Don't bother with New Years resolutions. Seriously, all the hype is around deciding how you are going to change in the New Year. You know and I know that we are not going to change. If we do it’s only going to be a short spurt and then we are going to go back to our comfort zone.
What is even worse is after we fail at that attempt to change for the better we are then going to end up with this residue of frustration and contempt for not keep our promise to our self. Well, I don’t like feeling guilty and I certainly don’t want to begrudge my self for not keeping a promise to my self!
So Wake Up! Stop beating your self up for not following the unrealistic diet or exercise regimen. Don’t belittle yourself if you did not get all those holiday cards or thank you cards out that you said you were going to do the day after Christmas. It’s pointless.
Do I sound a bit pessimistic? No apologies here. Here is the truth:
“Your past behavior is a promising guarantee to your future behavior.”
I know that sounds like a commercial for a prospectus for an investment house but the entire negative boohoo above is really positive. I know it doesn’t seem that way but allow me to demonstrate. Let’s say you have the following list:
Lose 10lbs
Clean out closet
Finish painting the living room
Make more money
My apologies but I’m already tired, so I’m not going to list any more. Instead let us step back and look at ways that will do more than accomplish basic New Year tasks. Oh, and by the way, this is not about goal setting. That’s an over simplified word for project planning! Project planning works for projects but not for your life.
Here we go:
You are where you are because of who you are.
Who you are is a direct reflection of what you think you are.
What you think is completely controlled by you.
You give your thoughts power.
Actively observing your thoughts allows you to be in charge!
How do you do this? Start slow; this is like turning a huge ship at sea.
Start by observing your actions in the morning. Take the unconscious and make it conscious. For example, when you brush your teeth in the morning become really aware of brushing your teeth. Notice, but do not hang on to, passing thoughts as you brush your teeth.
Take it to the next level: Begin acknowledging, but don’t analyze thoughts as they move through your consciousness. Let me clarify, if you find your self worrying about all the tasks you need to complete for the day, just acknowledge “I’m thinking about all the tasks I need to complete today” and then let that thought go.
One more step; begin to spend five minutes a day actively observing your thoughts. This can be during a quiet time for you or after a prayer. Just silence, no talking to your self or anybody else, just observing.
Consciousness is what changes lives, communities and worlds. Once you start down this path you will find your self accomplishing the goals and tasks that you have set out to complete and this time you will not get in your own way.
So this New Year Be Well [http://bidetservices.com/products.html] and Be Aware and allow the grogginess of every day to fall away and open your self to an awareness that is more effective and lasting than forgotten resolutions. If you would like to learn more about how to effectively do this you may consider reading Every Day Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck. Oh, by the way Happy New Year!
