Every year, companies ( particularly in the diet, finance and house organization fields) promote their goods and services that appeal to the most common new year resolutions — lose weight, save more money, get organized. Meanwhile, the news media remind us of the failure rate of new year’s resolutions.
For years I have looked at different approaches to the turning of the calendar year. Rather than making resolutions, I have tried to give up something (an idea that holds me back, a bad habit, a recurring internal dialogue, etc.). I have tried to commit to learning one new skill — a particular cooking technique, photography, the beginning of a language.
This year, my approach is focused on intention. Often before a yoga class, the instructor will ask us to reflect on our intention for the class that day. I like morning yoga and I have used this to set my intention for the day. In this same spirit, I have decided on my overall intention for the year.
The end of the year gives us an opportunity to reflect, and to adjust our course. I often do this around my birthday, as well. (Some argue that’s actually more meaningful than a calendar year. But I’m not listening to them.). If I look back on 2015 what I feel most is a sense of imbalance. Too much work, not enough fun. Too much worry, not enough relaxing. Too much social media and not enough real reading or actual *doing.* Too much of what I must, and not enough of what I want. Too much food, not enough exercise.
So for 2016 my intention is to focus on balance. This will manifest in a variety of ways. In a literal sense, I am going to increase my “balance” poses in yoga and exercises that focus on my core strength. This, I hope, will be a physical manifestation of strength and stability that will reflect out in other things. In a less outwardly tangible sense, I am going to be mindful of my inner sense of well-being…listen more to what I want or what feels right, and put the “should’s” and admonishments in their proper place. This is much harder, but I figure if I just work toward awareness and listening inwardly, I may be able to make some adjustments along the way. Basically, it’ll be an exercise in “course correction” with the hope that I don’t end up at the end of 2016 scratching my head and asking, “Wow…how did I get here?”
I’ll post periodically here to report on how I’m doing.