How you can stay on track with new year's resolutions
Approaching the start of a new year, most of us start thinking about how we want to shape this cycle around the sun to bring us closer to a more purposeful, balanced, and happier life.
But how many times have you set goals for the year and a few weeks into January you fallen off the wagon? It has happened to me too many times to count! And I’m not alone - 95% of new years resolutions are abandoned by the second week of January. It's somewhat comforting, but I hate being a statistic. This is why when I discovered this accountability tool I felt a strong impulse to share it.
Since ancient times people have believed that the lunar cycle influenced behavior and brought powerful energies that people could harness. Whether you believe in the woo-woo, the scientific facts remain - the moon is a powerful force that affects the earth. Every 29.5 days the full moon rises and it’s meant to be a powerful time for manifestation, release, and letting go. Be it symbolic, I’ve found it to be a useful trigger to reflect on my progress during the last lunar cycle, let go of negativity and set my intentions for the next few weeks. It’s a simple way to stay focused while also having a balanced and fulfilled life.
If you live in a place like England, cloudy skis often make it difficult for you to keep track of when the full moon is approaching, so I added the lunar cycles to my Google calendar and set aside 2 hours on the nights of the full moon to do this check-in ritual. It may not always be practical to do on the day of the full moon, so 2 days on either side of the date works too.
I have unimaginatively called this my “Full Moon Ritual”. You may prefer to call it a “Monthly Check-in”. Name aside, it’s an awesome natural accountability buddy that we can all enjoy. I’ll share my full ritual, but feel free to adopt the parts that most resonate.
The purpose is to create a calm and peaceful space that is conducive to connecting with your authentic self to reflect and keep you accountable to your personal goals.
Preparation:
Brew a herbal tea: I do this the day before the full moon and leave it on your window sill to soak up the energies of the full moon. There are many different types of tea that you can use, but here's the brew that I use that is good for grounding and intuition.
1 tbsp Chamomile flowers
1 tbsp rose petals
½ tbsp hibiscus petals
½ tbsp lemon balm
tsp of grated ginger root
Crystals are powerful tools that amplify the energy of the full moon, so I like to add them to the ritual. Crystals that are particularly useful for the full moon are moonstone, clear quartz, and selenite. Moonstone is a powerful crystal for manifestation and new beginnings; clear quartz amplifies energy; and selenite cleanses and purifies. Re-charge them the night before under the moonlight.
On the Day:
Water, fire, wind, and earth: To incorporate a connection to nature, I build a small altar representing the four physical elements. Water is an easy one. Or you could put rose petals in hot water as the inhalation of rose water vapors improves a person’s mood. For fire, I light a beeswax candle. For air I burn incense or find a feather. And for earth, I collect soil during my daily walk. I often end up picking flowers or leaves that capture my attention during the walk to add to the altar. This is a great way to keep you in the present and attentive to your surroundings while you're on a walk!
Energetic cleansing bath: Before starting the ritual, I always soak in a bath of Epsom salts and lavender.
The physical benefits of a salt bath are that it eases muscle aches, calms the mind, and eliminates pathogens. From a spiritual perfective, natural salt is one of the most powerful ingredients to cleanse you of any kind of negative debris lingering in your aura.
Lavender promotes relaxation through its calming effect on your mental and emotional space.
Ceremony:
To begin the ritual, I find a comfortable space at home, set up the altar (including crystals), take out my journal, and play a “Full Moon Magic” Spotify playlist.
First I light the beeswax candle - this act links to relaxation and enhanced intuition. Beeswax candles are the best choice given they are all natural and don’t produce toxic byproducts. They actually pull toxins from the air, purifying the air.
I take a few deep breaths and allow myself to become fully present in the moment, then start with reflection and journalling while I sip on the herbal tea.
Tea is not only a comforting drink but also a powerful tool that can help you to relax and focus during the ritual.
Journal:
These are the journal prompts that I reflect on and write my thoughts and feelings to:
Reflecting on the past month, what have I accomplished and what have I learned?
Looking back at my goals for the year, how have the above accomplishments aligned?
What is one fear that I’ve faced that's scared the shit out of me? What is one action step I can take over the next month to face this?
What are 2 ideas or thoughts that have excited me over the past month? What are 2 action steps that I'm going to take in following them to allow more aligned opportunities to come through?
On a separate piece of paper, I take 5 minutes to write down all the things that I’ve been beating myself up about and want to let go of. I then burn the piece of paper in a glass or metal bowl to let go of all the negativity I've been holding onto.
In the end, I take a moment to thank the universe for all the support it has offered me, then enjoy a peaceful night of sleep. Be warned, the herbal tea will make you sleepy!
I’ve been doing this for the past 6 months and found it to be a great accountability tool, while also being a reminder to allow myself to slow down, relax and rejuvenate. If you have any other methods you use to keep yourself on track, I’d love to hear them too and if you decide to adopt any part of this tool, let me know!
