The most popular thing to do at New Years (besides drinking champagne) is probably to Make Resolutions. You tell yourself, your friends and your family (and if you’ve overdone it on champagne, perfect strangers!) that next year you’ll do it DIFFERENTLY. Next year, you really are going to lose those extra 20 pounds, even if you have to starve yourself to do it. For a time you stick to your plan. You diet, you join the gym and you lose some weight. Somewhere between Valentine’s Day and June, you lose your momentum. Summer rolls around and you beat up on yourself for not sticking to the diet and you dread putting on a swimsuit. Somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas you realize you really did eat that whole plate of cookies and you swear to fast until New Years so you don’t end the year without losing a single pound! Now it’s New Years Eve and you hate the sense of failure to meet your “resolution”, so you try to muster up some confidence to try again next year. (Maybe this contributes to the amount of champagne consumed on New Year’s Eve!)

Instead of making resolutions, what if you Set Intentions for 2009? Intentions are the “purpose or attitude toward the effect of one’s actions or conduct.” When we set intentions, we give ourselves guiding principles by which to make choices in line with our values. It is a meaningful and powerful way to live. So rather than make a potentially doomed resolution for an arbitrary goal like losing 20 pounds, you may want to set an intention like “I intend to create and enjoy a healthy life style.” With this intention serving as your guide for moment-by-moment choices about food, exercise and self-care, you won’t feel forced to starve yourself or beat yourself up when you get off the plan. And the results may astound you. You’ll find you have a much better chance of losing those extra pounds because real success is a result of mindful choices in line with your intentions.

Sounds simple?  It is!  Living with intention is a mindful way of life, based in both commitment and gentleness. Treat yourself with kindness, compassion and love while staying true to your values and principles, and at the end of the year, or anytime, you will be celebrating true success – a life lived well!

I invite you to think about Mindful inactivity.  Taking time to be quiet, to reflect and recharge, will deepen your enjoyment of the season and your contribution to those around you.  It will also help you enter the New Year with a fresh perspective and clear vision of things to come.  What does it really look like, this mythical quiet time during the holiday season?

Take some time for meditation and journaling each day to listen to your inner guidance.  You may be inspired to write in your Gratitude Journal during this time.

Include free time as one of your activities, time to just BE.  In order to protect your quiet time, you may need to say “No,” to a few activities that do not align with your values.  Mindfully consider each holiday activity and set your own pace. 

Each day, several times a day, remember to slow down, take a few deep breaths, relax, and remind yourself to connect with inner peace in the midst of the commotion of the festivities and preparations.  You’d be amazed how pretty your holiday decorations look from the comfort of your couch!

What can you cross off your schedule this week to take time for Mindful Inactivity?  Join the discussion at Mindful Way of Life.

That’s when I decided to be more mindful and create something uniquely memorable about each holiday.  To do this, I needed to SLOW DOWN so that I could consciously consider and wisely select each holiday activity.  And I needed to remember to be more fully present for each activity that was so carefully chosen.  This process of Mindful Holidays, the conscious choice of activities and participation in my own unique way, was quite liberating. With mindfulness, I am less concerned about appearances, judgments or expectations.  Not only have the holidays become more memorable, but they’ve also become a lot more fun.

Mindful Holidays are an avenue to greater meaning, creativity, and joy.  As you enter you’re your holiday activities, I invite you to pause and find ways to participate with greater mindfulness. 

You may want to start by giving yourself permission to live true to your values this holiday season.   Set aside some quiet time to explore your own reasons for the season.  

- Is this time of year important to you because of the spiritual traditions?  How can you participate more fully in ceremony and celebration this year? 

-Is this the time of year when you revel in parties and socializing?  Would you have more energy and love to share if you chose to attend fewer (or more) functions? 

-Is connection with family the highlight of your holiday season?  In what ways can you engage more fully and authentically with every member of your family? 

-Is your health high on your values list?  In what ways will you take excellent care of yourself this season – physically, mentally, emotionally? 

Take time each day to review your schedule and make sure that you are focused on activities that represent your values instead of blindly rushing from event to event.

If you feel that an activity you don’t usually enjoy cannot be changed, then set the intention to deepen your mindfulness and attention to experiencing the activity fully, rather than getting stuck in negative thoughts about it.  You will experience the activity differently – who knows, it might even seem fun again!

What will you choose for yourself this holiday season?  Give yourself permission and freedom to make it your own.  Make it the best holiday ever!  Why not?

Share your thoughts at Mindful Way of Life.

Another place where we focus on our gratitude is at the Thanksgiving table.  This year, I invite you to slow down.  Ask each member of the family to express their gratitude for one small blessing.  Look at the food on your fork and express gratitude for that bite of food.  This mindful practice brings you into the moment and centers you.  Look at the person next to you and express gratitude for one of their special characteristics.  Sharing small, simple thoughts of gratitude can help unify the people at your table and deepen the experience of eating together.  And you probably won’t overeat if you are eating mindfully!

Today, my gratitude list includes ‘Bighearted Friends’ and ‘Good Health.’  Next week, Kathy Hartley, my friend and owner of the Lavender Inn in Ojai, CA, is generously dedicating 3 days at her beautiful bed & breakfast to support 10 women, all undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.  The women will be treated to gourmet meals, spa treatments, massages, workshops and support for moving on with their lives.   I will be providing life coaching as part of the program and, as I prepare to meet with these women, I am reminded of the preciousness of life and to take time to be grateful for each moment.

What are you grateful for?