Sunday 25 December 2011

Resolutions, Goals, or Promises

Hi all.  I haven't been writing in my blog very regularly.  I guess that's one resolution I can set for the New Year, haha!  Anyway, with the new year coming up quickly and with us entering into winter, the quiet season of inner contemplation, thoughts of New Year's resolutions come into my mind and, I am sure, into the minds of many.  I don't generally take making New Year resolutions very seriously, but I do often think about what I want to change or accomplish in the coming year.  As I have been thinking about it this year, I began wondering what the difference is between a resolution and a goal.  Are they one in the same?  Not really.

Resolutions are promises we make to ourselves, promises of things we intend to do changes we intend to make in our lives.  They tend to be centred on things that we probably should be doing on a regular basis anyway, like getting exercise, saving money, losing weight, and those types of things.  Resolutions can be highly personal and they can be highly effective when taken seriously.

A goal is more of a target, something specific that we want to do in order to reach our dreams.  Dreams are very personal and the goals are the stepping stones along the journey that we take to reach those dreams.  Goals, when set properly, are SMART, Specific-Measurable-Attainable-Realistic-Timely.

I have decided to think carefully about what I want in the coming year.  What do I want to do for myself?  How can I make my life better?  I think we have a tendency in this society to set our resolutions lightly, being just what we are all supposed to do at New Year's.  People follow along in the first month or so and then the motivation wanes as life with all its twists and turns throws us off course.  I don't want that to happen.  If I am going to make a promise to myself, shouldn't I honour it?  If I made it to someone else I would.  Maybe instead of New Year's resolutions they should be called our New Year's promises.  Somehow, that feels like something for which I need to be more accountable.

So what do I want this year?  The promises I am making to myself include getting back into running (started last week) and keeping at it all through the year regardless of what happens, starting daily meditation once again, putting more fresh foods back into my diet, increasing my income by at least $100 per week (this one might be more of a goal), getting more involved with my community, being more social and opening my home up to friends and family more often, learning how to play my guitar, purging my home of all non-essentials (junk and old things for which I no longer have a use), and bettering my survival and homesteading skills.

Whew!  That's a big list, but I very much feel the need to take better care of myself physically, spiritually, and psychologically.  In fact, maybe these are the true promises and the above are the means to help me fulfill these promises to myself.  As I make these promises, I am spending time contemplating what they mean to me and how I will be able to make it happen.  Is it a tall order to fill?  Perhaps, but one thing is for certain - I will take these promises seriously.  I am thinking of checking in with myself at the end of every month to see how I have done and determine what I can do to better fulfill these promises.  In a way, many of these promises are akin to goals in that they are will help me get closer to fulfilling my dream of a fully self-sustainable and healthy lifestyle that is in harmony with nature.

What about you?  What are the promises you plan to make to yourself for the coming year?  I would love to hear about them and about how you will ensure that you follow through.  If you are so inclined, please do leave it in the comments section :-)

Happy New Year!
Karen

Find your passion!  Love your passion!  Live your passion!

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