Mid-January. Not a common time for a look back at the past year and the setting up of resolutions. I’m a bit late. Usually people do it in advance. Either they do it in late December or they don’t do it at all and postpone for the next year. I read today that 70% of those who took new year resolutions have already failed in keeping them by now. I decided to wait for the proper moment to do this. It makes no sense to take big decisions under pressure or frustration. Let’s not build our resolution based on our frustrations of the past year. So how will we plan and make the best use of 2017?
Focus on your visions.
I think that one can only achieve challenging goals if they are part of a clear, broader vision. How to keep the motivation running without purpose? That’s why we need visions. We need long-term projections of our inner and environmental states that are exciting and have a true meaning.
Doing sport twice a week, or sleeping 8 hours per night is not a vision, it’s a mean. It’s a tool. Being healthy and energized your entire life to spread love is a vision. It describes a state that has a meaning. When you picture your own visions, you should have the feeling that it makes complete sense to you. That it is in line with your core values. When that happens, you start benefiting from an everlasting source of energy that will help you in taking continuous action. If you’re interested in exploring ways to enhance your well-being, you can try https://www.insidecbd.net/.
But don’t set a vision for 2017. It’s too late and makes no sense. You would be running after the time and you will start with nothing but frustration and dissatisfaction to fuel your resolution, and this is not the way you want to live.
Set a vision for 2018 and see what you need to do in 2017 to reach that state.
Your visions are your goals. Your actions are your means to reach those goals.
What did I plan for myself?
Let me share with you my own visions for 2018.
In one year, I want to be completely anchored in my spiritual practice. I want to have solid foundations for deepening the understanding of my inner truth and leveraging my ability to spread joy and love around myself for the years to come.
For this reason, during the entire year of 2017, I will meditate 1 hour every single morning, with no exception.
For this reason, during the entire year of 2017, I will abstain totally from all intoxicants, with no exception.
In one year, I want to feel both energized and stable to start a new exploratory process with regards to the next big moves I should consider to reach my long-term goals.
For this reason, during the entire year of 2017, I will focus on establishing and maintaining sleeping, eating, and physical activity routines that fit and protect me.
Don’t try. Be realistic, and commit to your decisions.
As you can see, 2017 will be a year of establishment and stabilization for me. Some of my resolutions look challenging, but I know I will be able to keep them. I am not going to try. I commit to my decisions. I refuse to fail, and I know I won’t. I believe it is important to feel confident in your ability to reach your goals. I could not have set such goals a year ago. It took me years to find which spiritual practice I wanted to deepen. It took me years to strengthen my will to support my regular practice on longer periods. Years to understand that committing to 98% is worse and harder than 100%.
Now, I invite you to take the time to think about your visions for the years to come. Forget about the means to achieve your visions for now. Don’t let that constrain you in any way. Once you identified one of your vision, the necessary short and long-term actions will follow. And if you are already in action, make sure you know why you are doing what you do.
May 2017 bring the most beautiful changes in our lives.
Let the future begin!