2019 is almost over. 2020 is soon to dawn. A new year, a new decade. It is a significant time. A significant transition.
There is nothing magical about the passing of time. Nothing magical about a new year and a new decade. Really, it’s just another day. Yet, there is an opportunity here for deep reflection.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day demands. It’s easy to continue in our same old patterns, or as Hobbs says, “staying the course” … whether or not it’s working for us.
The brain’s primary job is to keep us safe. It wants what is familiar. It wants to conserve energy. This may explain, in part, why we struggle to keep the resolutions many of us declare at the beginning of every new year.
Deep reflection can engage the area of the brain that can help us override an overly cautious attachment to safety and familiarity. Just simply stating that can feel a tad threatening. Yet, developing a capacity for change and flexibility could be one of our greatest assets, especially in these chaotic times.
Deep reflection can get underneath the superficial “wants” such as losing 20 pounds so I’ll look more presentable to a demanding culture. That “want” will not sustain us. But if we can look deeper, we may find a compelling reason to lose those pounds, or we may come to a deep acceptance of our weight exactly as it is.
When we can uncover the deeper meaning behind the changes we want to make, we’ll have a better chance of overriding a very powerful brain that wants safety and familiarity at all cost.
This is the point of visioning our future, creating intentions, and setting up enough structure and accountability to support ourselves.
I intend to join the gym this year. This intention comes from a place of deep reflection. I want to get stronger and more flexible. I want to be healthier as I enter my 60th year. Yet, I could feel the resistance immediately. My powerful brain wants things to stay the same.
I reflected, I found the deeper meaning, but if I don’t set up some flexible structure and accountability, I won’t follow through. The moment a friend and I decided to meet at the gym on specific days, I felt immediate relief. I don’t have to do this alone. After all, humans are social creatures.
When is the last time you invested in YOU in a significant way? How are you going to support yourself in this new decade? And why does it matter? How will you satisfy your brain’s need for safety and familiarity AND move your life forward in the way that you most desire?
Your next decade deserves some deep reflection, intention, preparation, and a flexible plan. Without it, you’ll likely repeat the same old, same old. And that’s perfectly OK if it’s working for you.
As for me, I’m off to the gym. I wish you and yours a brilliant new year and new decade. Be well!
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