Resolution: A firm decision to do or not to do something.
Intention: Something that you want and plan to do.
Affirmation: The assertion that something exists or is true.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” – Maria Robinson
As we say goodbye to the previous year and welcome a new year, many of us make resolutions, set intentions, or create affirmations. Or maybe all three. We may choose a word that will represent us or how we want to be during the year. We want to let go of the past and start fresh with a clean slate. We reflect on what was good and what wasn’t, what worked and what didn’t, what succeeded and what didn’t, what was important and what wasn’t, what to keep and what not to keep. We want/need to become a better version of ourselves. It’s not a new concept. Making resolutions, and breaking them, has been around for thousands of years.
There can be many reasons why we begin, but don’t succeed. We state our resolution or intention or affirmation or word, and then do nothing else. We stop before we even get started.
I find it helpful to break the process down into four phases that take it from initial inspiration through to successful completion.
Idea
Begin by envisioning what is wanted or needed. As the idea forms, the spark ignites, and energy begins to flow. Begin to see what could be. All possibilities are available at this moment.
Thought
The possibilities begin to narrow, and the idea begins to take shape. During this creative process, allow the idea to take on multiple facets so you can see it from different perspectives. Allow it to go from being an abstract idea to a concrete form the mind can work with. Allow a solid vision to come into view.
Plan
With a clear vision in mind, now look at what needs to be done to carry it through to completion. What must happen to finish what was started? Look at every angle. Look at the who, the what, the how, the why. Formulate a blueprint to make it work; to bring it into being. Picture every detail. Break it down into reasonable, manageable steps. Find a place for each piece.
Action
With the blueprint formed, it is time (pun intended) to create the timeline. Look at the when. Commit to it. Create steps and follow them, one by one. As each step is taken, success comes closer and closer. Believe it. See it. Feel it. Live it.
In the past, I thought this process was too hard, too time-consuming, too daunting. I usually gave up. I was trying to control it instead of letting it develop. Each of these phases starts to build within us at that initial spark. What remains is to let the final phases—brainstorming, planning, stepping into action—expand and grow.
Know that it will inevitably evolve and change. Be okay with that. Use whatever method works for you to keep it fresh and alive.
- Write it down and review it periodically.
- Create an image board and put it where you will see it.
- Record it and listen to it while you drive or walk or exercise, etc.
- Utilize calendars, alarms, reminders, journals.
- Make it a part of your prayers, your rituals, your meditation practice.
- Evolve as it evolves.
“The beginning is always today.” — Mary Shelley
And now the big question. Why should we wait until the beginning of the year to do this? Every day, even every moment of every day, is a beginning. Every day, why not envision at least one thing that will make this a better day, that will make you a better human being, that will make the world a better place, that will make a positive difference in someone else’s life, that will (fill in the blank)? Then, allow the energy to flow.
Happy New Year/Day/Moment,
