Illumined Life Leadership

Appropriately enough, up until this point we’ve discussed ways to find balance in our lives and give ourselves the space we need to renew our energy. Now, a handful of hours away from a brand new year, our imaginations take over and help us envision a new day and a new world for us. Or, perhaps we are deciding to focus on the goals we didn’t accomplish and would like to attempt to achieve this time. : I want to lose weight because all of my friends are looking really great right now. They have found a diet that helps them lose weight quick. And, as a result, they are getting more attention and they seem happier. I would love to get some more attention at work and at home, and I’d love to feel happier. : I want to lose weight because I have been battling with my weight for years. I finally realized how I use food as a way to avoid uncomfortable feelings and situations. I want to finally take responsibility for my life! Also, because of my reckless eating habits, my health is beginning to suffer. I want to be healthy for myself and to ensure that I live a long life to enjoy with those I love. intention to achieve a goal. The difference between a resolution and intention is subtle, but there is a definite difference. An intention comes from a more gentle place—a place that stems from vision.

We call these key goals “resolutions” to signify our resolve to get them done. And while it is wonderful to be resolute in achieving our goals, perhaps we should step back for a while to ponder upon where, internally, the desire to achieve these specific key goals comes from.

Here’s an example…many individuals, including myself, choose the new year as the starting point to lose a certain amount of weight, or select healthier food options. Sound familiar? While there is nothing wrong with using the energy of the new year to spring us into health and wellness, let’s examine which of these reasons may be grounded in a more purposeful foundation.

Reason #1

Reason #2

Which reason do you feel will provide this person with more core energy to achieve his/her New Year’s “Resolution”? Can you see and feel the difference? Can you imagine what power you would have if your resolution came from an authentic place? And, if you were armed with tools to help you reach your goal, would that give you more of a reason to push forward?

Let me clarify that having a resolution to lose weight (doesn’t matter how much) is not a bad thing, but if we utilize the New Year each year to try to lose weight without making sure that our resolution is grounded, then we may once again fail. Failure, no matter how it’s dressed up, has a way of bringing down our self-esteem. Why not set yourself up for success and spike your self-esteem?

One way to do this—pretty simply—is to not be so resolute in setting and accomplishing this goal (sounds like forcing yourself to achieve and setting up yourself for failure), but, instead, setting an

So, let’s start with your vision for 2009. What is your vision for your new year? What is one thing that you would really enjoy accomplishing? Why would you enjoy it? Where does that desire come from? Does is come from a place of authenticity or does it come from ego (like Reason #1 above)? Would accomplishing this goal align with your personal values? Are these types of questions helping you define a purposeful intention for your new year? Breaking the Rules, discusses the concept of being committed, and with that commitment, being “on a roll”, therefore accomplishing what we intend to achieve. He tells us that there can be no true commitment unless we are aligned with our purpose. Sometimes, too, when we are not acting from a purposeful place we tend to be in the “What’s Wrong” mode (judgmental) instead of the “What’s Right” mode. Kurt elaborates… “Judging is the act which separates us from the universal source of creative energy. Whenever we presume to judge anything to be good or bad (including ourselves!), right or wrong, we at that precise moment begin to create an illusion of being separate from Source. This can only lead to a feeling of depletion and limitation. In response, we create the concepts of fear, ego, anger, etc.”

Kurt Wright, in

Finally, consider what tools you may want to put in place to help you move forward successfully with your intention. Not all tools work for all individuals, you also may want to take some time to think about how you want to measure your success. Here are some ideas that work for others:

• Break up your intention into smaller chunks–Where would you like to be in three, six, and nine months?
• Create a weekly schedule to keep you on track
• Journal daily or weekly about your successes and what you are doing right. What needs to be evaluated? Does the intention need to shift a bit to be more realistic and attainable?
• Blog about it!
• Work with a partner to help keep each other accountable

Again, make sure your tools work for you. My intention for each of you is that you have an amazing and fulfilling year, and that you get on a roll to creating your best year yet. I’d love for you to share your intentions with me and others following my blog. If you have any ideas on how to track your success or other tools you use to accomplish your goals, we’d love to hear them!

Monique