12 Kick Arse Ways To Create The Perfect NYE Resolution
By: Karen Humphries
Tags: Self Help, Nye, Empowerment, Resolutions, Coaching

12 Kick Arse Ways To Create The Perfect NYE Resolution

Image Source — Canva

We’ve all heard of the 12 days of Christmas — right? There’s a song detailing each day of December bringing a new gift. This jingle got modified (read bastardized) in the 1980s to the poor recipient receiving all the gifts requiring Prozac and a psychiatric hospital stay. Hilarious, but the actual Yuletide meaning got lost in translation.

There’s a lot of northern hemisphere history about Yuletide but you might not have realized that the pagan celebration of Yule is twelve days long. It traditionally commences with the winter solstice (northern hemisphere) on December 21 and ends on January 1.

The Christianity tradition of Epiphany commences Christmas Day and ends on January 6. Pagan ritual slightly altered the timing to accommodate the winter solstice which began at sunset on December 20, known as Mother Night, and ended on the night of December 31, the Night of the Oak King and the Roman day of Hecate. There is no coincidence that the true Twelfth Night is now celebrated as New Year’s Eve and with the same old revelry as when it was known as Twelfth Night.

Nearly every post-Christmas celebration has origins invoking the rebirth of the sun or the sun god in some way. This is also referred to as Mother’s Night, honoring the Mother Goddess (& the coming of spring) along with the protective female ancestors who watch over us. It’s fitting, given that the northern hemisphere is in the peak of winter.

Below the equator in present times, we can still take away from all this history and continue to evoke the worship of the Mother Gaia in our own unique way with a spiritual summer flavor. We can walk outside in the sunshine in bare feet and be grateful for our clean air and white beaches.

Modern society places a magical phenomenon in the period of New Year’s Eve. Our societal traditions trick us into believing that, to achieve the perfect life, we can make a simple resolution to do things differently, or do it better.

Shazam, wave the wand, cue fireworks, say a RESOLUTION and you’re life is changed — WRONG!

The challenge with most resolutions is that there is little forethought as to why you want to change, and a large focus on avoiding or quickly shifting the negative. There is often a desire to take a magic pill and like the wand-waving, we get disappointed when our expectations for instant fixes aren’t met.

Failure of resolutions occur because there is a lack of consideration in the following areas:

no acknowledgement of your present MINDSET or your current status (that you’re wanting to change)

there is often very little no reflection on present life as to why you’ve ended up in this position in the first place, and now find yourself wishing for a new life!

there is little to no planning for success on achieving new goals — for example, what you want to be feeling once you’ve reached the goal

no gratitude for where you are presently at on your journey path — if you can’t be thankful for who you are already, how can you manifest and create change?

What about if instead of creating a resolution, you set your intention to choose to change and allow yourself the entire year to evolve? An interesting concept isn’t it, permission! Allowing yourself permission to refine yourself buys you time to:

set realistic and achievable goals

identify strengths and weaknesses

allow small implementable actions to be introduced slowly, allowing for positive habits to be created

reflect on the success of implementation, and progressive change, which builds upon motivation and confidence!

Have you had the experience of creating an NYE resolution, only to fail within the first month, or worst the first couple of days? Is it time to change your approach?

What if I were to tell you that completing simple rituals and taking the time to become observant during the twelve days after Christmas could provide you with a wealth of information to succeed in the year to come.

Life has a tendency to get fast and complicated, and we can easily lose focus of SELF and our JOURNEY PATH. What I’ve learnt is that the energy and activities that occur in the twelve days after Christmas provide insight, much like looking inside a crystal ball of how the future year coming could pan out. Each of these twelve days represents a future month of the new calendar year.

I find it extremely useful in the twelve days which follow Christmas, to have rituals, so that the habit of tuning into self doesn’t have to be hard-won. I enjoy it when it flows naturally and easily.

Get grounded — connection to the earth allows you to discharge any build-up of positive ions in the body. Grounding energy allows you to better access your intuition.

Set your intention — I have been using the intention of ‘surrendering to ordinary thinking,’ which instantly allows me to think creatively outside the box. It allows me to slow down and hear the whispers from spirit as to where to guide my attention and observe something.

Journal — during yuletide I pay attention to my energy, creativity and motivation levels. I purposefully pay attention to my mood and anyone who triggers me. I dig deep about patterns which cause me to experience negativity and make notes for future exploration.

Reflections of these notes during the future month they relate to come in very handy and have previously been of significant benefit when planning large scale or important events. It’s like creating your own hitchhikers guide to your own galaxy.

There is an abundance of information everywhere throughout your day which can infuse you with joy or push all your buttons. Pay attention!

For those of you living in the southern hemisphere, here are some specific monthly based journal prompts which you can document now, which may benefit you later as a guide to how that month will pan out.

