A New Year ~ A New You!

When I think of 2020 it reminds me of perfect eyesight. For this reason I’ve declared this my year of clarity of vision. In addition to literal vision, this year is going to be my year to define, revise, shed more light on and refine my vision. When I speak of vision, I’m referring to the four main areas of my life: Relationships, Health, Environment and Career! Then I break each one down into further subcategories of relationships with family, friends, significant other, colleagues, diet and exercise, home environment, work environment, state of my car and wardrobe, finances, passions, lifestyle, hobbies, intellectual pursuits, spiritual endeavors, and legacy.

Don’t make New Year’s Resolutions…..at least not just yet.

Many people make – or attempt to make – New Year’s Resolutions at the start of the calendar year. In Human Design, the few days surrounding January 1st are in the Life Theme of Tension, which is not a conducive energy to starting and maintaining a new practice or goal. January 21st is when the start codon of the genetic blueprint is activated and this is recommended as the best time to make resolutions. I begin mine during the Winter Solstice and clarify them throughout the month.

Whenever you decide to make your resolutions, here are three tips to ensure these one will surely stick.

1. Schedule quiet time to reflect on the year past and plan the year ahead.

People may have good intentions to do something healthy for themselves, but if they fail to plan for it, it may not happen. This is the same of anything in life – goal setting is no different. If your home allows for quiet time for yourself, then great. If you tend to have most distractions happen when you are home, surrounded by family who need your attention and chores that nag to be done, then you may need a different course of action. Consider booking yourself into a hotel or a cabin where the sound of birds singing will be the only diversion from your own thoughts. Surely you will find that nature has a way of inspiring you like nothing else can.

2. Always set small attainable goals for yourself.

If you want lasting change, it’s better to take baby steps with whatever it is you’re setting out to do. Most people think their goals are made and carried out by their conscious minds. The reality is that the subconscious mind runs the show and is responsible for about 95% of all our actions. It’s the job of this unconscious part of our brain to keep us safe by keeping things the same as they are and always have been. Anything new or out of the ordinary is seen as a threat to our survival and this is the real reason why self-sabotage is rampant with resolutions. The smaller your goal, the less intimidating it appears to the subconscious mind and the more likely you are to succeed.

3. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small.

Another thing that trains the brain to accept change is to associate positive feelings with it. For example, if your ultimate goal is to work out at the gym five days a week, start with committing to 2 days a week with the option of bonus days. This way if you manage to work out 4 days in any particular week, then you can celebrate this as having achieved your goal plus two extra days, instead of being hard on yourself for being one day short of a 5 day goal. It’s a minor tweak that can make a world of difference in the long run.

Remember that when it comes to resolutions, you make the rules so set yourself up to win!