If a new year means out with the old and in with the new, then for me, new year’s resolutions are going out with the old and I’m breathing new life into how I’m energizing any plans for 2022.
I used to enjoy crafting a list of New Year’s Resolutions. The process helped me a create plan for the year with concrete goals on which to focus, plus it nurtured an inner feeling of being a go-getter, as someone who’s got it together.
But not anymore. I realize now that my resolutions stemmed from the of the feeling attached to them; I liked the idea of the person I believed accomplishing said resolutions would transform me into. And for a time in my life, I think this was true and necessary. Concrete resolutions helped me craft what I wanted, taught me perseverance to set goals, creativity to navigate through challenges, and a provided a proud sense of self-worth for completing what I set out to do.
But as I continue to grow and settle into myself, my desires are less concrete. They no longer take the form of action items, they show up as an inner glow that just craves some attention, like an ember that wants for a gentle breath of oxygen to grow it into a steady flame to light the way.
I’m not alone in my feelings. In the Chinese Zodiac, each year embodies one of twelve animals with its unique set of characteristics for the year. Pantone simply picks a color. And when the year comes to a close, Oxford languages chooses a word to represent the year past and Time Magazine picks a person.
So if new years resolutions feel outdated for the person you have grown to be, lots of options abound to cut out the to-do list and skip right to the emotions to nurture in the upcoming year.
Here are a handful of ideas for creating new year “feelings” that I’m going to explore as I welcome 2022:
a gem stone or jewelry to wear
crystals — for wearing on the body or placing around the home
fragrance — in the form of candles, incense, or perfume
a tarot card
a word
a song or playlist
a color
a poem
an image — a painting, sketch, or doodle, either personally created or by someone else.
a practice or discipline — yoga, meditation, prayer, or otherwise
I wish you a safe, happy, and healthy New Year and beyond!
Namaste xox,
Lara