A unique perspective on this year’s resolutions
It’s that time of year when many are making or thinking of making a New Year’s Resolution. Resolutions can be a great way to inspire change but they don’t always stick. Here we offer some perspective on generating change to help you get the most out of this year’s resolutions.
Forces at work
Change can be challenging because at any given time there are many forces acting upon us. All of these forces have the potential to significantly impact our choices for better or worse. When the forces acting upon us are aligned in our favour, we get a boost, when they are not aligned with our goals and aspirations, they become challenges to our success.
If we think of a ship sailing on the open water, there are forces that affect the course the ship will take and ultimately it’s destination. The captain of the ship can steer the ship in any direction they choose; they are an internal force that sets the course. Other external forces, such as the currents, the waves and the wind all have the potential to push the ship in different directions. When the relevant forces are working in our favour, we have alignment and the wind at our back helps us move towards our goal. However, not all forces are acting in our favour. Sometimes, as in the case of a storm, we need to take a different approach to compensate and stay on course or even change our course if necessary.
Alignment of forces
In our lives there are many forces both internal and external. Internal forces are self-generated and external forces are acting upon us from the outside (from our relationships with others and the world in general). These forces include our own and others values, beliefs, expectations, needs, desires, commitments and actions. All of these forces can influence the direction of our journey. We may be aware or unaware of both internal and external forces, the effect they are exerting in our lives, and how they may be impacting the choices we’re making. The forces that are not aligned with our goals can have a significant effect on our ability to make resolutions stick and create lasting change.
Staying on course
When incongruent forces are acting to push us off course, we want more alignment and want to recruit other strong forces to help us stay on course. Connecting more deeply with ourselves and with our innate wisdom can generate more congruence and produce powerful internal forces. With more connection, we gain awareness and energy, and the incongruent forces in our lives have less influence in changing our course. If we’re looking to create sustainable change, connecting to and growing our inner resources is key. When we connect more deeply with ourselves, we evolve and we find a powerful source of energy. With more connection, our body speaks to us, guiding us in our life choices and helping us to generate the necessary actions to create the results we desire. With renewed connection we have the internal motivation and energy to more easily and naturally make the changes that move us towards greater health and wellbeing.
Using intention to generate internal force
One concept that has brought a lot of value to our lives is engaging the power of intention. An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be, live, and show up in the world. An intention is different than a goal or resolution, which is more focused on actions and results. Intentions combined with goals or resolutions is a powerful way to build alignment and strengthen our internal forces. Is there an intention that you could carry in your awareness over the next year that you could use as a guide and a tool to recruit transformational energy? Could you ask your innate wisdom to offer this intention to you?
Rachael Jayne Groover suggests that we can ask for a ‘word’ that we can use as an intention throughout the year. Words are powerful and generate vibration that can help remind us and position us as we move through our day. She recommends taking some time to connect within (like in meditation or in nature) and then declare “I’m ready to receive my word,” and see what comes. When you get an answer, ask “Is this really my word, or is this just coming from my mind?” When you have your word, use it as a focus and as a lens through which you live your life. Let it express itself throughout your life each and every day for the next year and in every moment possible.
Resolution to fuel evolution
This year consider adding the concept of evolution to that of making resolutions. What resolution, new focus or intention could you implement that would help you to evolve? Evolution is a process in which we grow, become stronger and fortify our inner resources. As we evolve, we access new possibility and the energy to create sustainable change. If we focus on creating intentions and resolutions that will facilitate our evolution, we’ll get more out of our investment. How could you connect more deeply with yourself, your body and your innate wisdom? What can you do to evolve your consciousness to access more energy to drive and fuel the changes you seek in your life?
Thankfully there are simple ways we can rapidly evolve. For example, 5 minutes of Somatorespiratory Integration on a daily basis will change your life (see our SRI video). It can be most effective to integrate simple and small sustainable changes that build and generate momentum over time. Big changes are more difficult to sustain because they involve more pieces and often do not evolve from the organic growth of energy and momentum in our lives. Rest assured, any small, incremental and sustainable changes that you make will have a huge affect on your wellbeing over time. Consider that if the captain changes the course of their ship by only one degree, across the span of an ocean, it could end up on a completely different continent. Health and wellness grow from the little things we do consistently throughout our lives (diet, rest, exercise, and chiropractic care). Check out our blog (De-stress and Revitalize in 5 Minutes or Less) for some simple actions you could take regularly to help you stay on course.
In seeking evolution there are many resolutions you could make that would help you connect more deeply to your innate wisdom and grow your energetic resourcefulness to be more of who you really are. What will give you the most bang for your buck? Any success in growing your energy will be most beneficial and starts with the basics: just think about what a good day you can have after you’ve exercised, eaten well and had a good sleep the day before. For many, it can be an excellent choice to focus on some of the basic sources of energy like rest (sleep), diet, and exercise. With more available energy we will naturally and effortlessly evolve.
Earlier this year, we made a change in our diet that has had a profound impact on our energy levels (read about it here). Perhaps you’ll gain more energy by focusing more on your emotional, mental or spiritual wellbeing by choosing something like yoga, prayer or meditation. If you do make a resolution this year be sure to choose one that’s specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound (see this New York Times article on SMART resolutions ).
Conclusion
Whatever you choose or have chosen for this New Year, be kind to yourself and remember that you are human like the rest of us. 2020 was a challenging year for us all and now may not be the time to make big changes. This is where working with intention could be valuable.
There are endless ways that we can connect with our innate potential and facilitate the flow of energy and information through the body. As you connect more deeply to your innate wisdom and evolve you’ll be more able to make powerful changes in your life with ease.
We wish you health, love, happiness, and self expression in the New Year!