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.

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.