Resolve on New Year's, Take Action Today

res·o·lu·tion
ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/
noun

1. a firm decision to do or not to do something.
   "she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more"

When you make a resolution, you decide. You draw a line in the sand, setting a boundary for what is possible and what you expect. Without action steps, it stays in the realm of your mind.

We often decide to change the things that are big, and really need to change, but are those the types of changes that last?

For instance, committing to 30 days without Sugar is a great goal, but how will that affect your daily sugar intake next October?  What if you allowed yourself 2 days a week where you ate desserts?  This smaller goal is more reachable and more likely to change your long term habits.

I recently read an interview with Cheade-Meng Tan, who started the mindfulness based stress reduction program at Google. When it comes to adding mindfulness to your life, he recommends starting with one mindful breath - not 10 or 20 minutes.  Can you commit, right now, in your next breath, to pay attention to your inhalation and exhalation?  That's a start, and getting started is the next step after the resolution.

Celebrate the small changes, for these bring you closer to your goals. The small changes give you momentum, and that momentum can be used to keep making incremental changes, and less likely to fall back into old patterns.

Dr. Brian

P.S. - This is just one of the concepts I will be discussing during my free class, January 3rd from 6-7PM at Integrated Life, titled "2017 - Your Best Year Ever".  All are welcome - RSVP by Texting 434-227-7149