Before you make that New Year's Resolution .....

Perhaps you should consider that most resolutions are made to inspire self improvement or to attain a goal.  By March, these goals have been abandoned until the end of the year, when they are dusted off and we vow this time following year we are finally going to achieve X.  So why does the cycle keep repeating?

      Having goals or making a resolution is not wrong but, consider doing something different by reviewing your life line.  The first step is to plot all of the significant events of your life on a line, starting with your birth.  The line is a neutral zone, items that a placed below it, are negative while items that are above are positive.  You decide if the significant events are negative, neutral or positive.  The only criterion is that the significant event represents a fork in the road, in which a decision was made that impacted your life.  You may not have made the decision but there was an impact that sent you in a different direction, for example your family decided to move when you were 17 and you could not graduate with your childhood friends.  Once these events are plotted look for patterns.  Does something horrible happen every 3 years?  Is there a clear ratio of positive to negative events?  Do certain events seem to repeat themselves i.e. you move every 4 years?  How did you rate most of life events? Positive? Negative? Or neutral?  Now let’s consider how these events are still affecting you?  Are you attempting to capture, resolve, relive, or undo an event?  Perhaps you are still holding a resentment or feeling regret because you deep down inside, you believe that the wrong decision was made or are you trying to recapture that feeling of joy but nothing seems to come close?  Take some time to consider what you have just discovered about yourself.

      Make a circle and divide it into six equal parts.  Label each part of the circle: spirituality, health/well being, professional, leisure, relationships and financial.  Take each of these significant events and place them in one section of the circle.  Again, check for patterns.  Are positive events clustered in one area?  What about neutral ones?  What about negative ones?  Do you have significant events in all or just a few areas?  A balanced life would have events in all sections of the circle.  Is your life in balance?  If not, which aspect do you need to develop?  Take the time to reflect on this information.

     It is always easier to figure out where you are going, once you know where have been.  Given this information, review the resolutions that you were considering and decide if you should pursue, modify or develop new ones. 

     If you noticed that your life seemed lopsided and would like assistance to get in balance, please contact me for complementary session.