New Year New You".... a relatively familiar, yet redundant aphorism I have heard over & over again the last few weeks. Why is it that the start of a new year sends our very beings in to some sort of a panic mode to get our lives in order? There is almost something magical that seems to happen when we think of one year coming to an end, the start of another.
I myself have been guilty of this very thing time and time again. Its almost as though we lose ourselves somewhere in the rush of the holidays, putting everything else in our lives on hold. We then find ourselves thrown in to conversations, ideas, & plans made for New Years that are full of resolutions promising to get us back on track. The holidays pass, New Years comes, we party the night away with the intention of "this is it" tucked safely away in our subconscious.
The first few weeks of the new year are spent living the healthier side of life. Eating healthy, exercising, committing to self-care, we promise to spend less time on electronics and more time reading, the list goes on forever. Everything feels great.....until it doesn't. Until reality happens and we find ourselves feeling bit over whelmed with life.
I have been here many times before. Promising myself that I will do better once the new year comes. I spend time writing my goals for the year, sometimes breaking them down by month, creating a new daily routine for myself. I feel great, I'm excited, ready to handle whatever life throws my way. This all sounds amazing doesn't it ? Like finally life is going to somehow magically come together, each piece of life fitting flawlessly together like a beautiful puzzle. But then .. but then we get back to reality.
Please don't misunderstand what I am saying. I love goal setting. I love having a plan and I thrive off of a routine that is filled with all the healthy things. However reality doesn't always fit into this puzzles that we are piecing together. This is where I realized while we are setting our goals, we are also creating expectations, The word expectation itself means having the strong belief that something will happen, a belief that we should or will achieve something. Hmmm, I like it, it sounds good, seems harmless right?
When we set expectations for our selves, we tend to set them higher than we can actually reach, often feeling like nothing ever changes. Then suddenly we go from all pumped up to giving up, we are back at square one. You know what.... that is okay.
I am asking you to let go of all expectation as you read on.
As I previously shared above, I love goal setting, what. I don't love are the New Years resolutions. First of all January is still winter. I have come to firmly believe winter is a time for relaxation. A gentle reminder from the universe to slow down, to rest our bodies, allowing time for them to heal, replenish. So this year I have decided not to set any goals for myself.... yet. Instead I am choosing to rest my body and my mind just a little longer. I don't know about you but December was not a slow or relaxing month for me. Like most people it was filled with the busyness that comes with the holidays. That has left me with the thought of starting a new year exhausted and rundown. Don't give up just yet , there is hope!
The days are getting longer by the minute and our next season to come is Spring. This is when the earth slowly starts to awaken, coming back to life with all its vibrancy. I love spring for many reasons, but mainly because this is the time when I start to plant seeds for my garden. This reminds me that now is the time to start setting goals, to set intentions that are nourishing to my life. I am going to share the goals I have set for myself this year, with little expectation.
Wake up early.
Wash your face every morning.
Drink more water.
Spend more time reading, less time on electronics.
Exercise daily, take a walk, practice yoga, spend time in nature.
I know you probably expected more exciting goals, but at this point these few goals are in reach for me. Goals that I can spend less time thinking about and more time practicing, enjoying. I challenge you to rethink your "New Years Resolutions", to spend a little more time in stillness, & when the time is right begin setting small, obtainable goals. Bigger isn't always better. - Much Love & Light -H
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