Five Mindfulness Techniques for Lasting Resolutions

New Year! New You!

It’s the beginning of the year and we have made our new year’s resolutions. We are excited and motivated to make positive changes in our lives. It might be hard to believe now, but in a few weeks, you might not be feeling so excited about your resolution goals. Our initial enthusiasm starts to disappear and it is difficult to stay motivated. What was new and exciting is now a boring grind and a hassle. How can we keep that enthusiasm and motivation for weeks, months, and even years? By using mindfulness techniques to harness the power of our minds to reach our resolution goals. You might be wondering what mindfulness is and what it has to do with resolutions. Our minds are very powerful. Everything that exists and has been accomplished was once an idea that came from someone’s mind. We can use this power to help us reach our resolution goals and maintain them over time.

Harness the power of your mind by using mindfulness practices.

Mindfulness is calming the mind by focusing on the present moment. During mindfulness practice, you are using the power of your mind to set your resolution goals into motion and make them a reality. Successful athletes, performers, and business people, such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, and Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings all attribute mindfulness techniques to their success. If it worked for them, it will certainly work for you! Some mindfulness techniques, listed below with brief explanations, include:

Visualization-The process of imagining yourself reaching your desired goal.
Meditation-Involves being in stillness and silence, without distraction. While meditating, some people focus on a question they would like answered. Others focus on a sound, an image, or repeat a mantra or affirmation. Still others might use focused attention to still the mind. For example, a person might use their five senses to notice all the details of an apple, such as how the apple looks, feels, smells, sounds, and tastes while eating it.
Journaling-Writing down affirmations and statements of gratitude. With mindful journaling, you are write down positive affirmations related to your goals, and give thanks for what you already have and your accomplishments.
Guided Imagery-Focuses the mind and imagination on a desired goal, feeling, or state of mind.
Hypnotherapy-Uses relaxation techniques to access the subconscious mind to focus on specific thoughts and tasks. It can be described as using your subconscious mind to reach conscious goals.

Use mindfulness techniques to train your mind to focus on opportunities for success in reaching your resolution goal.

Here are a few tips on how to use these mindfulness techniques in your daily life:

Practice mindfulness every day. There is a myth that it takes a lot of time to be mindful. If you have the time, great. If you don’t, don’t scrap mindfulness practices altogether. Quickly imagine yourself reaching your goal. See yourself fitting into a new outfit. Imagine how good you will feel achieving your goal and/or once your goal has been achieved. It only takes a minute. I do, however, recommend finding some time during the week in which you can take your time with your mindfulness practice. This way you can focus on your goals and get maximum impact from your mindfulness practice.
Get calm and relaxed for your mindfulness practice. Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to relax. Even if you are in the middle of a busy day, taking a moment to take a few deep breaths and visualize your success can work wonders.
Find a place that is comfortable, quiet, and free from distractions. Even taking as little as 5 minutes of quiet time can be helpful.
Schedule mindfulness into your life. Just as you would make time for any other meeting or appointment, you can make time to be mindful. Mindfulness, regardless of your practice, is important not only with achieving goals. These practices also improve your overall sense of wellbeing and calm in your life.