How to Set Heart-Centered New Years Resolutions

When one year ends and another year starts, it’s such a good time to pause and reflect on what we really want out of life, ourselves, and how we might want to see some changes moving forward. Hey, it’s helpful at every turn of a week, a month, a season.

But if I’m fully honest, the last 2 years have been rough with sticking with resolutions. For many reasons. So the one thing I’ve learned and gleaned from all of this is that if you want to stick with your resolutions any time of the year, the number one most important thing to do is keep them heart-centered. Don’t let a swirl around you or the pull of what others think to take you off the course that you’re meant to be on. Get still and tune in to your heart and find out what this season is meant to bring for you.

Here are some tips for setting realistic resolutions that you will actually stick to and that are truly aligned with who you are and not someone else’s goals.

Grab a Journal

When it comes to creating your New Years’ Resolutions, using a journal is one of the best tools at your disposal. It not only helps you decide on the resolutions, but track your progress along the way.

So this post and podcast are really going to take you through a process of connecting with your goals for yourself in a heart-centered way.

Find Your Deep WHY – Understand WHY You Want Each Resolution

Becoming resilient & thriving really resides on you knowing WHY you want to get back up again and keep pursuing the goals that are in your heart. Your brain is wired to keep you safe and comforted. It doesn’t like it when you get out of that comfort zone, so it’ll do just about everything to keep you from exiting your “safe” boundary lines. That’s why you need to keep your “why” at the front of your heart and mind.

Have you ever made a list of things you want to do or achieve, but didn’t really feel excited when writing about it? (Don’t worry, you’re not alone) This is a good sign that you might have the right goals, but the wrong intention behind it. You probably thought it was just something you were supposed to do, or you were following along with your friends. If you don’t feel excited in the beginning, you will never gain enough momentum to see it through. Again, this is why a heart-centered approach is key.

Dig deep. What do you really want? Take 10-20 minutes and brain dump it in a journal.

What did you experience this last year and what do you want to see and experience in your life this coming year and beyond? Why do you want the goals you have? How do you want to feel?

Keep asking why until you have some real clarity on WHY you want them. I consider clarity being a why that is so deep and strong that it actually grips me into action.

Getting connected with your why is also not complete without some gratitude for what you currently have. Take a few moments and write out the things you do have or have accomplished so far and allow yourself to be grateful in the moment for them.

The BEST Why Question to Ask

Now this is where the real power lies. Once you’ve established a solid why for your goals and allowed yourself to feel gratitude for what you currently have and have accomplished, take a minute and journal on this question:

Why CAN I accomplish this goal? Why are you capable of achieving this goal?

So often, we set a goal and immediately find all the reasons we can’t do it.

That sets us up for failure right off the bat.

For example, if you’ve never set out to heal your body and release excess weight, or you haven’t had success here, you might feel like you don’t have the ability to get there. BUT my guess is that you have stuck with a goal somewhere along the lines of your life. Did you ever turn in a homework assignment or a finish a work project? Do you have a skillset in another area that might be beneficial for this new goal you’re setting? Write it down 🙂

ACTION STEP:

Please take some time and really write out and visualize why you’re equipped to do this.

Right now, write out at least 10-20 reasons why you’re capable of it.

Allow your brain to look for evidence in your past of accomplishing other things that you’ve set your mind and heart to. It may not be (and likely isn’t) related directly to this exact goal, but it could be related to other goals, or other skills, that you have that will help you get there.

Start With the Ultimate Goal, Then Break it Down

For realistic resolutions, you want to start big—think 10 years out—then break it down into this year, this month, this week, and then today with some simple, actionable steps.

Many people want to lose weight or get fit as their resolution, which is a great goal, but it is too broad and often too grand of a goal. Saying you want to be fit and healthy is much too broad, while saying you want to lose 50 lbs is too big to start with.

If your goal is to lose 50 lbs and get fit, maybe you have a goal to lose 3-5 lbs a month, and your end-of-year goal is to be able to do a push up or be able to lift a certain amount of weight. Then break that goal down into mini actions you complete on a daily or weekly basis throughout the year.

ACTION STEP:

Start by a simple brainstorm of writing down everything you would like to accomplish this year. This might end up being a long list, which is totally fine. You are just starting with any idea you have in your head before you make your final decisions. Think of big things and small things, even if you don’t know that they will end up being a resolution. Consider your bad habits, something you want to implement, a goal you want to achieve, healthier lifestyle habits, a change in your routine, a place you want to visit, or a problem you want to solve.

I personally love encouraging people to think big and small and go for a 100 dream list.

That will cause you to really dream and listen to your heart.

Choose 1-3 Things to Focus On Now

Finally, you’re going to choose a few small goals and create a step-by-step plan for each one. Let’s go back to the weight loss goal you have. You already know how much weight you need to lose each month for your ultimate goal of losing 50 lbs in a year. Now, think about the steps you need in order to achieve this goal. This might include starting a fitness routine, drinking more water, and changing your diet.

ACTION STEP:

From this list, choose just 1-3 resolutions for this month to focus on. That doesn’t mean you won’t accomplish anything else, but you want just one or two main things to focus on. You might have some things that are good to do, but can be done in a shorter period of time, like starting to journal. Instead of that as a resolution, maybe you want to read 20 books in a year or lose 30 pounds. These are more concrete resolutions that you can track throughout the year, but are also a bit too large for just one month. What’s doable for you this month?

Take baby steps toward your goal and celebrate each step you take.

A great daily affirmation is:

I celebrate progress, not perfection. I celebrate every step I take.

Brainstorm Questions to Ask as You Journal:

1. What are 3 goals you have for this year?
2. What is your biggest goal right now?
3. Write down some goals that don’t take as much time or effort.
4. What methods do you use for making a plan?
5. Do you prefer paper or digital planning?
6. Why have you chosen the goals you have?
7. Where does your motivation come from?
8. Who inspires you the most?
9. What has kept you from achieving your goals in the past?
10. What goals have you quit, and why?
11. How detailed is your plan to achieve your goals?
12. What is something you used to want, but now doesn’t interest you?
13. How do you manage stress while working on your goals?
14. How confident are you that you will achieve your goals?
15. What is something new you are trying this year?
16. What are your main obstacles and challenges?
17. Do you believe in manifesting or the law of attraction?
18. What previous goal setting strategies didn’t work for you?
19. How do you handle setbacks on your journey?
20. What does failure mean to you?
21. How will this month be different?
22. What do you do when you get off track?
23. Write down 1 goal for each month of the year.
24. Write down a list of rewards for achieving your goals.
25. Do you have a good support system?
26. What thoughts first come to mind when it comes to your goals?
27. What is your progress so far on your goals?
28. Write a stream of consciousness about your goals and plans.
29. What are some important lessons you have learned while working on your goals?
30. What are you grateful for right now?
31. What plans do you have for next month?

Interested in getting further help?

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