The New Year always holds the energy of excitement of good things to come. We make great plans and then hold our breath waiting for these wondrous things to fall into our lap. The thing is we often neglect to act on the positive energy generated to achieve these things.
Resolutions are things we resolve to do. Our intention to meet those resolves is only as strong as our passion to achieve them. When that passion is motivated by what we think we should be doing, it lacks momentum. Momentum comes from within us. It is carried forward by the results we achieve, not so much from our actual success or failure in the endeavor but how we feel inside about what we achieve.
It is difficult to maintain the best of our intentions when doing so is challenging beyond our current perception of who we are in the moment. When underneath we feel unworthy, no matter what the level of success, it will not be enough or we will ruin it for ourselves one way or another.
The Trouble with Assumptions
We continuously make assumptions about ourselves that we have put on automatic pilot in our unconscious lest we get too big for our own britches and need to be knocked off our own pedestal. For most people, the fear is that we will turn into that human that we see as our worst nightmare of being human. The truth is that we become more of who we already are, no matter what the distraction. There may be times that we do things we are not proud of. That does not make us a bad person. We make decisions that we would definitely do different if only given another chance. That does not make us any less worthy of being. It makes us more conscious. It makes us human.
Living up to our own expectations is far harder than living up to other’s expectations. As a general rule trying to live up to anyone’s expectations including our own is a never ending exercise in self-defeat. We are already perfect exactly as we are with all the imperfections. There is nothing to prove. We are where we are for the purpose of being who we are. We are doing what we are supposed to be doing to learn what we are supposed to be learning. We have the opportunity for new experiences that expand our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Life does not have to be lived in struggle and suffering to be worthwhile. Struggles and heartache may make us more grateful for times without such things, but they are not absolutely necessary to live a good life. New Year’s goals and resolutions do not have to be some massive challenge to overcome. They can be fun. If you are approaching goals with plans and strategies and without a little bit of fun, the result may feel less satisfying than expected.
Want to lose 10 pounds? What would be a fun way to lose 10 pounds?
Want to reduce stress in your life? What stresses could you let go of and replace with something fun?
Want more income? Better health? Closer relationships?
Have More Fun to Lessen the Struggle
Working hard to achieve what we want in life is not a bad thing. It can just be so much better and so much easier when we don’t struggle, judge, and resist the very things we say we want to achieve. There is also nothing wrong with working on keeping those resolutions that we think we should be doing. Fretting over what you don’t have sucks energy away from moving toward having it. Do it anyway.
Add in a new twist to this year’s goals and resolutions. Add in the aspect of fun. Try something new, like baking a cake or painting with watercolors. Look at the usual with a new perspective like listening for the sounds of nature in the city or see the perfection in something annoying. The key is to have fun with it, not judge the result. This will add an aspect of positive energy into a variety of experiences that builds a momentum that overflows into other areas of life.