People drastically over estimate what can be achieved in a day... and underestimate what can be achieved in a year. Just one look at your to do list will demonstrate this point neatly, and if you don't have one, feel free to look at mine; it's the writings of someone who's lost touch with reality!
We set new year resolutions, and then don't stick to them, or manifest our goals. That's often because our habits or karma which are deeply ingrained patterns or speech and thinking.
For 2020 why not set a drishti, a focus, a theme for the next 12 months... In Yoga we think sankalpa which can be translated to heart felt desire. A sankalpa is a short and positive declaration, made for the greater good rather than ego driven. So 'peace is my nature' rather than 'I want a peaceful life'.
So how do you turn the dream into reality?
Iccha shakti means will power and manifestation. Making a throwaway comment to 'practice Yoga more often and be more mindful' isn't going to make that thought a reality. There's no meaning or feeling behind the statement.
What helps increase iccha shakti is to consider all the obstacles in your way, all the reasons you can't do this and then... picture or better yet; write all the solutions to those obstacles. And what your life will be like once you're practicing Yoga and Meditation regularly. How are you going to feel, and how are those around you going to be positively affected by your commitment? Get as specific as you can, because if you can't even dream it, then there's no way you can conceive it!
It's not just a cute idea to journal about your sankalpa, it creates connection between heart and mind. The ancient Yogis called it iccha shakti, but we can think of it as neuoplasticity. The ability to rewire our thoughts (karma). If you've traditionally made new years resolutions which you haven't stuck to, it's likely you'll be rehearsing those old narratives, which wires your brain to expect you to fail. And in that climate, it's highly likely you will.
So... Get a pen and paper, choose your sankalpa and really focus your attention on that. And imagine its almost 2021 and begin to write the answers to the following questions:
What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Pick three words to describe this past year.
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Thank you, Rosie Pose x