By Barb Schmidt, author THE PRACTICE
1. Sit with yourself in silence as you mentally review the past year.
Think about things
that brought you fulfillment and good health. Also think about things
that may have interfered with your forward movement in life or affected
your well-being. This will give you insight on the things you want to do
more of and those things you may wish to
change in the coming year.
2. Change up your resolutions.
Avoid
falling back on resolutions you have made in prior years. If there is
something you want to accomplish in the new year but have not followed
through on in years past, maybe
that particular change is not a priority for you or it is not resonating with you. Choose another path toward your goal.
3. Be specific.
When making your resolutions,
get really specific about what you will do to make the change. Create a
list of activities or steps you will take each day to carry you along
toward
your new destination. Remember, it is all about the journey, so be sure
you have a clear map to follow.
4. Have faith in your ability to make positive changes.
Avoid
self-defeating thoughts like, “I’m going to fail again,” or “This is
probably not going to stick.” When you find your mind going down that
path, say an affirmation or mantra
to yourself to lead your mind back toward your heart and positive
intentions.
5. Identify the aspect of yourself you wish to strengthen: mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Then, choose a resolution
that aligns with that aspect. You may even wish to choose more than one
aspect upon which to make a resolution. Quite often, making a change in
one area
will benefit other areas of your life as well.
6. Make smaller goals.
Think of where you want to be
a year from now and then identify monthly steps you can take toward
that goal. Write these steps down and then reaffirm your resolution on
the first
day of each new month. Even if you have not followed through during the
previous month, you will still have many more opportunities to get back
on track and move forward. We always have the choice to stop and start
again.
Barb
Schmidt is an international speaker, philanthropist, spiritual mentor,
and best-selling author of The Practice. She has devoted more than 30
years to her studies
with inspirational leaders such as Deepak Chopra, Thich Nhat Hanh,
Scott Peck, Buddhist nun Tenzin Palmo, Thomas Merton scholar James
Finley, and Marianne Williamson.
Believing
that “outer peace begins with inner peace,” in 2011, Barb founded
Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life, to further serve those who seek to live a
meaningful, happy life, and to fulfill
her passion to bring peace to the world. Through this nonprofit, she
teaches The Practice—a three-part guide to practical spirituality in
today’s modern, and often chaotic, world.
http://peacefulmindpeacefullife.org/blog/
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