Out with New Year Resolutions. In With New Year Intentions.

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It is the new year and we are inundated with new year resolutions speak and “new year, new you” messaging. As if our current existing self is not good enough for the new year, that we have to completely disregard it and leave it behind. It has suddenly become an outdated version which is not fit for purpose anymore for the new year.

We see this repeating every new year. It is intended to persuade us to buy more things we don’t need in order to feel good enough and complete. It is intended to convince us that if we subscribe to their idea of a “new year, new you”, we will be set on a path to having a better year and to feeling more content and good about ourselves which is often not the case.

The concept of New Year has been commercialised and commoditised, feeding on our vulnerabilities, insecurities, low self-esteem and self-worth, feeding on our issues and challenges to sell us farfetched solutions that doesn’t truly deliver or is often short-lived.  

Therefore, as we embark on the new year, I suggest we start approaching the new year differently and do the following:

Reflect and celebrate our existing self.

Reflect on how far we have come, how our past experiences and learnings have moulded us and shaped us to become the person we are today. Let’s reflect on the journey, the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, and celebrate our growth, our being and our existence.

Set meaningful intentions.

Swap the new year resolutions with meaningful intentions which speak to and enriches our mind, heart and spirit. Meaningful intentions that will feed into our growth journey, our purpose, and our connection to ourselves, to the community and to the world.

Defining our set of intentions doesn’t need to be a long exhaustive list. Two to three intentions will do. Let’s remind ourselves of these intentions everyday, so that they direct our actions and help us pave our journey forward.

From a place of growth, nurturing and healing

When setting meaningful intentions, it’s coming from a place of growth. A place of nurturing, healing, and connection rather than from a place of lack of self-worth. It is coming from a place of love and gratitude rather than from a place of harsh self-criticism. It is coming from a place of reflection, acceptance, recognition, and forgiveness rather than from a place of avoidance and denial.

Intentions develop and evolve

Intentions can change, develop and evolve as time goes by as life happens. They are not static nor set in stone.Dedicate time and space

Dedicate time and space

The process of reflecting and setting meaningful intentions for the new year requires dedicated time and space away from digital distractors (laptop, phone, emails, etc.) and away from frequent interruptions. This is needed in order for us to be able to sit with ourselves, to look within and be able to connect at a deeper level so we can develop our intentions for the new year. We might figure things right away and we might not. That is okay. If it needs time, it needs time.

In conclusion, let’s begin the new year with reflection, gratitude and celebration, with setting meaningful intentions to nurture our growth journey.

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Article Author: Dalia, Founder of Wellness Pilates

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Photo credit: Photo by Morgan Sessions on Unsplash