By Bobbie Ann Pimm via DreamsCloud.com
Have you ever made a New Year's resolution? If you're like most people, you have, despite the fact that deep down you know that you'll probably fail, just like you did last year and the year before, and the year before that.
You tell yourself, "This year will be different! This year, I really mean it! This year I'm going to follow through, and keep that resolution!"
According to a January 2014 study performed by the University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45 percent of all Americans make a New Year's resolution, but only 8 percent actually achieve them (1).
Is there some secret to keeping a New Year's resolution? Is there some esoteric knowledge that only special people have? Or is it really just a simple matter of determination, willpower or mind over matter?
Well, as it happens, I do have a secret -- and it's an ability that you already have. In fact, you have always had it and always will -- your nightly dreams! That's right; your dreams can help you keep your New Year's resolutions.
"How?" you might ask. Hold on, I'm getting to that part!
At a subconscious level you know what is best for you -- what you should and shouldn't do. Your dreams are a direct link to your subconscious. Your dreams never lie and will always have your best interest and highest potential as a guiding force. Carl Jung, Edgar Cayce, Jeremy Taylor and many other modern dreamworkers are all of the belief that, as Jeremy Taylor offers in his Dreamwork Toolkit (2), "All dreams ... come in the service of health and wholeness."
The first thing you'll need is a way to record your dreams. The ever faithful hand-written dream journal still works, but technology now offers new ways to keep a dream journal -- such as a voice recorder and dictation software, or a smartphone with a dream journal app.
Next, you should consider consulting your dreaming mind to be sure that you set a correct resolution -- something that is in alignment with your unconscious mind and waking life goals at this time in your life. Something that is healthy for your body, spirit and mind.
One way to do this would be to incubate a dream that will tell you what your resolution should be. If you've already made a resolution, incubate a dream that will confirm your resolution.
To Incubate a Dream, Follow These Steps:
- Before going to sleep, put a pen and paper, a voice recorder or your smartphone with a dream journaling app on it, beside your bed.
Sit or lay quietly, and clear your mind for a moment or two. Tell yourself that you want to make a change in this new year that will improve some aspect of waking life which may be physical, mental, or spiritual. Tell yourself that you will have a dream, which you will remember, that will answer the question, "What issue or behavior should I resolve to change or improve in this coming year?" Use your own words and vernacular so that saying it feels natural to you. Repeat it several times. You can even write it down or record it. "I will have a dream that I will remember that will tell me what issue or behavior I should resolve to change or improve in this coming year." If you have trouble remembering your dreams, setting the intention to remember a dream a few nights in a row will usually be sufficient. In the morning when you first wake up, don't move and follow these steps: When you wake up, lie completely still for a moment and try to recall what was just going through your mind. What image comes to mind? What were you doing or saying? Where were you? Try to remember as much as you can and then, before moving, go over it one more time. Pick up your pen and paper (or turn on your recorder or smartphone) and note a few keywords. Then record the dream in the present tense. The keywords will help jog your memory as you're recording the dream. Give the dream a title that captures the essence of the dream. You may be able to determine your correct resolution from the title alone. If not... Look over the dream. Is there a specific message? For instance, did a deceased loved one advise you to take a walk? If not... Look for a theme. What is it addressing -- a relationship, a health issue, a habit? Look for something that changed in the dream. For example, it is sunny and then it changes to rain. Consider what you were doing when the change occurred. How might this change be reflecting some aspect of yourself or your waking life? Look for a behavior that is in total opposition to how you normally behave in waking life. For instance, you apologize for making a mistake instead of making an excuse. Make a resolution that is in alignment with the dream essence, message, theme, change or difference. If you don't get a specific resolution the first night, try again. It may take a few nights, but you need to be sincere and take the same steps again. If you did make a resolution, incubate a dream the following night that will confirm it.Another way to use your dreams to help define a good resolution might be to review your dream journal entries from this past year. Is there a recurring theme or issue that continues to play out? If so, this may be telling you that there is something there that needs to change. Base your New Year's resolution on making this change.
Once you have made a resolution that is in alignment with your unconscious, you can use your dreams to help you stay on track and keep it. Before you go to bed each night, set the intention to have a dream that will show you where you are going wrong or that will affirm what you are doing right. You might consider writing down your daily activities before going to bed to "prime the pump" for your dreaming mind and reaffirm your determination to keep your resolution.
Your dreams will tell you when and where you might be going amiss -- and how to get back on track. Your dreams will never lead you astray -- once you learn to work with and interpret them. After recording your dream, look for the themes and patterns that your dreaming mind is addressing. If you are off track in keeping your resolution your dream will show you what you are doing wrong; or will provide a pat on the back to encourage you to continue on the right path.
Don't get discouraged if you slip up. Remember you are only human, and tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to get it right!
DreamsCloud is the world's leading online dream resource, with an interactive database of more than 1.8 million dreams. Offering a 360-degree approach to dreaming -- including a real-time global dream map, dream journaling/sharing tools and the largest group of professional dream reflectors -- DreamsCloud empowers users to better understand their dreams and improve their waking lives. They offer a free app for iOS called DreamSphere and curate one of the largest available online dream dictionaries.
Blog author, Bobbie Ann Pimm, is a dream educator and author of Notes From a Dreamer ... on Dreaming: A Personal Journey in Dream Interpretation, written as a beginner's guide to learning to interpret your own dreams. She is an elected member to the Board of Directors of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and chair of their Membership Committee and the Regional Events Committee chair. She is also a member of the team of professional dream reflectors on DreamsCloud.com.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.