New Year's resolutions are the perfect opportunity to set goals and opportunities for you to succeed in the upcoming year. But how often do you actually stick to your goals? The first week? Maybe the first month? We’ve all been there! We’ve all set unattainable goals that feel great until week 2 when you begin to question why the hell you set that goal for yourself in the first place. We all know that feeling: “I don’t care that on average I wake up at 8am, from now on I’m getting up at 5!” Drastic goals that don’t provide action steps and a core reason why are always the ones that get dropped from the resolution list first. When we don’t have a reason why, it’s hard to make a goal a habit. A why provides a reason to stay motivated even in the difficult moments.
Our why comes from looking back. Who were we in the past and how can we change that for the future? What happened to me or within me that has caused a desire to make a change? Not only does looking back create our why, but it reminds us what we need to release in order to make room for this change. Creating actionable change requires letting go of other habits, mindsets, and emotions in order to make space for the new. Waking up earlier requires you to let go of the habit of laying in bed and scrolling on Instagram first thing in the morning. Moving your body daily requires you to let go of the time you would have spent on the couch. Creating boundaries with people that have hurt you requires you to let go of expectations in that relationship. There is power in looking backward to the life we’ve created for ourselves in order to see where we need change desperately in our lives. This simple act of looking back allows for resolutions and goals to flow more effortlessly.
Once we have looked back, our goals moving forward become more clear. Simply asking yourself these three questions will open up a greater understanding of the world you want to create:
What does your ideal self look like?
How can you set reachable goals that will get you there?
What habits can you implement in order for you to see your ideal self more clearly?
Next, write it down! Our thoughts becoming words on a page allow for self-accountability to take place. Also, if you feel comfortable, tell someone your goals so that they can call out the good when they see it. Looking forward not only allows us to dream of a reality we so desperately desire, but it’s a way to manifest those desires into reality.
From all of us here at EPIC Yoga, we have had the best year with you! If you have any goals or intentions in this new year and want to share them with us, let us know. We would love to work together to create more peace, love, and community here in San Clemente. This year, let’s work as one to create a community of harmony with our personal body’s and collective community. Honor what your body needs from you and how you can contribute to the people around you. We have a feeling that this new year and new decade is going to be a good one!
Written By: Elyssa Schultheiss
