Re-solution your resolution

The beginning of a new year often brings new goals, plans, challenges, intentions, and resolutions. How are you doing with yours so far this year? 

If you find that you're struggling to be as consistent as you hoped to be, take a step back to re-evaluate. Consider breaking your goal into smaller bite sized pieces and don't forget to celebrate your wins along the way.

For example, if you set out to meditate for 30 minutes daily for the month of January, give yourself permission to adjust. You could meditate for 3 minutes daily through Sunday. On Sunday, reflect on how this worked for you, and celebrate the days you meditated. Beginning next Monday, increase your daily meditation to 7 minutes (if this feels like a doable increase). On Sunday, reflect on how this worked for you and celebrate having another week of meditation under your belt! The following Monday, stick with 7 minutes or increase to 11 minutes a day. On Sunday, reflect and celebrate. 

Ultimately, it comes down to knowing your goal and your reason for setting it (What do you want to accomplish? How will you know you're there?).  If your goal is to meditate daily, give yourself permission to start with a shorter amount of time and build from there so you can have the experience of daily meditation. You can always increase your time. Increasing time incrementally helps you build your meditation muscle, just like if you’re running or lifting weights - start off with going around the block or lifting 3 lb dumbbells and increase as you gain strength. 

Through this process, you get to find where you’re challenged and know your meditation sweet spot - it may be 30 minutes, but it may be 11 or 15. And you get to experience the bliss and challenges of daily practice, and how it feels to work through them. 

Of course I’m using meditation as an example, but this can be applied to any of your goals, intentions, or resolutions for the new year. When the obstacles present themselves (as they do), tap into your inner coach to help you reflect on your goal, re-solution your process, and resume. Don’t forget to build in your celebrations! Give yourself grace, and allow your inner coach to help you along the way. 

With love and grace,
Jodh

Photo credit: Jill Wellington