New Years Resolutions: To make or Not to make?

Every year, like clockwork, as one year closes and a new one begins we reflect back to what didn't feel right, and look forward to how to create a better space for ourselves in the coming year. We think, this year I am going to lose those 5 pounds, this year I am going to finish the project I started, this year I am going to be a better version of myself.

As a New Year approaches, it is a good time to reflect and be mindful. Yet, why so much emphasis on this one time a year? Why don't we pause monthly to take stock and see where we are at and how do we want to improve in the coming weeks? We should make an effort to reflect more consistently, holding ourselves accountable to ways we want to improve ourselves, our lives and our place in our community. And, somehow, the end of a calendar year and the beginning of a new one gives us a bookmark to pause, ponder and project forward.

Appreciating both the pros and cons of making New Years resolutions, it is always good to think forward and be mindful of ways to improve ourselves. Speaking these pieces out loud can often hold us accountable. And, there is also the downside of feeling as if we have failed ourselves when, days or weeks later, we find ourselves eating the chocolate cake we swore off, or hitting snooze on the alarm instead of getting up to go to the gym, or placing that project back in the closet cause looking at it just creates stress of something else to add to the "to-do" list.

How do we work on being both mindful of ways to invest in our personal future, and also be kind to ourselves when creating suggestions for the New Year? One of my favorite things to do the week before New Years is to create a manifestation board. Either through drawing, painting, or collaging, putting together hopes for the year ahead. These often include things I am already working towards so there is already forward momentum. For me, creating something colorful and fun, and displaying it somewhere that I will see it daily ( at a desk, a closet dresser, near a door you enter or exit often) is a constant reminder of what I am hoping to bring into my life in the next 12 months.

Here's to manifesting joy, adventure and compassion all around in 2022!