With 2014 just beginning, many of us are filled with those New Year’s resolutions we made to ourselves as we reflected on the close of another year.
I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s resolutions because in many ways they set us up for failure. Our goals may be lofty and important, but it’s hard enough to make one major change in our lives, let alone the overwhelming number of holiday promises we make to ourselves under pressure or influence, or a looming end-of-the-year deadline, or an extra glass of Merlot.
Like so many other things in our busy lives, they end up drifting to the bottom of the never-ending “to do” pile.
Instead, I like to think in more positive terms about what it is I want 2014 to look and feel like. That means sitting down (or walking or whatever gets your mental juices flowing) and consciously deciding on the areas of your life you want to make the most impact on. And that impact doesn’t have to be monumental. It can be subtle, barely perceptible shifts in the way you think, feel, act and plan.
To help facilitate this conscious exploration, here are 13 “thought-starters” for those of you who want a different way of approaching the next 12 months of the year (and beyond). Notice they’re not resolutions, which usually focus on something we don’t like about ourselves, but more nuanced, personal intentions based on thinking about ourselves and what we want in a much more positive and grateful way. Intentions make us feel as though we’re coming home again to our truest self:
1. Because I want to make 2014 count, I…
2. Because the things that brought me joy in childhood still do, in 2014 I…
3. Because I listen to the whispers inside, in 2014 I…
4. Because fear of failure is no longer a good enough reason to not do it, in 2014 I…
5. Because simple pleasures are so meaningful, in 2014 I…
6. Because my body has served me so faithfully all these years, in 2014 I…
7. Because the world needs my service, in 2014 I…
8. Because of the amazing people who have loved me and made me who I am, in 2014 I…
9. Because I am willing to believe in the power of forgiveness, in 2014 I…
10. Because the silence has gone on long enough, in 2014 I….
11. Because I am so blessed, in 2014 I…
12. Because I vow to be more radical, in 2014 I…
13. Because I want, in the last days of my life, to remember this year with tears of gratitude, in 2014 I…
It’s important to go with your first instinct as you complete the statements. Let your intuition lead. If you’re writing, keep the pen moving on the paper. Don’t get stuck in “thinking about it” – for more analytical types (like me), this can be difficult, but it’s important not to censor yourself.
Don’t look for the “right” answer. You don’t have to understand your answers right away. Some may feel surprising or totally foreign to you, but over time their meaning will emerge for you.
I encourage you to grab a journal and write your answers to these prompts. If you’d like, share your answers with someone you love and trust, and listen to theirs. Perhaps make a pact to hold each other accountable to the answers.
And I’d love for you to share one or more of your intentions here in the comments section so we can cheer you on and draw inspiration from the intentions you’ve set for yourself.
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The post Forget New Year’s Resolutions: 13 Personal Intentions Midlife Women Can Make and Keep appeared first on Midlife Coaching for Women | Evelyn Kalinosky.
