Now the New Year officially starts today for some as it’s the first day back at work after Christmas and we tell ourselves we can now focus on our goals. Therefore what better time to share with you my approach to setting intentions for the year ahead and achieving our dreams.

I advise you to abandon the same old resolutions of ‘losing weight’ and other stock goals which we pull out every year, secretly thinking we are likely to break them in a few days after a stressful week at work. I promote instead taking the time to really think carefully about setting intentions for the year ahead which have real meaning and personal motivation for you. This time spent investing in setting true, heartfelt goals will give you the drive you need to make the lifestyle changes you really wish to see and most importantly sustain.

The main problem of recycling the same old resolutions is that you don’t really believe you’ll achieve it, as the critic in our head tells you, "you didn’t manage it last year, what makes you think you’ll manage it this year".

I have 100% faith that you can achieve ANYTHING you wish, as long as you believe you can.

The key is to really expect and believe in your goal and your ability to succeed. Instead of, "I’ll believe it when I see it" think, "I’ll see it when I believe it".

This leads to the importance of exploring what you really want instead of just saying what you think you should focus on or what you’ve always done before. If it doesn’t come from your heart then the desire, belief and motivation just won’t be there and　you will have another failed resolution to add to the evidence your inner critic uses to tell you, "you can’t succeed".

You can succeed and you will; it just has to be the right goal to start with.

There’s a famous quote that says "If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got" and it’s true. It’s time to start thinking differently!

The key is to focus on what you want to bring into your life instead of what you want to lose, avoid, or stop doing. Focusing on the benefits of what you wish to bring in to your life will fuel your motivation. More importantly in line with The Law of Attraction, what we pay attention to we attract into our life, therefore it is far more beneficial to focus on what we want than what we don’t want.

Many people will have a genuine desire to lose weight, but we will each have our own motivation for doing so which means the goal to ‘lose weight’ can be reframed into a positive statement about what we will gain instead, e.g.

My goal is to…

• look great and be happy with my physical appearance,
• feel great and have more energy to play with the kids
• run that marathon I’ve always dreamed of
• be in my best physical and mental health possible

In that one common resolution, which may be triggered in us all as we eat one too many quality streets at Christmas, there are endless possibilities of the real motivation and underlying goal which is unique to each of us.

I invite anyone with the resolution of losing weight this year to set a new goal for yourself, reframing　your resolution into your own unique positive statement of what you wish to gain.

For anyone who hasn’t yet set their goals for the year　or who would like to start a fresh, I invite you to try the following exercise:

'Listen to your Heart' exercise

1. Find a quiet time and space where you will not be disturbed. You could even light a candle or incense stick to symbolise dedicating this space to your ‘me time’.

2. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, letting go of any distractions from your day.

3. When feeling fully relaxed, visualise your heart however you see it. Imagine its shape, colour, form, voice, whatever it is to you and take a few deep breaths until you feel you have connected to it.

4. As you listen to your heart and the feelings in your body, ask yourself:

• what do I really want out of this year?
• what is my highest vision of myself?
• who do I want to be?
• what fills me with joy?
• what makes me excited?

5. Notice any thoughts, visions, feelings or any other sensations that guide you to becoming aware of your heartfelt intentions.

The key with any decision is to listen to your heart or gut instinct, wherever you feel that nagging doubt or well of joy in your body. This is your guidance. It is your higher wisdom which wants only the best for you and wants you to experience nothing but joy. The goal that, when you imagine achieving it, brings you the greatest sense of joy, that is the goal for you.

There is no such thing as what you ‘should’ do, you have the power to choose your goals and you will know what feels right. You really can achieve anything you dream of and I encourage you all to follow your dreams!

My Angel Therapy Oracle Card today was ‘Archangel Rapheal’ which is really appropriate for our topic of setting New Year intentions as they often relate to our health. The card tells us "Raphael will give you guidance and ideas about your health, so be sure to follow any intuitive impulses to exercise, eat healthily, quit drinking or smoking. Raphael can help reduce or eliminate unhealthy cravings if you’ll ask. He’ll also increase your motivation to exercise." If you feel drawn to learning more about Angels and how they can help support you with your goals I would highly recommend the work of Doreen Virtue.

May we all connect with our hearts and set intentions for the New Year that serve our highest good and bring us the most joy.

Namaste

Becky Rozanski

*Remember to look out for Part Two of my New Year blog, which will provide you with ideas and exercises to help bring your heartfelt　dreams into reality.