do you make resolutions? when done correctly, I think they can be wonderfully empowering and even life changing. yes, there are a lot of ways to do them incorrectly, in ways that can make you feel like you wasted a year. don’t be like that!

instead of focusing on what you want to fix or remove, why don’t you focus on what you want more of! you only have so much room in your life — the more good things you add, the more you’ll edge out the crummier things you don’t want.

think of it like food. your stomach only has so much space — if you fill it with broccoli before you have a piece of cake, you’ll already be pretty full by the time you have your first bite of sweets, so you can’t have as much. not to say cake is bad, but perhaps less nutritious than veggies. know what I mean?

I actually kept all of my resolutions last year, and doing so truly changed my life (mostly because one of the resolutions was to get a dog, and stella has genuinely changed my life for the better, despite pooping in my living room upon arrival and leaving a skidmark on a bedsheet). granted, 2018’s list was shorter, but I gave myself achievable assignments and it felt SO good to close out the year knowing I had kept my promises to myself and surpassed goals in different areas.

doing this, I feel, allowed me to manifest things that weren’t on my resolution list. in turn, this gave me a feeling of empowerment and magnetism, thus raising my vibration and allowing me to hone in on attracting even more incredible things. but that’s just like, metaphysics and shit.  you know? moving on.

there’s a lot on my list this year, because I know I can handle all of it, and I’m actually excited about it. in fact, I don’t dread a single one of my resolutions. there are some I’m keeping a little closer to the chest (I don’t dread them either), but here are a handful that might inspire you.

• at least one massage a month: this seems extra, I get it. I know I don’t need to justify it but that’s just who I am SO! I bought a burke williams package to 1. guarantee that I wouldn’t skimp on this resolution (hooray!) 2. carve out at least one day per month to unplug and take care of myself fully, no distractions, and 3. continue to recover from my car accident and work on my (surprise) scoliosis that I literally just found out about. I low key don’t believe it but my physical therapist said it’s real so we’ll see who has the last laugh.
• daily meditation: no excuses, even if it’s only 5 minutes at 11:54 pm — I need and want to do this every. single. day. goal is to have a 365-day streak on my Calm app. will let u kno if I achieve nirvana etc.
• 12 new books this year (at least!): I just listened to “unf*ck yourself” narrated by its hilarious scottish author gary john bishop and I was not disappointed. I’m almost through “you are a badass at making money” and finally started “fulfilled” from last year’s summer challenge (lol) and “the gifts of imperfection” soooo this will be a lot more than my one book a month but hey, I’m giving myself a realistic goal.
• take a cooking class and a ski class: you know, just refining myself
• one new french phrase per week: gotta get that français dialed in namsayin
• two new vocab words per week: omw to becoming a sesquipedalian lexicomane

the gist? growth, self-care, and new experiences. what do you want to add to your year? what do you want more of in your life? make a promise to yourself to do those things! you’ll never regret keeping that promise. and when you give yourself something to look forward to, you’ll be more likely to keep to it.

will I also be doing a lot more pilates, soulcycle, and workin’ on my fitness? eating healthy and ordering more sakara? yes — but I’m not making these my resolutions, because I know that I’ll go through different seasons in which I’ll exercise more frequently and less frequently (hello, car accident). I’m gonna save “being my healthiest self” for an intention vs. a resolution.

on that note, don’t forget your new year’s intentions. intentions tend to be gentler, more compassionate, and the driving force for a whole heap of good actions. resolutions feel so rigid and concrete, so I personally like to give myself a to-do list that I know I can conquer.

what are you resolutions this year? tell meeeeee ok bye

xx,
Dominique