How to keep The New Year's Resolution / aka how to make a change

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a fabulous 2017. 2016 was so trying for many and we had to dig deep to find the lessons and teachings. What do we need to look at, to examine? Are there things in our lives we need to change?

Are you someone who makes a New Year’s resolution? How do you decide what that resolution will be? Is there just one thing or do you have a whole list? Do you ever stick to it?

It’s important to set new challenges for ourselves, goals we want to achieve, maybe a shift in a behavior or pattern we have, because this keeps us moving forward and gives us hope. I’ve been thinking about what is involved when we try to make changes and the resilience required if we actually want to stick with these ……

I find there are many lessons we can take from a meditation practice out into “real life.” When we sit and meditate we have to bring ourselves back to our focus over and over again to stay on the path. When sticking to a challenge we have set for ourselves we must do the same thing.There are a number of parallels between the two challenges, so when you setting out in the New Year with your resolution you might like to consider these:

1. Know you may wander off course. At some point you will probably get off course. In our meditation practice when we take our seats, we know that our minds will wander. It is what the mind does. When we set a challenge we know that it may not be a direct course. Maybe we have decided we are going to exercise every week, then one week we don’t…. Where do we go from here? Give up, throw in the towel? No – we move to step 2!

2. No judgment. When we notice our mind has wandered in meditation we do not judge ourselves harshly for this. We simply notice and become aware that this has happened. The longer we meditate the easier this becomes. With a challenge we can do the same thing. Notice that you have strayed from your goal, but do not judge. There is no “I’m hopeless I can never do this,” there is just awareness of the fact. Use compassion towards yourself, keep an open heart, and move on to step 3!

3. Redirect. In meditation once we notice our wandering mind, we simply redirect and bring it back to our focus. When you have strayed from your plan, do the same thing, simply bring yourself back on track and carry on. No one is perfect, this is what it is to be human.

By continually noticing you have gotten off course and redirecting yourself with compassion, you may begin to be aware of what happens right before you go off course. You might start to be able to redirect or reconnect before that happens.

So for this new year ahead, let us be strong and face our challenges with kindness to ourselves, focus and perseverance.

Happy New Year, Be well,

Brogan

Brogan Ganley specializes in women’s wellness, in particular relief from stress, anxiety and depression. Brogan uses a variety of modalities including Meditation, Mindfulness, Reiki, Restorative Yoga, Ayurveda, Nutrition, and Aromatherapy.