New Year’s resolutions
I have a complicated relationship with New Year’s resolutions. A date can’t just seemingly offer the opportunity for a new beginning, can it? I have yet to wake up on any January 1st with newfound superpowers, so I’m not sure what the whole world is convinced happens the night of December 31st that makes me more capable than I was earlier that day.
Still though, despite how trivial the concept seems to me, I can’t deny that I have felt extra motivated in the first couple weeks of this year. Maybe it’s just a placebo effect; but as science has proven, the placebo effect can actually make us feel better! Even if it doesn’t cure us of our diseases, feeling good is often enough to inspire more positive changes, and at some point, patterns turn into habits which turn into lifestyle!
So maybe the New Year’s Placebo is in fact enough to make some real changes!
There is no real clean slate on the first morning of the year, yet here I am feeling extra motivated to start new projects, reach out to people I’ve been meaning to for the past year, and above all else…head to the studio for that 6am class!
There are a number of myths and studies that have been conducted to test how long a habit takes to form. After doing some quick research, it seems that 66 days is an average number. So, while a New Year’s resolution won’t cure you of your laziness, it’s a good time to start day one of 66! if you can keep it going for about two months, you might actually have made a significant change in your life! Of course, you can make day one any day of the year you’d like, but New Year’s is as good of an excuse as any.
I can’t generalize all of my resolutions to fit those of you reading this (hopefully most of you have accomplished the feat of waking up to the sound of your alarm); but there are a few mindsets that we should all be focusing on in 2020.
There are some core themes that are talked about during practice: intentionality, mindfulness, letting go, and gratitude. These are themes that extend well beyond the walls of the studio; and ones that consistently resonate with me.
Intentions illuminate a path for how to get what we want in our lives – no matter how small the intentions are that we set. Daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly intentions can keep us focused and prioritized. Adhering to them assures that we meet our goals. In 2020, focus on setting and adhering them, and reevaluating often as needed.
Mindfulness keeps us present, lucid and grounded. It means being aware of your present thoughts and feeling; accepting and appreciating them for all that they are. We must accept ourselves first and foremost before attempting to make any changes.
Letting go is releasing old energy – energy that is no longer valuable in our lives. It can be one of the most challenging changes to make, as letting go means releasing something that is in some way comfortable, sentimental, close to our hearts. But what was is not always what is. And stale energy can prevent us from thoroughly opening our hearts to the present. So, if it’s stale, negative, or restraining, let it go.
Gratitude is how we can adopt the most appreciation for ourselves and our lives. We each have our individual struggles, but we also have our beautiful lives and all that has brought us to where we are now. To appreciate what’s next, we must have infinite gratitude for what we have now.
We are looking forward to a new year of positive changes and community building at the studio!