The year is nearing its end. As the world celebrates, millions of people will keep a list of new year’s resolutions to heart. If you’re thinking about creating one for yourself, you might want to consider applying the mindfulness approach.
While mindfulness has many definitions and its roots are from the east, in the west, it’s generally altered to become what it’s known today. For many, it is the art of focusing with openness and without judging at every single second and moment in one’s life.
When people create resolutions, they often forget them too soon. However, experts believe that mindfulness is an excellent solution to ignored and forgotten resolutions. It is, after all, rooted at the moment when you discover greater ease, peace, and clarity. Is it the answer you’re looking for? Maybe it is. Perhaps it isn’t. Will it help you stick to your resolutions throughout the year? Maybe it will. Perhaps it won’t.
You need to create your new year’s resolutions using the mindfulness approach to learn the answers to these questions. In other words, you should experience it yourself. You need to see it to believe if it’s true. While this approach is entirely new to you, this article can help you set out your resolutions with the mindfulness approach. Here’s how.
Establish Your Intentions
You need to start your resolutions with your intentions. Indeed, there are personal meanings for every resolution you’ve come up with. For example, take a look at some of the most common resolutions that people have — get organized, spend less, or lose weight. People add these resolutions to their list because they are healthy and valuable. They make people feel good. When creating your resolutions, ask yourself why you want to do them. Honoring your intentions will help you maintain your resolve.
This is the mindfulness approach. It encourages you to look at your intentions, goals, and purpose. It prevents you from creating resolutions without giving them much thought. In fact, aside from reducing stress, improving your physical and health, and enhancing sleep, mindfulness can make you happier. This enables you to see the deeper meaning of your desires when you’re creating your resolutions, improving your level of happiness.
Transform Your Habits
You’ll be creating resolutions, so knowing its etymology (word origin) can help you understand it better. The word “resolution” is from the Latin resolvere, which translates to “explain, release, loosen” and has an original meaning of “breaking into parts.”
Resolutions are often made to change a lifestyle or habit. And because resolutions originally meant breaking stuff into parts or simplifying things, you should break your habits apart. But why and how?
Changing your habits doesn’t only mean being aware of them. You should also know what sustains or triggers them. When you do, you can stop them even before you start making that habit you want to get rid of. You can only change your practices if you know them and what causes them.
For example, you have a terrible habit of leaving used, wet clothes on your bedroom floor after taking a shower. Take some to observe what’s making you do this. Is the hamper too far away? Maybe changing its location can prevent you from leaving your clothes on the floor. Where do you suggest it should be placed?
This way, examining your habits means you’re breaking them apart to see their root cause and triggers. If you know what’s causing or sustaining your habits, you can transform or improve them.
Put Emphasis on the Process
You are not a business. Avoid the results-driven approach to resolutions. If you look at people’s resolutions, they always focus on the results — eat healthy, lose weight, or spend less. They miss out on the process that will help them accomplish their resolutions.
The mindless approach highlights the value of the process and moves away from the results. For example, instead of focusing on being better at fishing, try focusing on using the best equipment, such as the reliable St. Croix Triumph spinning rods. Or, instead of putting all your effort into losing weight, try putting more effort into avoiding high-calorie frappes or burgers.
The processes hold the moments that will allow you to reach your goals. Each moment counts, and that makes your resolution more meaningful.
Mindfulness Can Help Shape Your Future
According to Psychology Today, mindfulness can enhance your emotional regulation, cognitive control, decision-making, and self-awareness. All of this can help you create more meaningful resolutions. Consider the tips above in making your resolutions using the mindfulness approach.
