With the New Year coming most of us made some resolutions, we set up goals that we felt would be important for us to achieve during the coming year. With almost nearly the first two weeks of the year behind us, whether we’ve been already working towards the resolutions or not, now is a good time to revisit and perhaps restore some of them. The new moon on Wednesday 13th of January sets an ideal energy for a new beginning. Therefore, if you haven’t started yet or even if you have started but for some reason you are not satisfied with your progress, or if now, you feel that your resolution doesn’t fit within your life schedule this is the perfect time to make a change and to revisit your goals. I believe that at this point it is also eminent to go a little bit deeper into understanding why often we do not achieve the goals, why we give up. For many years I used to make a list of new year resolutions. Usually, I sticked to the plan for couple of weeks and then ended up beating myself for not achieving them. I was always looking to create changes, but I did not understand how to do it until I realised the flaws in resolutions. Practising meditation, I recognised the subtle disparity between resolutions and intentions.
Resolution is focused on achieving the goal – “I will lose the weight – almost no matter what it is going to take I will succeed”. This can bring us into a wrong mindset, that initiates judgmental and critical thoughts, making every step taken outside of the plan feeling like failure. The problem with it is, that it sits in thinking that we are not good enough the way we are, and that we will be better or happier when we change who we are or what we look like. We say – “I will lose weight” – therefore we set our mind around the statement that we are not “good” enough. With this realisation in mind, I got to the point when setting intentions came to play. While initiating an intention – “I respect my body and therefore I will do best to keep it healthy” – we resolve that we are already “enough”, so we can move forward without having an attachment to the result. We appreciate that this is more about the journey. We might still want to lose weight, but now, it involves caring enough about ourselves to eat good food and exercise. Naturally, the weight decreases, but it is not because we need to change who we are. In setting intentions, it is essential to make a statement – “I respect my body” – the correct action to support it will follow - you will start caring about it, it is natural; if the statement is “I don’t like my body” – then why would you take care of it? At some point I recognised that setting resolutions puts focus mostly on the goal and it makes the process of achieving the objective insignificant. As being mindful is the core of meditation practice, I realised that the focus should be in a way to achieve our goals, not the outcome itself.
Gary Zukav, an American spiritual teacher says – “Intentions guide your experience, whether you are aware of them or not." I believe that setting intentions is the greatest way of making changes and not only to achieve the outcome but mostly attain inner peace by accepting ourselves, by not judging and self-criticising yet making the space for the change to happen the way that is best for ourselves. Astrologically the best time to set your intentions is around a time of a new moon as its energy invites us to set intentions for manifesting the life we want to live. The moon at the start of a new phase represents a time for new beginnings, fresh starts and a blank page from which to start something new. There are many ways to set your intention and you are welcome to use the steps I find very helpful:
Clear the space around yourself, remove all unnecessary items and clutters. While doing so think about all needless thoughts and believes that you feel may be blocking you from moving forward and try to release these together with all other unwanted pieces around you.
At the beginning set your intentions, write them down, make a clear statement and then ask yourself two questions: first “WHY?” Why do you feel this is important, why do you think this is the change you need; and second “HOW?” How can you help to achieve it? Think of all the steps you may take to support your intention. Again, write it down. Create the drawing, the map of every step you will take to support your intention. Having it on paper will be helpful when you will need to revisit it in some time.
Be mindful of what your intentions are going to serve, are they coming out of fear and self-criticism or are they to support your growth. Make sure you are gentle with yourself. There are no goals too big, and whatever your intention is, trust that the Universe will help you to accomplish it. Ask the Universe to direct you into an appropriate path towards achieving your aims.
Meditate with your intentions in mind. Light a candle, use incense (sage is very good, as it also cleans the energy), listen to mantras. Focus on your breath at the start of your meditation to quite your thoughts yet at all times retain in your mind the intentions you set up earlier. During the meditation visualise yourself achieving your goals, see yourself at the finish line, see how it feels to be there.
Be grateful for this experience, for your ability to learn more about yourself, about your desires. Trust the process and follow your plan yet feel free to adjust it as your journey progresses.
By creating the Intentions Map you plant the seeds for your own personal growth; by meditating with your intentions in mind you release them to the Universe. In every step down the road remember that you are “enough”, that you can achieve any change you will set yourself up for. Believe that you will receive support in every step you will need to take to get where you want to be. Be mindful of each stage of the process – enjoy it, the goal is only a line at end of the path. The walk you take is a part of a great essence.