How To Simplify Your New Year's Resolution With This One-Word Method
In order to make meaningful New Year's resolutions, it is important to take time to reflect on the past and try a new approach, like the one-word method.
The 2010s have been nothing short of monumental. From technological advancements, changes in societal dynamics to the state of the planet, the years have been challenging and shifting our ideals about who we are and who we want to be.
On a global scale, the impact of the last 10 years has been massive but it affected people on a personal level too. Every single one of us has been swayed by the multitude of events in the past years. As we head into a the next decade, we get to ask ourselves what we want the next years to look like.
Before making a New Year's Resolution, take some time to reflect
Trying to project the future can definitely seem like a daunting task but it doesn't have to be. So often, at the end of the year, we get stuck in the whole New Year’s Resolution cycle.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to say that making a New Year’s resolution is a bad thing. Its great! But the cycle is that we don’t truly acknowledge who we are when we make them and who we want to be by following them through.
Instead, we make our resolutions based on what we want and then can’t see them through. This is because we never truly reflect on how having that accomplished that resolution thing will change us or make us feel in the long run.
Because we don’t take the time to look at who we are in the present moment with gratitude, acceptance, and appreciation for just how far we have come, we fail to create the change that we want. Before we make a resolution, we need to reflect on the reason why we need to add a certain change or thing to our lives.
In order to make your New Year’s resolution, but also your New Decade’s resolution, effective, you want to get very clear on who you are right now. But you also want to make sure that you are reflecting and looking at yourself with the utmost gratitude.
Who were you at the start of the decade?
For my part, I was pregnant and married to a narcissist with no idea what my future was going to look like or who I even was anymore. I had lost touch with my magic, the parts of myself that were intuitively me.
Take stock of who you were back in 2010. Some easy ways to do this is to listen to the music you liked then or watch your favorite movie that came out that year.
Acknowledging things that spoke to your soul, like film and music, helps you to reconnect with the person you were. Even if that person isn’t someone you are proud of, it doesn’t mean that you should avoid looking at them.
In fact, by accepting the parts of us we are ashamed of and the times in our lives when we weren’t the greatest, we help to heal ourselves and move towards the next stage of our lives.
Make sure to think about your progression
What happened between 10 to 5 years ago to make you the person you are today? Take a bit of time and acknowledge the pieces of you that fell into place and forgive yourself for anything you did that you weren’t proud of.
But also, be sure to note all the achievements you are proud of. They have set the building blocks for who you are now.
Five years ago, I was reconnecting with my inner magic and starting to help other people do the same. I was healing from trauma and clearing blocks in the thick of PTSD. It is a far cry from who I am now, even though it still feels like just yesterday.
Think of who you are right now
And, that brings us to now. Who were you at the start of this year? What did you believe in? What did you value? How has this past year changed you or helped you grow? What have you learned? What have you achieved?
The Holiday Season isn’t just good for cookies and Christmas trees. It’s a time for reflection and introspection. So before you decide who you want to be in the coming years, make the end of the year a time to honor who you are right now.
At the start of this year, I was struggling with my notion of what is next. I had been trying to get a publishing deal for nearly three years, battling with my mindset and playing too small.
However, I end this year being a bestselling author with a publishing deal and I am the host of a metaphysical comedy podcast. I am now the person that I have always dreamed I would be, even if in the last ten years I did none of the things that I had been hoping to achieve.
And that is almost better. It is an incredibly freeing feeling to finally be the person your soul has always called you to be.
Start by choosing your word
So, how do you decide on who you want to be and how do you build a resolution to fit that? Well, I have come up with an exercise that I call choosing your word.
Now, before I even get into how to do this, I want to be sure to state that this is not meant to be complicated or confusing. In fact, if you notice you start to make things complicated while doing the exercise, be sure to pause and explore why you are doing so. It will help you further into your journey towards healing.
The goal of this exercise is to choose one, and only one word, that you want to strive for in the next year. By doing a resolution this way, it allows you to constantly connect with the person you are becoming and striving to be in five seconds or less.
It eliminates all the shame that can come up if you don’t hit you resolution goal, like losing 50 pounds by June. In fact, by narrowing the process down to one word, you gain more clarity and the ability to renew your drive whenever you want just by repeating that word.
Figure out your word and simplify your resolutions
So who do you want to be this time next year? And what is one trait that that person will have? There is your word. That trait is the thing you should dedicate this year to.
For example, if you want to lose weight your word could be "healthy." If you want to cure your anxiety, your word might be "brave."
My word for the next year, and most likely the rest of the decade, is authenticity. I know that, in order for me to truly keep following the path that is meant for me, I must get comfortable showing my authentic self at all times.
Once you have your word, write it down, put it on your wall, or just have your phone remind you of it every now and then. Remember, whoever you are becoming is a result of who you have been, so acknowledge your power and take the leap into the next version of you.
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