Mindful Hack #83

Happy New Year, Lovely Soul!

I hope the holiday season gave you the chance to connect with loved ones, play a little and rest a lot – an ideal recipe for ending one year and starting another.

New years often bring with them a lot of hype around making big, bold changes with “New Year’s resolutions,” as is seen by so many products and services trying to capitalize on that. While I have many times jumped on that bandwagon (with variable success), I believe that 2022 could be treated differently.

Perhaps, given all that we have endured in the last couple of years, we could go into this year with a little more softness than with the rigour of a BANG. I know I, for one, don’t have the energy for anything too bold. But I do have heart for intentions rather than resolutions. And I also believe that intentions can be set and reset, fluidly, whereas resolutions tend to leave us feeling life failures if we don’t strictly adhere.

For those wondering about the nuanced difference, here’s how I see it: an example of a common resolution is to lose 15 pounds by X date. Shifting this to an intention might be to eat, move and rest in ways that make us feel better in our body and about ourself. In the first scenario, if by X date the goal hasn’t been achieved, and/or any day there’s a skipped workout or an indulgence consumed, it can cause guilt and maybe even shame. Whereas in the second scenario, any time we make a choice that’s not aligned with our intention, we can notice and with self-compassion, start anew in this moment. In this way, we choose a more fluid process that we can adapt and work with rather than potentially setting ourselves up for failure.

If you plan to run a marathon this year – by all means train well for it and I hope you achieve your goal if that is what you want. But if for whatever reason something gets in the way – at least gift yourself with the pleasure of the journey. It’s a small shift in orientation but a kindness we all deserve this year.

New year, new month, new day… every moment is a chance to start anew. Whether we see that as pressure or possibility is all about perspective.

My warmest wishes for 2022 to you

Mindfully yours,

Adriane