¿Estableciendo propósitos de Año Nuevo? Deja que la atención plena te ayude a alcanzarlos

With the new year quickly approaching, many people—maybe you included—are starting to think about the New Year's resolutions they’ll be setting for the next year.

Goals can be a great way to focus your energy and attention on things you want to accomplish. However, the reality is that every year, most of us fall short of our New Year's resolutions. Studies suggest that fewer than 10% of Americans stick with them. The reasons for this are endless because after all, we’re all human.  

Pero muchas veces, todo se reduce al hecho de que las resoluciones eran poco realistas, extremas o tal vez simplemente algo que te obligaste a hacer. Establecer objetivos como este casi siempre conduce al fracaso.

Para ser claros, el fracaso no es algo malo. Pero si estaba decidido a lograr un objetivo específico, puede parecer un gran revés.

What if instead of focusing on setting New Year’s resolutions, you focused on incorporating more mindfulness into your goal setting this year? Mindfulness can be a more realistic approach for many people and help them achieve their goals in a productive way. Here's how.

How mindfulness can help you achieve your goals

Mindfulness is defined as being aware in the present moment and acknowledging your current thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. This technique is derived from Hinduism and Buddhist philosophies dating back thousands of years ago and is commonly incorporated into yoga practices as well.

By incorporating mindfulness into your goals or intentions for this year, you can avoid setting unrealistic expectations. Instead, you focus on setting small, achievable goals that you work on over time while tuning into your emotions, intentions and actions. Having a plan and integrating mindfulness into that plan can help you be successful.

4 steps to mindful goal setting

Aquí hay cuatro pasos que sigo para ayudarme a establecer metas manejables durante todo el año.

Paso 1: ¿Qué estás intentando lograr?

Decide what you want to accomplish in the new year. Maybe it's saving for a down payment on a house or to start exercising more. Figure out your overall goal and then scale it down. So instead of saying that by the end of the year, you’ll have a 20% down payment saved, you start with saving X amount of dollars each week or month. By focusing on smaller, more realistic checkpoints on your way to your big goal, you are incorporating mindfulness.

Paso 2: ¿Cuáles son sus barreras y motivaciones?

Este es un lugar donde el aspecto consciente de la atención plena es realmente útil. Identificar acciones o situaciones que podrían impedirle alcanzar sus objetivos antes de comenzar a trabajar para lograrlos puede ayudarlo a evitar obstáculos y tener más éxito.

This step is when your actions or habits can assist with anything you are trying to accomplish. It shows you are in tune with how you function as a human being, which is a huge factor in behavioral changes and achieving success. Addressing your motivations can also keep you going when you are struggling to maintain your goals. Reminding yourself that, “I’m doing this so I can save for a house,” or “I’m working on increasing exercise so my mental health and digestion are better,” can buoy you during rough patches.

Paso 3: consulte con usted mismo

Cada día o algunas veces a la semana, haz un control mental para hacerte preguntas sobre tus objetivos y cómo te sientes al respecto. "¿Siento que este objetivo es realista?" "¿Este objetivo me hace sentir miserable o me parece empoderador/factible?" “¿Dónde estoy luchando y dónde lo estoy haciendo bien?”

La incorporación de controles conscientes como este le ayudará a realizar un seguimiento de su progreso y a decidir si necesita reevaluar sus objetivos.

Paso 4: reevaluar o continuar

Después de registrarte, si descubres que necesitas reevaluar o modificar tus objetivos, está 100 % bien. La vida no puede ser todo o nada; hay que aprender a vivir en las zonas grises. Reevaluar una meta porque te estresa o quieres cambiar de rumbo no es malo. Si eres consciente de lo que necesitas, tendrás más éxito que alguien que se siente obligado a permanecer con una resolución rígida que no se adapta a su vida.

Incorporating mindfulness into your New Year's intentions or goals can often be a better approach than setting grand resolutions that you have little chance of reaching. Mindfulness is a great tool that can be used in all aspects of life and help you be more successful in the year ahead.

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