Photo by MR+G

A New Year has rolled around, and many of us will be thinking of what we want to achieve in the next 12 months. As is tradition, a lot of these aims and ideas will be expressed as New Years resolutions - which are ultimately an intention to effect a new change in your life, starting on the 1st January.

This post presents a new way of thinking about your aims for the New Year - rather than setting a resolution for what you want to do, write yourself a mantra that expresses it…

New Year Resolution vs. New Year Mantra

I came up with the idea of creating a New Year Mantra in 2007, after a number of failed resolutions in years past. I found that a traditional resolution to carry out a new habit seemed to fail after a number of days - I tended to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of changing a habit for a whole year; and without a strong sense of focus for my resolution, the various distractions in everyday life often put it out of mind.

After some research, I came to believe that New Years resolutions are inherently flawed:

1. They are set following the busy period of Christmas - a period of indulgence, inactivity and expense all of which can undermine determination and self-discipline.
2. The idea of following a new resolution for an entire year is daunting for most people.
3. Many of us (me included) have a negative associations with setting resolutions, after a number of attempts over the years.

All of these factors combine to tip the scales against the setting of resolutions, even before the new year kicks in.

I wanted to create a technique that combined the positive aspect of a resolution - the desire to effect change with the coming of a new year - with well-thought-out principles of personal development. In realizing that I wanted to be guided by my intentions, not dictated to, I came up with the concept of a New Year Mantra - a simple repeatable phrase, reflecting your desired change, that guides you gently towards your destination.

A meditative mantra is intended to calm the mind and enhance your concentration - A New Year Mantra does the same by helping you consistently refocus upon your desires.

Creating your New Year Mantra

Choose your main focus for the year. Whatever your specific goals are for the next 12 months, you can probably summarize them under a single primary focus for the year - be more conscious; maximize productivity at work; earn more money; be a better person; organize my life.

If you have multiple goals/objectives set, consider whether there is a common thread running through them - improving your life; simplifying; living more purposefully. (Note: If your goals are radically different from each other, it may be worth considering that you have too much planned…).

Express your focus with a carefully chosen phrase. Once you have selected a focus for the year, try expressing it as simply as possible - eliminate the words you don’t need, concentrate on the essential message for your focus.

Here are some examples:

• Losing Weight - “Wise nutrition + regular exercise = new me!”
• Getting organized - The housewives classic “A place for everything and everything in it’s place”
• Quitting smoking - “One day at a time, for a healthier me!”

The aim is to express what you want with as simple a phrase as possible - mantras are intended to be repeated over and over, and a simple phrase rather than a tongue-twister will better help you form your new habit.

Make it You-Specific, Appropriate and Action-oriented. A good mantra has several key components.

1. It is related to you, and your focus - It’s written by you, for you and not to impress others. It should reflect your aims, who you are and be relevant to your situation.
2. It should be appropriate - Ensure that your mantra has the right emphasis on what you want to achieve - if your chosen phrase is banal, plain or uninspiring, then it is just a platitude, and won’t have the desired effect.
3. It should be action-oriented - A well-chosen mantra will serve as an inspiration and a spur to help motivate you - when you recite it or think it, it should prompt you towards action or act as a reminder to stick to your new habit.

Using your Mantra

Once you have written your mantra, you can use it as and when you need it - reciting it in your mind, speaking it aloud or writing it to remind you of your chosen focus for the year.

The main function of your mantra is to work as a trigger, to remind you of what you have decided to commit to: if you want to get healthier and are tempted by high-calorie food, repeating your mantra should help you refocus on making healthier choices. If you’re trying to be more productive, speaking your mantra will stop you getting distracted and help you focus on the task at hand.

It is important to note that a mantra, like a resolution, will only work if you have a desire or commitment to change - no matter how effective your chosen mantra is, if you aren’t willing to put in some effort, then you won’t get the results you want. A New Year Mantra will supplement and guide your commitment - it cannot replace it.

Give writing a New Year Mantra a try - whatever your main goal or aims are for this year, whether you have set specific goals or not, try creating a simple mantra that you can use to maintain focus upon your destination. It will only take a few minutes, but the impact might well be substantial.