There are very few days in the year like New Year’s Day to invoke a sense of a ‘new beginning’ in our hearts and minds. As the previous year ends and the new year begins, a mere flip of the calendar seems to flood many of us with a new hope of starting anew. A clean slate awaits us if we so choose.
Perhaps the greatest freedom of the new year is that we can feel a sense of liberation to let go of the immediate past. In the new year, some of the goals that we may not have fully accomplished in the year gone by have an opportunity to be reevaluated, revised and reset. So, what are some of the (spiritual) goals that you would like to reevaluate, revise and reset for the upcoming year?
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
At the outset, I have a confession. I am not much of a goal-setter myself. And you may not be either. And that’s okay. My view is that our goal, in and of itself, is not what is truly important. Perhaps what is more important is the plan that we create to move towards the goal, the action steps we devise to execute the plan, and the resources that we engage to help us with the action steps. Without the proper resources (tools, skills and people), we will struggle with our action steps, and our best laid plans will quickly fall by the wayside. Fear, uncertainty and doubt will then set in and we will wonder why we are struggling to reach our goals.
So, let us evaluate. At the beginning of 2016, did we set any goals? If yes, what plans, action steps and resources did we put into place to give ourselves any realistic chance at reaching those goals? Before we revise our goals for 2017, will we do an honest self-evaluation, or an evaluation with the help of a good friend or trusted advisor?
And, for those (like me) who did not set any ‘measurable’ (spiritual) goals at the beginning of last year, how would we know if we made any forward (spiritual) progress? One way to measure progress is to evaluate the quality of the resources available to me and the change in my daily actions, as compared to a year ago. Another way to measure progress is to ask the question – did I bridge the gap between my lower self and my higher Self over the past year?
Now that we have evaluated, we are ready to revise our goals. The (self) evaluation is perhaps the toughest part. But we need not wait till the end of the year or quarter or the month to evaluate. What if we were to evaluate our action steps on a daily basis? We could then forgive ourselves for our missed actions, cleanse our heart, and step into the next day with a new commitment to our actions. With daily evaluation, we could learn to make the best use of our resources and ask for help in the areas where we need intervention.
A commitment to a daily, personal spiritual practice is perhaps one goal that we can all set for the new year. What will your new (or revised) practice(s) look like? Will they be similar to those of years past or do you feel the need for a major reset? I invite you to share some of your new beginnings and goals with the #SpiritChat community on Sunday, January 1st at 9amET in our weekly twitter chat. The best of 2017 to all of you!
Kumud @AjmaniK
Ready to make a new beginning? Looking for a course of action? Discover the #heartfulness #meditation daily practice that made a quantum difference in my life (and a few who joined us mid-year) in 2016. Join a free, first-time ever offered, three hour Masterclass – one hour online at a time of your choosing, each day on January 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Register at Meditation Masterclass to ‘Relax, Rejuvenate and Connect’. Namaste.
The #SpiritChat Community 