Maybe it’s time to give up on your New Year’s resolutions. I mean, if you haven’t managed to keep them any other year, why would anything be different this time around? Resolutions tend to be kind of a downer anyways, they’re just big lists of stuff to give up, avoid or get rid of. Here are some better options:
1. Anti-revolutions
Instead of giving something up, add something to your life. Pick something you want to learn, try or develop. Maybe you want to learn to cook foods from different cultures or read a book every week or be kinder to strangers? If I may suggest a few anti-resolutions that people desperately need:
- Sleep more
- Relax for 30 minutes everyday
- Be technology-free 1 day per week
- Margarita Mondays
2. Pick a word, phrase or color
What do you want to accomplish this year? What are your dreams, wishes and goals? Pick a word that represents your intentions for 2012. Maybe “Peace” or “Happiness” or what about something more abstract like “Marilyn” (as in Monroe, for those of us seeking glamour and beauty.) My word this year is “Eudiamonia,” meaning “striving toward excellence based on one’s unique talents and potential.” It’s an Aristotle thing, check it out here.
Alternatively, choose a colour that is symbolic of the mood or atmosphere you want to create this year. For example, if I wanted to feel free and happy, I’d pick seafoam green. Surround yourself with your chosen colour, wear eyeliner and underwear in that shade, paint a room or just your nails. Carry around crystals that correspond to your color. Want more confidence? Choose pink as your colour and carry rose quartz in your pocket, it’s pink and its healing energies promote self-love and beauty. Incorporate your colour into daily life on keychains, coffee mugs and notebooks as a reminder of what you’re trying to achieve.
Marilyn + seafoam green + beach = everything I love (via weheartit.com)
3. Burn the Past, Embrace the Future
Write down everything you want to leave behind on squares of paper and then burn them in a candle flame. Symbolically destroy any bad habits, negative feelings, emotional baggage or past failures and start 2012 with a clean slate.
OR
Do what all the revellers in Times Square do. You know all that confetti flying through the air when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve? That’s not just any confetti. The million+ people who crowd Times Square write down their wishes and dreams for the New Year on little pieces of paper and those wishes become the confetti that rains down at midnight. You can do this yourself by writing down your dreams for 2012 on (eco-friendly, biodegradable) paper scraps and then releasing them to the universe with a toss into the wind.
4. Vision Boards
Don’t knock them until you try them. Even if vision boards don’t “work,” you’ll end up with a collage of pretty pictures that makes you happy every time you walk by. You don’t have to pick images that correspond to everything you want in 2012, but maybe create a collage that represents a feeling, idea or goal that you want to bring to fruition. Maybe a collage of beach scenery makes you feel calm or excites your passion for travel. Maybe you choose pictures that are all yellow because yellow makes you happy. This technique works well for visual people who respond better to images than words. Hang it on your bulletin board or create a digital collage and use it as the desktop on your computer. If the term “vision board” is a little too Oprah for you, lots of people just call them “inspiration boards” and fill them with images and objects that inspire them. Comme Ça:
re-blogged from here
