Setting New Year’s Resolutions

For the last few years, I have been writing down New Year’s resolutions and keeping a journal throughout the year. Once in a while, when I open those journals I find it so encouraging to see how far I have come in some situations with a tendency or habit pattern, which I wouldn’t have realized if not for this exercise. Paramhansa Yogananda also recommended writing – he said: “If you read one hour, then write two hours, think three hours, and meditate all the time!”

Last year despite my efforts, I didn’t manage to maintain a journal. I recently came across an inspiring video about the power of writing which re-ignited my enthusiasm to maintain a journal. The speaker quoted Nikola Tesla who said “if you want to find the secrets of the universe think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration”. He shared with us that everything is made up of energy and is vibrating at a certain frequency. If we have a problem and we write it down, the process of writing it down lets the energy of the experience flow through our hands onto the piece of paper.

Writing it down gives us the chance to transform the emotion and energy of the experience. That’s why it is so therapeutic. It helps us detach ourselves from the emotion of the situation. Similarly with art, we get to express energy onto a sheet of paper. He gave a lovely example: when a little child makes a piece of art or a card, it may not be a masterpiece but the parents don’t just throw it away. They keep that work. Why? Because of the amount of love and energy that has gone into that piece of artwork.

Through art and the use of color we can work with this inner energy and in that process we get a creative outlet and feel freedom and clarity in our hearts. Swami Kriyananda says: “Art can suggest solutions to life’s problems. And to do so is, surely, its higher purpose.” This year I hope to offer many ideas and simple exercises through which we are able to use art for this higher purpose.

Prompts to help you set your resolutions:

In my Art Journal, I did a little exercise and answered a few questions which I would like to share with you to help set goals for the upcoming year (incase you haven’t already):

• What was my Theme of 2018: Briefly reflect on the year to see what events, big things happened and find the underlying theme of the year
• What is my Theme of 2019: moving forward into this year what do I feel my theme will be?
• Daily Goals: What can I do everyday to live my theme
• What do I want to invite into my life this year: attitudes, habits, people, things, places, experiences?
• What do I want to let-go of this year: in myself or in my outer life
• Goals of 2019: by the end of the year, I see myself more…

I would like to encourage you to write your goals out on a nice sheet of paper, add some color (or visuals) and put it up somewhere in your room or office where you can see it everyday until it becomes a part of you. Make sure it captures the bigger picture and offers expansive growth! I wish you a great start to this beautiful new year!