If you’re on track still, give yourself a huge high-five, because you’re the exception! But, if you’re like most people, your earnestly resolved goal has already bitten the dust. One of the major reasons is that we believe that we’ll need tremendous willpower and a certain amount of force in order to make our resolutions a reality. We tend to approach resolutions as signs that we need to change, that we need to strive to different, better versions of ourselves. We unconsciously give ourselves the message that we are not ok.
When I’ve looked back at my old ones, the goals I’ve reached have happened in the process of the year’s unfolding. The ones I grit my teeth about (lose 15 lbs, for example) don’t seem to budge.
So I like the Sanskrit concept of sankalpa, which is translated as “resolve,” yet it is held quite differently.
A sankalpa is an expression of clarity about who you really are. You discover your sankalpa. You don’t invent it. A sankalpa can be one of two kinds: a heartfelt desire that expresses your true nature, such as “I am free of old pain,” or “I am an expression of Spirit.” Or it can be a specific intention or goal. But not a fear- or ego-driven goal. It comes from connecting with the source of you within yourself, seeing yourself as part of Spirit, of All-That-Is. It’s valuable to set goals. Breaking goals into milestones helps you manifest your true mission, so setting intentions helps you keep moving on the path of your larger purpose. What makes you successful is feeling the inner truth of your goal, its connection with your spirit. So, discovering your sankalpa is a matter of listening to your heart.
Because they are seen as expressions of your true nature, the way they are stated is not “I need to change,” but “I am that which is best for me and for the light within me.” So when you feel that you’re clear on your sankalpa, state it as something that is already occurring in the present, that is a state-of-being. Even if it’s that I want to lose 15 lbs, when I feel that as a truth within, the phrase becomes, “I take exquisite care of my self and my body.”
So, pick your goal back up, make your resolve a flame within you, rather than a stick to whap yourself with, and see what happens. Wishing you a Happy Year!
There’s a lovely article about it here:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/how-to-create-a-sankalpa