It is already the second day of the year and quite possibly, some of you may have slipped up on the resolutions you planned to keep for the first year of this decade. Research shows, only 8% of the people who do make resolutions are actually able to stick to them. Fret not. We have in our armor- tools, tips and tricks for you to get back in the game. Sticking to your resolutions, no matter what they are, was never this simple!
1. Take smaller vows
We are here to be slightly in your face and tell you, the first bad decision of this year was to take a year-long resolution. It almost never works out. So here’s what you can do. Tie it in time bound commitment. You can take time specific sankalpa or intention to get through any resolutions you make. “A vow should be time bound,” says spiritual master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, “Consider the time and place for vows or commitments to be taken.” He shares the example of someone trying to quit the cigarette. “Suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, “I will quit smoking,” but cannot do it. You know why? It is because the commitment is not time bound. You can take a vow for three months or 90 days. Don’t take a vow to start something new or get rid of a bad habit for a lifetime; it is likely you will break it immediately.” If you happen to break it in between, don’t worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature.
2. More work, less energy and even lesser time to do it?
Yet another reason for not keeping up with resolutions can be low energy or life force (prana) and lethargy. If you are a decision maker, stiff nonnegotiable deadlines, high stake deliverable and resources to manage, you could always use alertness, sharpness and unbounded energy to be productive for most part of the day. For this you need to use tools like deep breathing techniques, yoga and meditation that infuse the body and mind with prana or life force to get a head start in the day. When you are full of enthusiasm and energy, you are more likely to keep your resolutions as you will have all the energy to fulfill them.
3. Love, greed or fear
Sri Sri gives a practical tool to begin a new practice and stay on course with it or you can use the same tool to get rid of a habit that is bothering you, like say smoking-the application of love, fear and greed. “There are three things to start a good habit: greed, fear or love. First, if someone says they will give you a million dollars for not missing your practice, will you do it? You would say “I will do for five more days, just to be safe.” If you have promised your loved one you will not smoke, you will keep the promise, right? If your doctor says you will die if you don’t do it, then also you will do it out of fear.”
4. Detox
How many times have you given up on your gym membership or going for the piano lesson or trying an outdoor activity because you were not feeling like it or you were just too lazy to see it through? This may amaze you but sometimes the lethargy that does not leave you for days together is not due to any external causes but due to accumulation of aama or toxins in your body which slows down your metabolism. A slower metabolism makes digestion sluggish leading to further aama accumulation in the system.
One of Ayurveda’s most splendid offerings for detoxification, which is key to improving metabolism is, Abhyanga massage with body oils made from the essences of herbs that specifically aid stronger metabolism. A warm bath with these body oils can improve the workings of digestive system and speed up the process of metabolism. Shankara’s Sundarya Body Oil is formulated to balance your Doshas. It works on your body which has started showing signs of fatigue from lack of proper rest and accumulation of Aama. Shankara’s Sundarya Body Oil is most calming due to the presence of essential oils of sesame, Jojoba, squalane, hazelnut, aloe vera, borage, castor oil and evening primrose, clary sage, cardamom and chamomile. A full body massage with these oils helps penetrate deeper into the body tissues, increase blood circulation and removes the toxins.
(Also Read: 8 Yoga Tips For The Lazy)
—
