Every year before the calendar turn we plunge ourselves into a pit of guilt. New Year’s resolutions are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they inspire us to take a closer look at what we want in life, on the other hand, they make us feel as though the things we are already doing are not enough or are too much. Finding a way to set goals and intentions without falling into shame and guilt takes tweaking the narrative, reflecting on the good stuff, and tapping into your deepest intuition to figure out where you are at capacity and where you have some room. Here are our tips for mapping out New Year's resolutions that go beyond the guilt…

Don’t Go Big

Change is never a sweeping gesture but a series of small steps. By setting yourself major life-changing goals you could be turning the pressure valve up beyond the point of success. Big goals can be unobtainable as they often take big life tweaks. Setting small goals means you are much more likely to achieve what you set out to do. For example, if you want to get healthy don’t promise to go to the gym every day. Find the tiny tweaks you can make in your life that pave the way to health – drink an extra glass of water, walk the dog for five minutes more, and generally take small bites out of your big goal.

Take Stock

Rather than focusing on what steps you think you need to take; consider all the steps you have taken. Promise a small chunk of time to sit down and listing all the things you have achieved this past year as sometimes it can be difficult to see how far we have come. By writing down all the things you have achieved it helps you to transition into the New Year with a sense of pride and power rather than feeling stuck on the treadmill of trying to find further success. Before setting goals you should also consider your current scenario; take stock of your living situation, finances, work position and relationships – ponder what works and what doesn’t and just let the thought sit rather than charging forth and taking action. Winter can feel like a time of survival so making grandiose plans to thrive may need to go on hold.

Opt for More

New Year resolutions can often focus on a scarcity method of what’s been missing. Rather than take the approach of what you don’t have in your life, consider what it is that you crave more of. What worked this year that you want to carry forward and expand upon? You don’t even need to make plans as to how you will get more of what you want, just the step of acknowledging what it is you think you want can cause an energy shift and steer your ship to the right shore.  

Pick a Word

Instead of aiming for a full-blown New Year’s resolution, opt instead for a word to follow. Simply picking a word for the year ahead and mindfully trying to incorporate your choices and actions into honoring that word can make for a guilt-free shift in mindset and mood. Rather than saying you want to lose weight you can opt for the word ‘health’, rather than saying you want to make more money, you can choose the word ‘prosper’. The beauty of language is that it can be versatile and doesn’t tie you down like a specific goal. Choosing a word rather than a resolution keeps your options free, easy and open.

Which words, thoughts and feelings are you hoping to carry forth into the next decade? Share your dreams and hopes with us in the comments.