do what I have yet to do.Tomorrow is magic.
It’s not. You know that. Even if you’ve made a resolution, you know that January 1st is just another day…as today is just another day, and the way that yesterday and the day before that and the day before that were just other days.
Our lives are a collection of days. And it’s only by presence, and choosing and course correcting as we go that we make changes.
Of course, I’m going to tell you that a writing practice will help you with all of that.
That’s because writing is about connecting with your inner wisdom/higher self. It’s about listening deeply, seeing beyond the daily kvetching to themes and the needs and the challenges. It’s self revelation. Practicing stillness, compassion and gratitude. Writing can support other daily habits; it helps you take the baby steps required to make change.
There’s no magic involved. Just pen to paper; allowing and letting thoughts flow.
That’s how change happens. Bit by bit. Day by day. Step by step.
So …
If you want to make a change this year: today – or tonight, or tomorrow or the next day (or the next or the next) – take a few minutes and write:
- What am I grateful for?
- What am I proud/glad of from the past year?
- What do I want to create (today? tomorrow? in the next few days / weeks / month / year?) (and that can be a physical creation, or simply a feeling or situation.)
- What do I want to release?
Then, drop in on those same questions in a week.
And the week after that.
And the week after that.
Next year at this time, you may see that you don’t need to resolve anything. You’ve written yourself (bit by bit) into more of the life you want.
(well, maybe that is a little bit magic…)
Wishing you all the best today, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that again.
__________________________
And, my New Year’s poem. Again.
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