Mindful New Year's Resolutions and Intentions

Shannon D Martin 0:00

Hello , beautiful welcome to today's conversation . We're going to talk about mindful New Year's resolutions , setting intentions for 2024 . Let's talk about it . I'm your host , Shannon Martin , and welcome to today's episode of This Thing Called Wellness . Welcome back . I am hoping that you had a wonderful holiday with your family , and I had a great day with all of my grown babies and enjoyed watching my grand shine's excitement for the day . I was able to lay holiday flowers on my mother's resting site and we felt her absence . But having each other enjoy great food and laughter made the season bright , and I hope yours was too .

Shannon D Martin 0:45

As we enter into the last week of December , can you believe that Our minds well , some of us begin to take note or are bringing our receipts to see how well this year went ? We were asking ourselves did we live up to our own expectations that we set last year ? Did we keep up with them ? Did we set things aside or say we would pick them up again next year ? All these things are swirling through our minds . Well , they're swirling through mine and we're trying to figure out what we are going to do , differently , in the New Year , to make sure we keep our promises , because , in my opinion , that's what a resolution is . It's an annual promise to ourselves of what we will or will not do in the New Year , and by making this promise we transform ourselves whether it be mentally , spiritually , physically , financially or all around healthier Everything that pertains to wellness , right . But sometimes we overwhelm ourselves when we make these promises that are very cumbersome and eventually we choose not to continue . Sometimes we may pause and try again later in the year . Then we realize that it's the end of the year and it is time to try again . Does this sound familiar ? If not , then you're doing great .

Shannon D Martin 2:08

But this is true for me , because I used to get overwhelmed and tell myself I'll pause and try again , or just say I will do better next year , or sometimes I don't try at all , but this year I'm going to try something different . I have more intentions , but will not make a resolution . I just decided to live my best life . Don't live the same year over and over again . Make a change this time . Anonymous . What I mean by this is that I've had the same resolution for about five years now . No kidding .

Shannon D Martin 2:47

I have said I want to get healthier , I want to eat better , I want to have my own business and create my own income so that I can help prepare for retirement with hubby and I wanted to create better relationships , whether it is with God or creating better friendships , but my illnesses sometimes got in the away and set me back , or I set myself back . I had a lot of responsibilities that I just couldn't walk away from and I sank deeper into depression , but I had hope . So I just refreshed the dreams and goals I had the year before . Why ? Because I hadn't achieved any of them , so let's try again . Right then , I tried refreshing them with a new look , new photos and wording , or AKA synonyms , thinking that would motivate me more . Wrong I got the same results . Nothing changed . I even tried the good old vision boards . I have a massive cork board in my office with my 2023 vision and as I'm looking at it , as I speak , it is the same as the years before , just bigger and prettier .

Shannon D Martin 3:58

What I decided to do this year is that I'm going to use my one word , which is the word you decide . That kind of sets the tone for your year . I will use my word to guide me through this year . I know there are so many articles and resources to tell you how to make this a great year . All that . I've tried a lot of them and I just decided to do things differently . What could it hurt ? Right ? My word this year is TRUST . I will TRUST in the path God has for me , I will TRUST in my abilities that have been given to me and I will TRUST this process . I will have a vision board , but I will work on it in a reverse yet creative way .

Shannon D Martin 4:41

See , I have the same goals for years and I still have them . In a sense , they changed a bit because I've changed . I still want to be healthy emotionally , spiritually , financially and physically . That will be a constant in my life , not only for my mental well-being but also as I get older . But I need to Live , and that's my resolution for the new year Trust to Thrive . My mission in life is not merely to survive , but to thrive . To do so is so with some passion , some compassion , some humor and some style . Maya Angelou . My plan is to take pictures that represent the areas that are constant in my life as I achieve them , and I will add photos of myself living out my resolution of thriving . I have chipped away at a couple and I have begun to nurture relationships with my friends and with God . I have begun to travel a bit more . I'm trying new recipes that feel healthier for me and hubby and I'm moving a lot more . This year I will take it up a notch and prove it to myself . I want to show myself that I did these things . I don't want to wait to see it on my Facebook timeline . I want to see it on my big old cork board in its new place with my journal , to support the facts and details that I lived , had fun and dealt with all the trials and tribulations that came with being a work in progress , mindful moment .

Shannon D Martin 6:20

New Year's resolutions have never been my jam . If they work for you and you have an amazing formula and you fulfill your promises , continue on your path . My path of following others just isn't working for me , so I am deviating from others plans and creating my own path . I am truly a work in progress . I will always be working on ways to improve my emotional , spiritual and physical health in order to thrive . I will more than likely always make promises to myself so that I can slowly get away from medications and ease back into my lifestyle , but I also know that too many promises at a time can overwhelm me and cause me to pause for extended periods of time .

Shannon D Martin 7:07

This year , I have learned that I needed to take time to develop a habit , time to nurture it and time to decide if it's for me or not . If so , I should make the necessary changes and continue it or not . This was why I wasn't completing my promises . I didn't dig deep within to see what I really wanted to accomplish . They were superficial goals with the intent of becoming long-term habits or fulfilling goals that I thought would actually become a part of my daily routine . They sounded and looked great on paper , but they were the newest , hottest trends that just weren't for me . Before you make promises to yourself that you may not keep , and before you create this cycle of disappointment that can lead to low self-esteem and depression , really think about what you want to do differently in the new year . Just one thing and let it blossom from there . I know I said I would have those sections on my board , but to be honest , I would probably do one thing from each section to build upon each month , each quarter , taking notes in my journals to see how I am doing , making sure I'm not overwhelmed but that I am moving and grooving , and giving myself some compassion , a little bit of grace and doing life with style .

New Year Wellness Journey

Shannon D Martin 8:36

I hope you have enjoyed this week's conversation . I am your host , Shannon Martin . Join us in the new year y'all . We have lots of amazing things planned . We hope you tune in and continue this wellness journey with us . Until then , have a joyous new year Celebration with your friends and family , be safe and I will talk to you soon . If you enjoy today's conversation , please share or leave a review or Apple . Disclaimer . I am not a licensed mental health professional . The information provided here is for general informational purposes only . It should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health advice , diagnosis or treatment . If you need help , please consult a qualified mental health professional .