It’s about that time. The time of year when all those well-intentioned resolutions have flown out the window. Those impassioned declarations that you’re going to make radical change to be smarter, leaner, better in the new year. It’s practically expected, especially if you jumped in without planning for sustainable success.

Resolutions are easy to set, challenging to realize and if you’re experiencing resolution burn-out you’re in good company. Most people who make them don’t keep them, with less than 20% of us not following through past January. It’s easy to fall into the starting fresh excitement of the new year and to recapture that energy, try looking at it with a fresh perspective.

Shifting your thinking from hard set resolutions: “I will meditate and go the gym every day”: to setting intentions: “I want to feel better mentally and physically”: opens your mind to a world of possibilities. Setting an intention is a “conscious representation of a future goal”, says neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, that can lead to success through “understanding your aspirations [and] identifying manageable steps to make them a reality.”

Intentions can put you on the path to positive change. Rather than being bound to one specific resolution, setting intentions creates the freedom to take actionable steps toward what you want with the flexibility to adjust your direction when you hit a wall. What was once an arduous task can be turned into an exciting exploration of achieving your hopes and dreams.

Be smart about setting your intentions. Using the SMART method empowers you to create clear goals by identifying the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Related actions to take. It’s a roadmap for clarifying where you want to go to and how much time you plan on taking to get there. Improving your overall wellness is a big goal, and reachable when you take it one step at a time. Using this method, you can map out your route:

  1. Specific: Clearly define your wellness goals like getting more exercise, eating better, lowering stress. And then plan how you’re going to do it. It can be things like committing to taking a walk every day, swapping snacking for veggie full meals, getting more sleep, starting a meditation practice.

  1. Measurable: Monitor your progress so you can celebrate even the smallest victories. Create a schedule for your walks, start a food diary, use mindfulness apps to track meditation sessions. Journal each day about how you’re feeling about your process as part of your pre-bedtime wind down.

  1. Achievable: Success will come with goals that are realistic and attainable. Set a time or distance for your walk you can stick to, switch to having salads for lunch, turn off phone alerts for uninterrupted sleep. If all this wellness becomes overwhelming, scale back activities to maintain consistency.

  1. Relevant: Setting goals that are in line with your dreams and aspirations can get you over that bridge from where you are to where you want to be. Being honest with yourself as you outline your objectives for your wellness journey gives you the power to move forward.

  1. Time Related: Setting a specific schedule for your goals fosters a sense of commitment. Whether it’s “I will start tomorrow and do it for two weeks” or “I’ll start tonight and do it for a month”, you’ve given yourself a beginning and doable timeframe to complete your task and measure your progress.

As your life changes so will your goals, so revisit them regularly and make any necessary adjustments you need to stay on your wellness path.

An often overlooked yet essential intention is to be kind to yourself. You’re allowed to give yourself a break if you don’t meet all your intentions for the day. Praise yourself for all the intentions you did meet and set a new intention to get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is new day and new opportunity to realize those good intentions.

Shifting your system to one that serves you deserves support. Whether you need help getting started or following through, an Accountability Coach can help you make your dreams your reality. They will listen actively, without judgement, working with you to identify your goals, make a plan to achieve them and provide the motivation to keep moving forward. For information about how you can benefit by working with an Accountability Coach have a confidential conversation with Cindy via phone at 631-921-4085, or contact her directly via email here.

 

The Recovery Coach NY honors all paths of recovery with years of experience and a vast array of resources that can support those in need find the way to the life of joy and purpose they deserve. We come with an empathetic ear and solution-oriented actions that can begin to bring the relief you and your loved one seek. We provide Recovery Coaching, Mental Health Support & Coaching, Sobriety & Mental Health Companionship, Executive Function & Accountability Coaching, Academic Coaching & Scholastic Support, Safe Transport, Case Management, Psychedelic Integration Coaching, Intervention and Emergency Services. For more information, visit our website.

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