New Year's resolutions. What does this even mean? Let's make it mean something to you, something tangible and real.
It's easy to blurt out some grand intentions for the New Year in between swigs of champagne, but we all know they fall short just as the hangover kicks in the following day.
Here is an absolutely grand way to create and manifest a New Years resolution that will stick!
Firstly, grab a pen and a piece of paper. Now, find a quiet place and really take a moment to write down your resolutions, or as we Yogi's call it: "setting your intention (or intentions) for the new year".
Now, intentions have two categories: Uber Intention and Specific Intention.
"Uber Intention" is the big one:...I want to "find the one", I want to lose 25 pounds, or I want to walk on the moon, run a marathon.... Just write all the wishes, dreams, uber intentions that come to mind down on paper. Have fun with it, the sky is the limit and an uber intention is never to big.
After you feel you have a good amount on paper, your ready to get more specific.
I say to my clients in personal training, THE MORE SPECIFIC YOU GET, THE MORE RESULTS YOU GET. Simple phrase; huge impact. So, look at your uber intentions and see if you can narrow the list down to one, maybe two tops. For example, you may have written down: quit smoking, lose weight, stop being so nervous, find a new job. If you look at those entries closely, all those sub-categories are really saying "improve personal well being". So, take the Uber Intention of improving personal well being and now create specific intentions to support and create your Uber Intention.
How? Simple, just make another list. You will basically bring back some of your previous ideas and they will become your specific intentions. Example: lose weight, quit smoking, etc.
So, here you go, you are already mapping a plan and it will probably take less then ten minutes.
OK, now here is the good stuff - stay with me.
Once you have a pretty clear outline of your uber intention and specific intentions, you now need to create sub-categories with more specific intentions.
Example: two specific intentions for losing weight would be:
1. Eat better or 2. Exercise.
Then, sub-categories would be:
1. Specific diet and 2. Specific exercise plan ... and so on and so on.
You get the idea :)
Just keep repeating this mantra as you get more specific and create the blue print to your New Year's Transformation!!
Key Point: you will find that when you are writing, you will start feeling and connecting to your intention.
I mentioned that you will start to feel resistance to your plan in the middle of writing it. Totally expected. This feeling is your self-commitment and inner truth coming out.
Let me explain: if you write down "lose weight", then getting more specific you would write down "exercise". Then, getting even more specific, you would write down "go to the gym 5 days a week".
This may hit a trigger in you. "Can I really go to the gym 5 days a week?" you might say to yourself.
It may look good on paper, but far from reality. Sure 5 days a week of exercise is great and will help you lose weight, but if you can't follow through on this commitment why write it down? So, clearly this is the moment of inner truth and establishing self-commitment.
Here is what you do: Feel it out. If 5 days a week, you know, is unrealistic... then how about one day?
You might say to yourself, "oh, that's too easy - of course I can do that - I do that already. I go twice a week". Then how about three? Or maybe four? If you concentrate, you will feel the right number. In this case, it's three. It's a realistic commitment that you can stick to and it should feel right.
Now that's the secret. Once you feel the right amount, stick to it. You just made a commitment to yourself... take it seriously.
MAKE IT YOUR LAW!!!!!
Another thing to throw in, as well, is make a commitment for only two weeks at a time.
If any of your commitments need adjusting, just know it's only a two week commitment so you don't get overwhelmed and you are always moving forward.
Create your Uber intention and support it with specific intentions and so on.
Happy New Year from the Philosophie!!