Like the slogan “a puppy is not just for Christmas”, I feel resolutions aren’t just for the New Year. From those resolutions we purposefully set, to those that spontaneously emerge, each helps manifest the life that is ours.
For many people, the strike of the clock at midnight on New Year’s is that exact time to bring forward a new commitment, thoughtfully considered and crafted in advance.
For some, it may just be about carrying resolutions over from the previous year. Put on the repeat cycle because they continue to serve that individual in some way.
Then there are those we no longer have to set. We can dismiss these so easily, forgetting their significance, but they deserve to be remembered and celebrated. Perhaps it is those simple habits like meditating or exercising daily which have long become part of one’s routine and no longer need to be on ‘a list’.
And given that we have this innate drive to realise our potential, we trust also, that profound resolutions will pop up during the year. They will stir within us and will not obey any fixed arrival schedule. Like a bud, they cannot be forced open and will blossom in their own time. And they will feel right. Because they will fit with who we are. A beautiful part of our role at Impact, is that we bear witness to many leaders commit to new ways of being and doing throughout the year.
We smile at those resolutions which are fodder for the ‘Trickster’. Those ones we set so earnestly, thinking we have them nailed, only to be reminded along the way that they were in the opposite direction of where we needed to focus. Often it takes many failed attempts and soul-searching to figure out that we have been resolving to do something externally when it requires an inner resolution. Who hasn’t resolved to change project, job, house, partner or country only to figure out the real change is required from within.
And then perhaps the most powerful resolutions of all are those we make in each precious moment of our lives. Those moments, when we see the wants and fears that are driving us. Where in the ‘now’, we resolve to break out of our old ways and choose a different response. It may be when we drop our shield of anger to reveal our vulnerability, decide to be appreciative rather than critical, be generous when we tend to withhold, open up when we typically shut down, and stay when our impulse is to run. And when we find ourselves faulting on our momentarily made resolution, we take a deep breath, gently forgive ourselves, open our hearts and resolve to try again.
2018 like any other year will provide more opportunities for resolving to be [happy/successful/insert your word/s here] than you realise.
Happy New Year and beyond!