It’s February! Christmas, the sparkly new year and any good intentions set might already feel like a long time ago. It’s about this time of year, things can start to feel a bit…bleh.

You see the problem I find with intentions and resolutions is that they can feel like a stick to beat yourself with. And I’m not very good at being told what to do…even by myself!

Think back to those crisp bright first days of 2015 (less than 6 weeks ago you guys, we can do this!)…I was going to be so time efficient! And disciplined! And checking my email was not going to take precedence over my yoga practice on a morning! But habits (good and bad) are difficult to break. No amount of 1^st January hope is going to stop them dead in their tracks.

So how about instead of talking about habits and resolutions, we talk about creating rituals.

Rituals have an importance, reverence. Sacred.

That sounds more like something I’d prefer to stick to.

Bringing joy and reverence to our day in small ways can be empowering. And I’m not talking all incense and sage smudging here (though if it is that, right on!). The small things…making a healthy meal…rolling out the yoga mat…getting out for a run or a walk with the dogs…making time for the things we need. These are the rituals that bring us back to ourselves. Approaching these small actions as acts of love and self-care make them so much more powerful, more enjoyable, and more likely something we want to gift ourselves with each day.

Rituals are all about connection and it makes sense they are most resonant when we are present. And the idea of having a healthy, caring, loving ritual which brings connection and enjoyment seems so much more like something I want to do, rather than something I should be doing. Enough with the shoulds!

And it’s ok if you get off track; it’s ok if you’ve missed a few classes or your new year regime has gone off the boil a bit – studies have shown that missing a day or more of whatever habit – I mean ritual – you’re trying to create doesn’t mean all is lost, if you pick it up again you can still stay on track to success.

So drop the guilt! There are no mistakes! You’re on the right path.

Now’s a good time to revisit the thoughts that led us to set goals for the year ahead. How do we feel about them now? Is there a healthy, loving ritual to create that will inspire us to our own sense of greatness?

Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around – Vanilla Sky

Commit to being present.

Rituals.

Tune in. Drop in. Connect.