Since 2009, I’ve rolled New Year’s resolutions and birthday goals (or intentions, if you want to get hippie about it) into one post, since those two events are so close together. So let’s talk about the goals for 2014.
I realized that 2013 was really about stabilizing–getting used to being single again and continuing to adjust to a very different job/work environment/commute. So I think it’s ok that the goals for 33 had a mixed success rate (no to saving money, volunteering, or being nice to myself all the time; yes to yoga, getting outside, and being less judgy of others).
I feel so much better going into this year than last year, though. And I think part of what helped stabilize things was having “Be kind, be calm, be strong” as a mantra to focus on. So here are the intentions for this year, as I turn 34:
- Attention
- Compassion
- Discipline
Attention
“You are here”–so pay attention to “here.” Try to focus on the moment, don’t replay the past, and don’t get too wrapped up in an uncertain future. You are here and it is now.
Compassion
I can’t believe that all my hippie reading hadn’t turned up the topic of “self compassion”, but I just recently discovered this and it resonated so much.:
“To practice compassionate actions, you start with yourself. A lot of people see suffering in the world and feel bad about it, but they don’t know how to take action. The best way to take action is to take action with yourself…There is actually immense suffering within ourselves, and we can start to ease that, and when we do, we then now have a model for applying that to others. To one other person, to a thousand, or to the world.”
Discipline
This is about saving money, yes, and going to yoga even when I’m tired after work, but it’s really about “powering through the resistance,” whether that’s to a hard yoga pose, difficult people, change, or giving up something I don’t really need in my closet. Just power through.
So there you have it–the shortest birthday goals in the history of this blog. If nothing else, I become a better editor every year, right?