The end of the year is coming, and you are beginning to look at the year ahead. One way to close this year's cycle is to set New Year's resolutions for the year. But with only 9% of people sticking to their resolutions on average, how can you ensure you can keep yours?
One great way to set New Year's resolutions is to focus on mindful resolutions, which prioritize self-care. So, when the countdown begins, you are at peace with your intentions and are ready to greet next year's chapter.
Below is a complete guide to setting mindful New Year's resolutions, which explains the importance of using mindfulness to set your New Year's resolutions.
What are New Year's Resolutions?
You can set intentions throughout the year, but New Year's resolutions are usually specific goals you resolve to stick to throughout the year. They are a perfect opportunity to close a huge chapter of your life and have a new beginning, which prioritizes your self-care.
It sounds great, right? So, why do so many people struggle to stick to their goals?
There are many reasons why people cannot stick to their New Year's resolutions, but most of these relate to not creating resolutions using mindfulness. The most crucial step is to be mindful of what you want for the year ahead, so you honor yourself, prioritizing your mental, spiritual, and physical wellness.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness refers to being present in the moment, so you can fully engage in what you are doing. Instead of being focused on your thoughts or feelings, you can take the role of the observer and not get caught up in any distractions.
Mindfulness is something you can practice throughout your life. It takes practice, but learning skills such as how to meditate can help with this awareness. Mindfulness is all about understanding where you are right now and being able to watch the distractions pass by like the clouds or wind. When you are mindful as you think about yourself and your goals your resolutions will be stronger than ever.
What Are Mindful New Year's Resolutions?
Mindful New Year's resolutions involve using mindfulness to set your intentions for the year ahead. This means setting your goals with presence, kindness, and compassion. It means saying goodbye to gritting your teeth and punishing yourself for not sticking to a resolution.
Some people prefer to use the term 'New Year's intentions' due to the more personal meaning behind the actions, and because intentions tend to be more process-orientated instead of result-orientated. But essentially, mindful New Year's resolutions help you pull the brake on being swept up into goals that have no meaning for you and instead help you focus on what you truly want.
It might feel counterintuitive, but with mindfulness, you can focus on resolutions that matter to you, which you can achieve.
Importance of Mindful New Year Resolutions
There is debate about how long it takes to form a habit, with research finding results from 21 days to four months or more. But one thing is for sure when the new year begins; you do not change. You may have let go of a few things, but you need to have resolutions that will help guide you through life changes, with the ability to accept you are human, and there may be times it isn't easy to stick to intentions.
Mindful New Year's resolutions can help you in different ways, including:
- The ability to have patience
- Changes habit loops
- Increases self-awareness
- Focuses on the process
Mindful resolutions help you let go of focusing on the end result, or times it is challenging to stick to resolutions, and instead, they help you focus on the process. Mindful resolutions help you focus on the present moment and have patience instead of always looking to the future at the desired end result.
Mindful resolutions also help you maintain and improve self-care by focusing on your self-awareness and how you are often the barrier to not sticking to resolutions.
How To Set Mindful New Year Resolutions
So, mindful New Year's resolutions sound great, but how do you set them? These resolutions are not something to set just before the clock strikes midnight. Instead, take some time to allow yourself to center in your heart to know what you truly want.
Find a Quiet Space and Reflect
When setting New Year's resolutions, you want to be in a space without distractions. Take steps to make the space comfortable for you. This may involve using meditation aids, lighting a candle or incense, having a journal nearby, or having a cup of tea ready.
You can then take some time to meditate or practice a breathing exercise to help you ground into the space. A simple breath to try is the 4-7-8 technique, which involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.
Go Inward and Ask Questions
Giving yourself space to center in your heart space may mean ideas begin to come to you. You can make some notes but before you set your intentions, ask some reflective questions to help explore your intentions on a deeper level. These questions can include the following:
- What do I long for?
- What uplifts me?
- How do I wish to shine this year?
- How can I welcome more joy into life?
- What areas of my life do I need to evolve?
- How can I invite more compassion and grace into my life?
These questions are starting points that can help you go inward and determine what you want to focus on during the year ahead. It can help you dive deeper than your surface-level desires to the true intention behind each goal. You can make notes of your answers or repeat your answers verbally.
Observe Your Thoughts Using Mindfulness
After you have begun to set intentions, observe any thoughts that come up for you. Notice any inner resistance, or doubts that arise.
Observe these with detachment and compassion. Do not resist the views; let them flow, and remember that feelings pass, and you can center back into your heart space.
Set Your Intentions
There are ways that you can reaffirm your intentions once you set them, and you can come back to this practice throughout the year. For example, you can practice affirmation meditation, where you repeat your New Year's resolutions, or you can pick a word to represent each resolution that you can repeat, such as 'peace.'
You can also journal your intentions or share them with someone who will support you and uplift you throughout the year, which can help you achieve your goals.
Practice Compassion and Gratitude
When setting intentions and throughout the year, it is important to come back to compassion and gratitude. Changes take time, so have patience and kindness for yourself. Mindful New Year's resolutions will help you stay focused on the process instead of a quantitative New Year intention.
Inspiration for Mindful Intentions
Are you looking for inspiration for your mindful New Year's resolutions? It can be helpful to learn some examples to understand the process focus of New Year's resolutions. Here are some mindful intentions to help you get started.
Practicing Mindfulness
If you are setting mindful intentions, using mindfulness throughout your year can also be part of your New Year's resolutions! It will benefit you in a variety of ways, from tracking your resolutions to reducing anxiety. Mindfulness includes many techniques including pausing, focusing on your breath, finding acceptance, patience, and letting go.
Learning How To Meditate
One of the best mindfulness practices and resolutions is to learn how to meditate so that you can reap many benefits for your mind, body, and soul. Benefits include reduced stress, better focus, and attention.
Meditation can be done in a variety of ways, with different supports and with other techniques. Check out these meditation applications to help you get started.
Prioritizing Self-care
Practicing mindfulness techniques also helps you become more aware of your body and the importance of self-care. Mindfulness helps you become more aware of your psychological, physiological, and spiritual needs. So, your mindful New Year's resolutions can also include incorporating more self-care into your daily life. This includes:
- Spending time outdoors
- Take time to pause each day
- Reflecting on what you are grateful for
- Exercise
- Connecting to a community and asking for support
- Doing activities that bring you joy
Slowing down and allowing yourself to catch up each day brings a new level of awareness to your needs. Taking five minutes to pause and meditate instead of scrolling on social media will bring you the peace you need to recenter. Self-help techniques such as getting some fresh air, exercise, and finding activities that bring laughter and joy will bring many benefits to your life, such as reduced tension and the ability to not get caught up in everyday frustrations.
A Complete Guide To Setting Mindful New Year's Resolutions
Setting New Year's resolutions that honor your growth and journey can help open the cycle of the year ahead. However, you need to follow a complete guide to setting mindful New Year's resolutions to ensure you are consciously setting intentions that honor your heart's desires and will help guide you throughout the year.
Mindfulness is a tool you can use everyday. To prepare for your New Year's resolution of practicing mindfulness, check out our store for different meditation aids that can support and uplift your journey.
