Insights & Actions
How to work with your Word or Resolution this year
In the last few weeks you might’ve spent some time reflecting. Thinking about how you spend your time, your money, your attention. Maybe you considered what things went well last year and what didn’t. If so, I’m glad you did. Our culture tends to be short on reflection time. And it’s our loss, because without it’s harder for us to grow.
What may have come from your reflections is a sense that something needs to change. It could be something very specific like you’re ready to put the brakes on your fast paced life. Or it could be something more difficult to define; like the desire to feel more peaceful or vibrant.
The Change You Long For
This is the time of year when those reflections tend to coalesce into decisions. Resolutions get formed. Words-of-the-year are chosen. We’re ready to receive the changes that we dream about.
Only, a lot of times, those changes never come. The Word never becomes anything more than an idea. The resolution barely gets started before it loses steam and fizzles out. We’ve all been there. It’s hard not to get cynical and defeated around New Year dreams.
What I think’s happening for a lot of folks, is that there’s a missing step between the idea and the results they’re yearning for.
It Starts with Insight
Change starts with your insights. Time spent reflecting yielded up new awareness on a situation. You learned about yourself. You realized something - in a flash insights came up. This happens a lot if you’re paying attention, and not only at the New Year. You might come up from a restful savasana to a mini-awakening. Or journalling reveals some secret aliveness you weren’t aware of before. In fact, my work as a coach is often about uncovering insights in such a way that people change how they think about situations that have been really stressful. It usually moves them from suffering into freedom.
There’s power in your insights. But, if what you’re hoping for is transformation - you know, real change - then it’s not enough. Insight is the beginning. Action is what make change happen.
Get Into Action
You’re familiar with action. You’re moving and on the go ALL THE TIME. Do you know anyone who would tell you they’re not “busy?” I don’t. Including myself. I’m super busy no matter how hard I try to slow down.
So I know you’re used to being in motion. But how often do you slow down and make clear conscious choices? Ones that align your actions with your insights? For most people, it’s not very often. That means the awakening happens and you have an inner shift, but it doesn’t get anchored in the physical world. Usually it lingers in your mind for a while until it’s forgotten. It’ll be uncovered again the next time you’re in a reflective mood.
To bring your insights into your life you have to get into meaningful action around them. That means choosing clear steps that will move you in the direction you intend. For example, if you realized that you want to put the brakes on your fast life, you have to ask yourself what you will DO to make that happen? You may have to set some boundaries with yourself and other people. You may need to practice feeling uncomfortable as you sit quietly with ‘nothing to do’. You may need to find a practice that is slower paced (like T’ai Chi) where your nervous system can settle. There could be a ton of different actions you can take to move towards the change you desire. This particular example is on purpose to illustrate that your “action” may not be anything that’s fast, flashy, or quick. It just has to support your insight and your intention.
How Actions Work Best
You probably know this already, but action plans work best when they’re simple -simple- simple and time specific. Do all you can to make it easy and uncomplicated to take action on your Word or resolution.
That means don’t say to yourself: “I’m gonna sign up for a yoga class, and wear my cute new pants.” It’s not time specific - it’s floating somewhere in the vague future. It’s also little complicated by the addition of the outfit. Instead, say to yourself: “I’m taking yoga on Tuesday at 9am” This has a date and a time. It’s specific and clear. And you know you’ll get dressed, you didn’t need to worry about the outfit, though yes, that part can be fun.
Make A Plan
Here’s a quick exercise to practice planning specific actions. Take out your journal and answer the following questions:
What is your Resolution or Word this year?
What insight(s) led you to choose it?
Make a list of 3 simple yet meaningful actions you will take that align with your Word or Resolution
Beside each one write a specific date and time when you will take the action
Writing it down and making a plan is a big step towards actually living your resolution or Word.
True Transformation
The work I do with people has everything to do with transformation. It’s not minor change but we do deep transformation on all levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. As I’ve worked with many folks over the years, the ones who are able to create and sustain the changes they want are the ones who do two things:
Create dreams and visions based on real, personal insights, not other people’s ideas
Follow up those insights with simple, time specific actions.
When I have clients and students who take small but meaningful actions that are aligned with their insights I know they are moving into authenticity and are becoming their truest selves.
It’s not always easy. There are fits and starts… and re-starts.. and re-starts.. and re-starts. We practice a lot of “Beginning Again” especially in early days. But eventually it does happen. And with it, there is a sense of coming home. Home to embody the Authentic Self. And Home to connection with the Mystery that’s at the Heart of all life.
If your Heart desires it, you really can transform . You’ll never be able to be anyone other than you… and that’s great news because you’re awesome. But, you can transform your relationship with your life and with yourself. You can live in a way that honors the insights that have come to you. You can start anytime. What action will you take today?