Ground to Set Them: A Mindfulness Meditation Practice for New Year's Resolutions and Life Goals

In my last blog post, New Year's Resolution Wins: To Get Them, Start with How You Set Them, I offered several tips for setting New Year’s resolutions that prime us for success with the changes we seek to make. The very first tip I highlighted was the importance of being in the right mindset prior to setting New Year’s resolutions.

One of the ways we can get in the right frame of mind and set the tone for the quiet contemplation that comes with setting meaningful New Year’s resolutions, or life goals any time of the year, is to practice mindfulness. To help you with the process of setting intentional New Year’s resolutions, I created the Ground to Set Them mindfulness meditation.

I invite you to join me in the below mindfulness meditation, which is a short and simple practice with a focus on getting grounded prior to setting New Year’s resolutions or personal goals.

Ground to Set Them Mindfulness Meditation (transcription)

Greetings and thank you for joining the Ground to Set Them mindfulness meditation, a short and simple practice with a focus on grounding ourselves prior to setting New Year’s Resolutions or personal goals any time of the year.

Let's begin by taking a moment to allow the body to settle.

Find a comfortable position that allows your back to be straight but natural…

You can close your eyes…

…or keep them open with a soft gaze downward a couple feet in front of you...

Let the belly and shoulders relax….

I’ll guide you through a practice to envision a positive future.

It’s a chance to connect with that place inside of us

that wants to work toward a life of meaning and fulfillment...

This is a helpful way to consider how we care for ourselves and others...

and how to show up at our best to meet life's challenges..

Before we start, take a full, deep breath in...

Holding for a few seconds at the top…

and when you are ready a long breath out.....

Now allow the breath to find its natural rhythm...

in and out...

allowing yourself to be fully present… resting on the breath..........

I’ll be providing you with questions to prompt ideas and responses that can help to find a positive future...

Throughout this practice, let your body and mind feel loose and open...

Repeat the questions I offer to yourself, either silently or aloud.....

Resist the urge to problem-solve right now and see if anything comes organically on its own...

If nothing comes to mind you can always continue to rest your attention on the breath

until something does come to you...

Let's begin.....

Ask yourself, “what kind of a future do I feel deeply moved towards?” ............

Notice the thoughts, feelings, and images that come to mind.....

Meanwhile, remembering to breathe deeply and slowly, breathing in…

and breathing out............

As you hold this positive future in your mind, what feelings are present? ............

Here's some more questions to help explore the future you feel deeply moved towards ......

How can I show up in a way that will allow this positive future to unfold? ............

How can I show up fully for the opportunities that I encounter? ............

Who do I want to be in relation to others............

What might get in the way and how will I move beyond that? ............

What are the skills or capabilities that I’ll need to get there? ............

How might practice support this future? ............

See yourself right now somewhere in this positive future and reflect on the things that you did that helped you to get there .....

See yourself doing some of those things…

Maybe it’s spending time with family…

maybe it's engaging in a daily practice that supports clarity and focus…

maybe it's putting your energy into learning new skills…

or maybe it's how you allow yourself to connect with others .......

See those things in your mind's eye and notice what it feels like as you imagine doing them ....... .......

All the while, resting on the breath, breathing in…

and a soothing breath out............

You can come back to this meditation at any time

to rediscover connection to that place inside that's ready to create a positive future.

We all have the ability to improve our lives and the lives of those around us .......

Let's finish this positive future practice now by taking a full deep breath in ..

Holding for a few at the top..

and then a long breath out .......

Dr. Jennifer McManus is a licensed psychologist who helps people with forward movement towards their life goals at the new year and all year long. If you think you may benefit from personalized and professional help with obstacles in the way of achieving your goals, please feel free to contact the psychotherapy practice of Dr. Jennifer McManus to learn more about available support. You can schedule a complimentary consultation, email, or call the office at 866-706-3665.