Well, we did it!!! 2018 is officially here. I must say the 586 million miles round trip around the sun has me exhausted. Talk about frequent flyer miles!
During the beginning of the New Year most of us spend time reflecting on the past and make resolutions to improve our lives. As you know, I don’t believe in New Years resolutions, but I do believe in the power of a mindset shift—a change in ones thinking so to speak.
My theory is if a new year will motivate you to make a meaningful change in your life that’s great, just don’t forget there are the other 364 days in the year to start as well. Having said that, I do see the value in changing one’s way of thinking and a new year can be that catalyst for many.
Either way, whether it’s a new year that is motivating you or it’s just the right time in your life, let’s talk about how we can maximize 2018 with these two simple tactics:
The Magic of Intentions:
Before we get to where we want to be, we need to know where we want to go.
This is why setting an intention can be so powerful for us. An intention acts as a beacon of light guiding you along your path. If you happen to stray, your intention can get you back on track and back to your intended mission.
I encourage you to take time in this fresh New Year and set an intention. Not a resolution, but an intention. There is a difference.
An intention is a way of being; a way of expressing yourself while a resolution is a reward based proposition. Resolutions focus on end results where as intentions focus on how you want to show up in the world.
Similar to an anchor in meditating, an intention can anchor you as you navigate through the New Year. Every time you notice you have gotten away from you true intention, simply redirect your attention so you get back on track. In effect, our intentions help direct our attention. Without an intention for this next year, it’s like we are flying blind with no destination in the flight plan and no radar to tell us how we are doing.
Be the Person You Want to Be:
You already have everything you need to get to where you want to go; you just don’t know it yet.
Often times when we look towards the year ahead we think of the things we want. We tell ourselves “I want to make (x) amount of money” or “I want to lose (x) amount of weight.” We focus on the results instead of what it takes to achieve those results.
One thing that mindfulness has taught me is that in order to be the person you want to be in life, you must realize that you already are that person! In my case, a few years ago I decided that I wanted to start teaching—whether that was about mindfulness or coaching sports, it didn’t matter. All I knew was that I wanted to start teaching others.
Now, I could have focus on the trappings of teaching. In other words, the rewards of teaching like helping others, earning others respect, making a difference in people’s lives, etc. Instead, I decided to focus my attention on the things a teacher actually does. A teacher networks, a teacher writes, a teacher communicates, a teacher reads, a teacher makes lesson plans and a teacher studies.
So, I committed to doing those things that a teacher does to earn the rewards of teaching. I committing to reading, writing, communicating through different channels, networking with like-minded individuals and preparing content for these blogs and lessons. The old adage “fake it until you make it” has some truth here in that if you live as though you already are what you want to be, life will tend to move out of your way.
Living Your Best 2018:
By setting your intentions and realizing that to be what you want, you have to act as though you already are it, you can truly set yourself up for a remarkable 2018. Your intention must precede the embodiment of your best self, but they are not exclusive. Your intention informs all of your actions and your actions reinforce your intention.
My intention for 2018 is to take risks so that I can continue to become the teacher and coach I know I can be. There is not doubt that there will be times I want to sit back and relax in my comfort zone during the next year, but with my intention/anchor I can redirect my resources and efforts when I see that I have wondered.
Thank you as always for reading. We are so excited for a new year and we hope you are as well. Let us know what your intention is in 2018 and why it’s important to you. We wish you all the best in this new year and know that you can achieve all you want in the next twelve months.
Until next time, many many blessings,