New Year – Same You, Different Pathway

Written by: Bronwen Sciortino, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

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Here we are in the New Year! We scraped our way through the previous twelve months by the skin of our teeth, shedding blood, sweat and tears.

But now, we find ourselves once again facing the unknown of the year to come… and the pressure of creating New Year’s resolutions that will create an epic life.

So much pressure has been loaded into this moment through the course of time. We’re supposed to weave our magic and come up with our list of things we’re going to achieve… to revolutionise our life moving forward.

Same process – same results.

Most of us use the same process every year for creating the resolutions that will carry us forward in time. Sometimes, we’re so tired we just recycle resolutions that we haven’t achieved from previous years.

It’s not surprising, really, when you consider the amount of noise that occurs at this time of the year. We’re bombarded with marketing campaigns that tell us how we’ve failed, how we’re not good enough, where we’re falling behind, how we’ve let ourselves down… and the list goes on.

It’s not you, it’s the process.

The reality is this: if the process we use every year yields roughly the same results – that is, ‘same‑same’ intentions that aren’t achieved year in, year out), then the process we’re using doesn’t work for us.

You've probably failed to keep your resolutions because YOU didn't really make them in the first place.

The majority of us base our objectives on the things we're taught we “should” be doing. We frequently hear about the aspects of ourselves that are flawed, and the things we need to improve, whether it comes from our family, our friends, or from those pesky marketing campaigns.

But here's the problem: Whenever we adhere to what someone else deems to be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for us, we cede control of our lives and, as a result, we begin to live lives that are not our own.

We’ve literally forgotten (and sometimes have never actually experienced) what it’s like to have control over our own lives!

Now’s the time to step forward and try a different way of doing things.

We’ve spent years focusing our New Year’s resolutions on being better versions of ourselves, in the hope that doing so will change the way we experience life. But it hasn’t worked.

Why?

Because there’s nothing wrong with us. We don’t need to change who we are. The ‘same’ you, the ‘same’ me – the same ‘us’ as last year is more than enough for what we want to achieve in life.

So, instead of trying to be better, why don’t we focus on being a whole version of ourselves?

Let’s step outside the traditional process and instead choose the resolutions that help us to reconnect with the things that are important to us – the things that bring us joy and make our hearts sing.

And the best news is that it’s simple to get started.

We are perfectly, uniquely individual, and so we need a process that helps celebrate that.

• Know your values: knowing your values will enable you to live in accordance with them. In turn, it will be simpler to identify the things that are important to you and then make decisions that help you have more of those things in your life.

• Ask the questions that matter: before deciding whether or not to step in and start doing something, check in with yourself and ask yourself how you feel about it. By doing this, you will be more able to consciously choose what is best for you.

• Spend time with like-minded people: it will be simpler for you to establish your own path if you spend time with people who don't always share your opinions, but who encourage you to make your own decisions and respect them.

• Drop the judgement: the only outcome of spending our time passing judgement is to bring unfavorable energy into our life. You free up a ton of time and space to do things that are more important when you eliminate judgement from your day – and that means judging others and yourself.

• Live and let live: you’re forging ahead and creating a new pathway for yourself, based entirely around what is good for you and the things that are important to you. It is absolutely fine for people to hold divergent opinions. Just as it’s important for you to decide what’s right for your life, it’s also important to allow others to make the choices that are right for their lives. Focus on creating alignment in your own life and allow others to do the same. In doing so, we create an environment where we’re all OK.

You'll probably also find yourself living a life with a lot less stress. You’ll need to be far less resilient if you can get over the need for other people's approval and shift your attention back to focusing on what is – and isn't – working for you.

Taking one step at a time, making conscious decisions for what’s right for YOUR life… do this and you’ll create the pathway forward that is perfect – just for you.

Bronwen Sciortino is a Simplicity Expert, an internationally renowned author, and a professional speaker, and you can follow her on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Read more from Bronwen!

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Bronwen Sciortino, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Bronwen Sciortino is an International Author and Simplicity Expert who spent almost two decades as an award-winning executive before experiencing a life changing event that forced her to stop and ask the question ‘What if there’s a better way to live?’

Embarking on a journey to answer this question, Bronwen developed a whole new way of living – one that teaches you to challenge the status quo and include the power of questions in everyday life.

Gaining international critical acclaim and 5-star awards for her books and online programs, Bronwen spends every day teaching people that there is an easy, practical and simple pathway to creating a healthy, happy AND highly successful life.

Sourced globally for media comment as an expert and working with corporate programs, conference platforms, retreats, professional mentoring and in the online environment, Bronwen teaches people how easy it is to live life very differently.