New Year Resolutions and setting ourselves up for success!

We are in the winter months, which call for patience, wisdom, introspection and planting the seeds we wish to foster for spring.

 

In the clinic this month there has been a lot of talk about new year resolutions. The exploration around what approaches have been successful and unsuccessful has been fascinating. Therefore I thought this was a perfect topic for this months newsletter. Have you had success with your past new year resolutions, do you set them, or do you shy away from them, do you set intentions for the year ahead, or do you just flow from one year to another? I personally see great importance in setting intentions at the start of each year and spending the winter months expanding, fostering, nurturing, planning, scheduling in stages and working towards my dreams and goals. Using the slower pace of the winter months aids me in setting myself up for success, for the entire year.
In Chinese Medicine we use the system the 5 Elements to understand each individual and natures realm and rhythms on a deep and profound level. The Elements embody many nuances and multi aspects. They have been described as basic processes, movements and qualities of natural phenomena, as well as phases of a cycle and capacities for transformation and change. They are at the same time basic constituents of Nature and organ systems in the body.
Like the seasons of the year are separate but still comprise the whole, the 5 Elements are part of a ring of energy that encompasses the whole, body, mind and spirit in a person.

This system can help guide us to create incredible health and an incredible life. It helps us to understand what could be describe as the natural cycle of seasons, life and experienced moments.

The Winter months correspond to the Water Element, the time of the sage archetype. You might be wondering what the hell does this have to do with New Year Resolutions and success. Hang in there as it's all part of the process. Most of us will set our Resolutions and either go gun ho with them for a few weeks or even days, or never really feel like we have the energy to begin. Then we lose momentum, motivation, inspiration and sometimes just feel darn right tired to continue with the focus that these changes require. Then we often experience feelings of disappointment, frustration, depression just to name a few.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could set ourselves up for success and achieve these dreams and goals. Well here is a little guidance to help you on your path to transformation.

It's not necessarily the time to put all these dreams and goals into action...you know, the external doing type of action. Don't mistake me here, I encourage action, but just of a different kind.

Winter is the time for us to plant our seeds (dreams, goals and intentions) and sit with them. It's time to CONTEMPLATE, ORGANISE, PLAN, ACTIONABLE STEPS, CREATE DREAMBOARDS, JOURNAL and SCHEDULE in those ACTIONABLE STEPS.

It's time to meditate on them, try them on and decide is this really is what we want, or is this how we think we should be or we should want?
It's time to quest and become clear, to Dream Big and Small and everything in between.
During this period of patience and wisdom we end up figuring out what truly calls us and what we feel inspired towards. This clarity takes time and deep reflection, along with listening to our inner voice/guidance. It takes being gentle, loving and kind to ourselves and knowing when to do and when to be.
We are in the period of the Water Element, The Sage archetype, The Seeker of Knowledge and Truth. So if we want to be successful for the entire year. not just a few days or months, then allowing ourselves to embody the balanced aspects of the Sage, set us up for success. This is the preparation for Spring, which is the time of Action, Implementation, Growth, The Visionary, The Warrior and The Pioneer. We need the clarity from our introspection and planning to give our Pioneer and Visionary the blueprint to guide them. We need our goals and the steps that we envision to make them into a reality.
It's all about actionable steps and sometimes even baby steps. Winter is a slower time of year so the changes and intentions that we want to start in this season often have the energy of the tortoise, slow and steady. The slower energy helps us set a foundation on which to build. Because it's all about storing and building at the moment, hence why our bodies put on just a little extra weight. We require this storing and building, so we can then burst forwards with great energy and force in the spring time. This is not to say I'm promoting not doing anything, far from it. Shift that external doing to more internal doing.
I'll give you a small personal example of mine for this 2013. One of my goals is to increase my yoga practise to everyday, yes that's 7 days a week folks! Wow, that's going to take some commitment and focus, but I'm ready, I'm taking my baby steps. I'm scheduling it in daily, I'm putting it on my most important task list, I'm making it realistic with my current schedule, anything from 15 minutes and above is success at the moment and I'm choosing the slower type of yoga. The slower type of yoga helps to motivate me, I feel energised, relaxed and centred, rather than drained. I've got DVD's to do at home, so I don't have the excuse of, 'it's cold outside and I don't feel inspired to walk/bike to the yoga studio. The other excuse is 'the class isn't at the right time'. Having DVD's at home eliminates all of that. It's about knowing yourself and the excuses you might make, heading them off at the pass and coming up with plan A,B and C. This brings about success! I also am making it a priority everyday. If I miss a day though, I don't berate myself, I just accept the choice I made and allow myself to choose again the next day. It's a work in progress and I realise that, therefore I don't put too much pressure on myself, so I don't end up crumpling under it's weight. I know that by the end of this year, everyday yoga will be my reality and I will have loved the journey it took for me to get there. Remember to enjoy the journey, not just the end result.

I also have a little help from my friend Leonie Dawson. One of her beautiful and amazing products she puts out every year is, the 'Life's Yearly Workbook'. It's under $10 for this life changing gem, and very much worth the investment of time and money. It is wonderful fun, especially if you do it with a group of like minded people. To have an accountability partner helps to keep us in check, but one that encourages us rather then criticises. Also surrounding yourself with people that will support you, not unconsciously try and sabotage your efforts helps your success.   


Go fourth and introspect, create, play, meditate, try on the new goals and dreams, sit with them, find that which inspires you, set out your baby steps, remember that goals are just that and can be changed/tweaked, remember you don't necessarily wave a magic wand and poof your dreams appear, though I still believe in magic, and that it can happen in an instant. Consider dedicating a journal to your planning and journey, write an action plan, and buy The Incredible Year Workbook, it will guide you in all the ways you want and need.

Remember be kind, gentle, patient, persistent, powerful, wilful, flexible and wise like The Sage and success is yours for the creating.

Blessings on your path to transformation and creating your Incredible Health for an Incredible Life.