Day 1 — January

This is my birthday month and our summer school holidays. This month is all about having fun in the sun. So ask yourself this. “How do I allow myself to shine my light?” Be sure to capture the answer in the context of “How do I utilize this month to create abundance which flows through the entire year?”

Day 2 — February

This is generally a very hot weather month with unpredictable rains. It’s a return to the school year and this month is generally where we settle into our normal routines. Pay attention to this day, as to where or what can cause your energy and attention to peak/flow/dwindle.

In your journal ask yourself, “Where do I support myself to achieve my goals?” Understanding how you use your energy in a single day can provide fabulous context to enable you to create strategies which last the year ahead.

Day Three — March

This month marks the halfway point between the solstices, and it’s called the equinox. It’s the day of equal light and darkness. Look for signs of duality and balance on this day. Additionally, the equinox marks the changing of the season. Pay attention during this day to where your balance may be disturbed.

In your journal give yourself permission to dig deep and ask yourself, “What pattern am I running that I need to let go of in order to evolve?” Just like a tree sheds its leaves, we go through a cycle of change as well.

Autumn is a large energetic change month, demonstrated by the evolution of leaves changing colors.

Day Four — April

This month the energies are generally high as Christians around the globe mourn the death of Christ and celebrate his resurrection. Regardless of your cultural upbringing, rebirthing energy is huge and triggers everyone.

In your journal ask yourself, “What aspect of me is no longer serving my higher purpose? What do I need to release with ease and grace (or allow to die) in order to move forward?”

Day Five — May

The days begin to darken, the temperate has changed and the cold winds have often arrived. The barrenness of winter is approaching and the trees are shedding their leaves, becoming naked.

We often take on the energy of feeling vulnerable and exposed in this month. So jump into your journal and ask yourself, “What am I afraid of? What could I do to boost my courage to face my fears?”

Day Six — June

June can be a very liberating month with the right mindset and preparation. It’s the making of the beginning of winter and there’s a solstice (the shortest daylight of the year). There are many shadows and the energy of light and dark can easily cause you to fall apart.

I often find myself reminding my clients that this is a fabulous month to reconnect to your soul star, your seed if you will. This is the time to go within and find your hidden treasure amongst the shadows.

In your journal ask yourself, “If I were a caterpillar, what would I like to transform this winter whilst in my cocoon?”

Day Seven — July

Often the blustering wet wind prevails during this month and we don’t venture outside often. This is a day to explore things to do around the home. This is also a fabulous month to revisit goals established at the beginning of the year and assess whether you’re on target. Be gentle with yourself if you’ve strayed off the desired course, and start mapping out small achievable actions in the calendar to get yourself back on track.

In your journal ask yourself, “Is my home a comfortable castle, or a prison? What do I need to do inside to shift this feeling?”

Day Eight — August

It takes a lot of energy for a seedling to emerge from the ground in the cold spring soil. We are no different. We need to be able to rely on ourselves to continue along our journey even when things get uncomfortable.

In your journal ask yourself, “What self-reliance traits do I have?” and also, “What have I learnt about myself to grow even stronger?”

Day Nine — September

It’s the month of the second equinox (this one’s called the vernal equinox) and marks the change of the season. It’s another day of balance between light and dark.

In my personal experience, I find spring energy much more powerful than the gentle autumn. There’s a lot of power required to generate new green flowery growth in everything around us.

In your journal ask yourself, “What do I need to do to sustain my abundance and growth?”

Day Ten — October

This is often an odd month. If your start to spring was shaky or involved a lot of change, things can still be stabilizing. I find this can be a very high octane month of getting stuff done, and so I plan well in advance to prepare and ensure my energy levels can be consistent.

In your journal, if you are full steam ahead, ask yourself, “What do I need to do to remain consistent?”

If your legs are shaky ask yourself, “How do I maintain my connection to my goals and build upon my perseverance to succeed in what I set out to achieve?”

Day Eleven — November

This is a month whereby we’re on the home stretch for the year. It’s the last full month of work before another round of festive season begins. This is a month to remain disciplined and stick to your plan.

In your journal ask yourself, “How committed am I to myself and my goals?”

Day Twelve — December

It’s a high vibe energy month due to the summer solstice, the longest day of sunlight in the year. It’s the peak of abundance energy and everything you’ve been working towards for the entire year. It’s a time of celebrating life, your connections, friends, family and love.

In your journal ask yourself, “What can I be grateful for?”

Final Words

Hope you’ve enjoyed a new way of looking and responding to the Yuletide and can easily incorporate some of the above rituals and journal tips to shape the forecast of your year ahead.

For further reading about how to create clear NYE intentions and resolutions check out my earlier blog.