Resolutions vs. Self-Reflection
2023 is here! For many, the arrival of the New Year also means the arrival of resolutions. Goals emerge, such as exercising more, volunteering, and strengthening relationships with others. Others search for their “one word” of the year to help guide their faith and their relationship with God.
Contemplative practices such as prayer, meditation, and self-reflection can help guide in setting goals and in discerning your word for the year.
Ask yourself:
What do I really need (including relationships and community)?
What do I value?
How can I be my authentic self?
How have my actions and mindset contributed to where I am currently?
What actions and mindset can help me move to where God wants me to be?
What went well during the past year?
What could have been better last year?
How can I repeat the successes and eliminate the mistakes?
What is the Holy Spirit speaking to me?
Contemplative practices provide other benefits as well. Many spiritual traditions have a long history of using contemplative practices to increase compassion, empathy, and attention, as well as to quiet the mind. They aid in alleviating depression and anxiety, improving overall health and well-being, easing pain, and inducing feelings of calm and clear-headedness.
Self Reflection
Allows you to connect deeply with yourself and with God.
Encourages you to take an honest look at your actions and mindset that have contributed to where you are currently.
Helps you to celebrate what went well during the year, acknowledge what could have been better, and to formulate a plan for repeating the successes and avoiding the mistakes.
Partner with prayer to help discern God’s desires by allowing the Spirit to speak.
Resolutions
Can set us up for a success-and-fail mentality. For example, if you resolve to lose weight and have a setback, you may become discouraged and decide to stop trying.
Can add stress - trying to keep the resolution and feeling guilty if you can’t.
Often focus on a desired end result without a real plan to achieve that result.
Resolutions are more finite. For example, “I will stop smoking in 2023.”
Tip: Make a lifestyle change goal more manageable by trying the Stop/Start/Continue approach instead. For example:
Stop: drinking soda daily
Start: drinking a minimum of 8 oz of water each day
Continue: Walking 1 mile daily and increasing water intake.
I pray for a very Happy New Year for each of you!
Cynthia D. Warner, RN, HM, FCN
Parish Nurse, Long's Chapel UMC
