As we enter the new year, it's an opportunity to begin anew. Some of us take this opportunity to set goals and make resolutions. When we do, we might get curious about the kinds of resolutions that come to mind.
Are they outcome-oriented? Do they require achieving a specific goal? E.g., completing a creative project, reading a certain number of books, reaching a goal weight.
Are they process-oriented? Do they encourage a way of being? E.g, regularly devoting time to a creative pursuit, reading often, eating nourishing foods.
In my experience, it's worth attending to both the outcome and the process. Yet it's easy to fall into the trap of valuing only the outcome. For instance, if we fall short of a specific goal, we may give up or scold ourselves - overlooking the worthwhile process of setting a goal, and working towards it, day by day.
Is there a way that we could be gentler with ourselves in our resolutions - shifting the focus to include the process?
Part of the difficulty with resolutions can be an idea that we need to fix or change ourselves. Instead of asking, What do you want to change? - what if we asked ourselves, What do you want to nurture? How might that change how we relate to ourselves and our aspirations?
In our next Mindfulness & Creativity session, we'll come together for community mindfulness practice, and reflect on what we'd like to nurture as we enter the new year. What are your hopes and intentions in your life and creative practice? How might you kindly encourage these hopes and intentions?
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
Happy New Year!
Hannah
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