Every year I hear more and more people saying they no longer make New Year's resolutions because they never follow them. I also hear more people saying they live in the moment and make a resolution everyday. For me New Year's and Birthdays are a quiet time for reflection. I rang in my New Year painting a canvas for the first time. I didn't know what I was doing but it felt nice and simple. It is something I would definitely do again.
Whether we want to have resolutions or not, we always have things floating around in our heads that we would like, prefer or dream about. One of the easiest ways to feel better about the New Year is to acknowledge what was great about the old one. 2014 may not have turned out as we imagined but writing a list of things we enjoyed and all of our accomplishments puts things into perspective. It can help us feel better about the year ahead.
Below are some simple ways to feel optimistic about the days to come.
1)Make a list of five people you are glad you met or spent time with in 2014.
People are often our access to fun, opportunity, love, excitement and adventure. Sometimes time feels like it is going by so quickly that we do not savour the ways in which people come in and out of our lives.
2)Think of one thing you thought you would never do but did it anyway.
I thought I would never go on a blind date but I did! It wasn't what I would consider a good date but I'm glad I went. Sometimes we don't notice the ways in which we have expanded in the moment but it can be fun to think about.
3)Make a list of at least five accomplishments, big and small.
At times we can be hard on ourselves when we want to do something and don't feel we are getting there fast enough but really we accomplish things all the time that we don't acknowledge. Sometimes it's leaving a job that we knew didn't feed our soul. Other times it's learning to cook a new dish. Acknowledging everything we do that is a step in a direction that feels right to us is important.
4)Thank one person who had a great impact on you, if you cannot speak to them directly, write them a note and keep it for yourself.
Appreciation is a state of being that feels good. When we appreciate everything from the air we breathe to the opportunities that flow our way, we place ourselves in a more receptive energy field.
5)Make a list of three people, experiences or places that inspired you.
Inspiration is an important thing to take note of. When we notice what inspires us we can place ourselves around those things or people more often and allow ourselves to create our life experience. When what inspires us goes unnoticed life can feel dull or boring.
Remember that it is okay to have goals for the year ahead. Goals don't have to be about losing weight or making a certain amount of money. A goal that feels good can be something like promising to say the words "Thank you" more often, or spending more time with a pet or getting more sleep.
When our resolutions become more about the people we want to be and not about the way we want to look or the things we want to have, our resolutions will feel good to make, keep and share with others. Happy 2015! May your days be filled with love, inspiration, joy and ease.
A Little Love From Mala