New Year New You... Seriously This Time!

We’ve all heard the saying “new year, new you,” but let’s be honest, being a “new you” doesn’t happen overnight and all those exciting resolutions you’re anticipating setting for yourself are most likely going to be nothing but a distant memory by spring.

So why does almost everyone have the same experience with New Year’s resolutions? We set resolutions at the start of the year, we make an attempt at keeping them, but little by little, they fall to the side.

If we’re setting ourselves up for failure then what’s the point to begin with? I’m sure you’ve heard the quote; the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, isn’t it insane to set unrealistic goals at the same time every year, out of habit, why? Basically, just because every else does? And why are we putting all this effort into them when we know we won’t maintain them? Obviously, we start out with the best intentions, I’m not saying we’re intending to give up…or subconsciously are we?

Most of us, or maybe it’s just me, already know that we could be in better shape, save more money, and be more responsible in many other ways. We know it intellectually, but we get busy with life, even without lofty resolutions to attend to.

So ultimately, year after year, we eventually run out of steam and give up on our resolutions when we realize that life will go on, whether or not we lose ten pounds, pay off our credit cards, or fix our other problems.

Instead of setting New Year’s resolutions this year, why not try something more productive, something for the long haul? Skip the resolutions and aim to manifest some visions for your life and career. If you’re going to dedicate the time to making goals, skip the guilt tripping and create a vision for living your highest purpose, something that you can aim toward but doesn’t have an end date—or at least one that can fade away by April. We want to invest our money and time wisely, so investing in long-term goals seems smart, right?

Okay, so you see the logic, but where to start? A life vision sounds huge! But, if broken down it’s really simple, so start small and keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself and let your mind wander, don’t censor yourself, in the writing world we call the first draft the “vomit draft” (excuse, the lack of Queen’s English) where you let all your ideas pour out onto the paper. Now, let’s get your life’s “vomit draft” going by asking these questions:

1. What do you want most in your life and career? No censoring! Imagine the life and career you want, not just incremental changes from the life and career you have now.

2. If you gave yourself permission to dream really big, what sort of life and career would you envision? Now, give yourself that permission! Nobody is holding you responsible for realizing your dream (like they may be for New Year’s resolutions), and you don’t have to tell anyone about it.

3. What stands between you and the life and career you envision? Maybe you have to leave the place where you live and move somewhere else to realize your dreams (I know I did). Maybe you need to go back to school, or start fresh on a new career path. These goals might seem enormous and daunting. Please don’t stress about that right now. You’ll live with your dream by writing and thinking about it. You will let it become real in your imagination first (also known as manifestation, which is a bit of a buzzword right now). Later it will become real on earth.

4. Figure out which people in your life support you, and which people suck your energy away. Make a commitment to only surround yourself with people who appreciate you, give you the gift of support, and who you support in return, because we all deserve that! Even if you have to go out and meet new people to do it, bite the bullet and ditch the energy vampires. That might be the best thing you could do for yourself in 2019. Especially now as you are on a quest to fulfill the vision of living your soul’s purpose, and we all know that having the wrong people around will squash your dreams before they have a chance to take shape.

5. Use affirmations to keep your energy positive and acknowledge yourself for the hard work you do every day. To help you reinforce your progress toward a positive, full life, try speaking affirmations in your mind or out loud. Here are some affirmations to get you started:

My future is bright, and I have nothing to regret or apologize for in my past.

There is no such thing as failure, every experience is either a win or a lesson.

Not everyone has to get my brand of jazz. I only need a few people in my corner who get me and deserve me.

Everything that has happened to me happened for a reason. My job is to get on my path and keep taking steps.

What new power source will show up to power your dreams forward in 2019? The best power source there is—your belief that you deserve the life and career you want. Forget the New Year’s resolutions. You could lose weight, save money, and tick off another dozen to-do items and still never take a step toward the life and career you deserve. The way to reach your vision is to dream it up in as much detail as you like—and then to take the first step in its direction!

Written by Celine Wallace | Photographed by Stephanie Plomarity | Retouched by Kennedy Williams