You may be thinking that the holiday’s are finally here, perhaps can’t believe they are in full-swing already! With all the build-up, effort, social obligations, expectations and emotions associated with “the holidays”, it can be quite stressful and exhausting. Christmas and Chanukkah, sometimes Kwanza are well-advertised, creep into our consciousness since Thanksgiving; Madison Avenue’s onslaught can not be avoided. The effects of “the holidays” remain a part of you, perpetually engrained well-after the New Year.
So what do you do with the aftermath of holiday time as you then quickly welcome in the New Year? How do you process the events, feelings, and expressions, religious and cultural meanings and put them into the mix of another New Year yet to resolve? How do you process another year yet to begin, another set of expectations and resolutions yet to be created?
When you ponder what areas of your life you feel compelled to improve, develop, resolve, extinguish or explore- a “new way” naturally begins. You quickly determine your list of personal, professional resolutions and think back to last year’s list. You may be one of the fortunate ones, who have stood by your positive intentions and accomplished some or all of your goals. You also may fall into the catagory of most people who have good intentions, yet over time, reality and practicality have replaced idealistic desires.
Key is to honor your dreams, your new year’s desires, no matter how lofty they may be at first. Spend some time and enjoy fantasizing about what is possible for you, what are your true heart’s desires. Be generous with yourself and throw in some honest gratitude for what already works in your life now. Gratefully acknowledge what you want or need more of in the future. Let the sky be the limit, imagine your life exactly the way you want it to be! Record internally, write down or share your list with people you’re close to; whatever works to help you clarify and cement what’s most important.
Once done, have fun with your list! A New Year’s Resolution list doesn’t have to be a serious thing, a dramatic or life-changing declaration. Your intentions determine the quality of your personal proclamation, so the outcome of what’s best for you will naturally evolve. Stay with your initial list, leave it alone and then return to it as the days and nights transpire. Be willing to see a thread of common themes, personal dream details that emerge.
Once you take a little time and uncover the prioritized themes on your list, you are ready to make a final draft. Be as specific as possible to help you to realistically tackle what’s most important. In order to successfully accomplish your New Year’s goals, be realistic while you set-up some safe risks. Set yourself up for success, not failure so reach for what you will accomplish accordingly.
If you are a visual person, post your New Year’s Resolution list in words, images or a combination of both so that you can see them. You can add them to your vision board, if you have one or want to create a new one. If you are more auditory in nature, record your resolutions where you can listen to your list and hear the desires of your heart and life. If you learn and remember using tactile or kinesthetic means, create tangible reminders that cause you to feel your list. Anyway you slice it, honor your developing intentions for the upcoming year with a precise medium that you can easily relate to, most naturally digest.
Finally, enjoy the holidays as much as you can. Welcome in the new year as a chance to embrace what works and to start over, sorta speak. It’s your list, what you resolve for your new year if you choose to create it, do it for you! Your resolutions reflect your highest priorities and no one else, unless part of your desires are to improve your relationships with others. Either way, you can resolve that the new year is right around the corner, whether you think about what it means to you or not! Live Inspired!® Nina~ www/LiveInspiredwithNina.com