Forget your new year resolutions
for now.
Happy new year! Are you setting goals for the year? I’m not.
There's a time for work, a time for play, but right now is for neither. It's a moment for dreams and sleep, for deep rest, reflection, and attentive listening. So cancel those plans, slip into your fuzzy socks, and read on.
Forget your new year resolutions
..for now. While it’s the start of the Gregorian calendar year, in the wheel of the year we’re smack in the middle of winter. There is no burst of energy right now. That comes in spring. Resolutions in winter are a farce.
Align with the wheel of the year to master your creative energy.
By synchronizing with the rhythmic cadence of nature's cycles, we tap into the formidable force of creation. Tuning into the delicate emergence of spring's seedlings, the vibrant crescendo of summer, the bountiful harvest of fall, and the tranquil hibernation of winter, we orchestrate a harmonious dance between our inner and outer realms. Yet, just like fallow fields is what creates fertile soil, without our yearly dose of deep rest, our energy and creativity isn’t optimal. Learning to extract intuition and creativity from stillness becomes vital amid the cultural rush and noise. Mirroring this natural cycle within our bodies and energy, we carve out a sacred space for the manifestation of our soul’s aspirations.
The big lie
But we’re only a week into the winter season and many of us are off to the races! While nature is saying one thing, society is saying another. So many of us are manipulated to believe there is a burst of energy for New Year’s Resolutions. January 1st hits and all the sudden we are all sober, paleo, task masters, working out five times a week? Relax. It takes incredible awareness to surrender to the season without grasping for a plan or rushing onto the next big thing.
There is a reason why winter’s wisdom is ignored in modern society. Our culture worships productivity. We’re constantly fed messages about the need to be “doing.” We’ve come to view rest as “laziness” and favor a myth in which constant linear progress is sustainable. Weekends are the only designated off days and all other times we’re expected to be on and crushing it! To “crush” it is just a letter short of “rush” it. Rushing adds stress and anxiety to our lives. Over time, this can make a big difference in our overall mental state. But the over-culture prescribes so much of this time straight into doing, we compromise our natural energy for outward approval of our “success.” What’s the cost of all this pushing and forcing against natural rhythms?
Our measure of time, once based on changing seasons and wheeling stars, and the ticking clock, is now parceled into computer nanoseconds; we have lost time as an organically measurable experience.
Hurry sickness
“Our perception of speeding clocks and vanishing time cause our own biological clocks to speed. The end result is frequently some form of hurry sickness - expressed as heart disease, high blood pressure, or depression of our immune function, leading to an increased susceptibility to infection and cancer.” - Dr. Larry Dossey Space, Time, and Medicine
Dr. Larry Dossey's insight into hurry sickness reveals a painful irony – despite having more time-saving devices than ever before, we find ourselves harried and driven to our limits. We have to fill all our time with doing, otherwise we’ll fall behind!
Just as fields need to remain unsown at times for their soil to stay fertile, we need to leave ourselves barren of new projects, adventures and activities. If we don’t take time each year for deep rest, then healing and rejuvenation are not possible. So allow yourself the time to relax and daydream. It can be challenging but when you trust nature’s process, you can learn how to source intuition and creative potential from stillness.
Everyone’s process for this is different. I find mine by:
Saying “no” more often to social invitations
Day long phone and media fasts. This allows me to attune to the images of my inner world through day and night dreaming to spark inspiration for my next creative endeavor.
Getting off screens when the sun goes down.
Practicing compassion with how I’m feeling with an affirmation- “I am feeling ____ and there is space for this feeling”
Sitting with my emotions rather than self-medicating with wine, weed, or television
Investigating the root of my feelings with stream of conscious journaling
Using dance or movement to move my emotions through my body
And by taking naps. Lots and lots of naps
Embracing the shadows and finding freedom
Many of us choose to avoid the surrender to winter. We’d rather numb with “busyness” than face our own shadows. We may not want to look at our sadness, irritation, anger, or fear in the eye to ask each what it has to teach us. But there is folly in this approach. By going to the depths of yourself with awareness, you call in light. You heal the parts of yourself you’ve never wanted to acknowledge, let alone learn to love.
Consciously exploring the depths of our inner selves brings light into the darkest corners, offering an opportunity for healing and self-acceptance. I know this process isn't easy; I've spent much of my life chasing external success over cultivating inner peace.
In moments entangled in others' expectations, whether familial or professional, there's a pitfall in conforming to roles that contradict our psycho-spiritual truth. This disharmony leads to a loss of alignment, draining our energy and stifling inspiration. Even seemingly small daily decisions, influenced by external expectations, contribute to an invisible cage that hinders authenticity.
Recognizing these patterns, breaking free, and embracing authenticity is the challenge for a more harmonious existence.
What’s the antidote?
Slow down.
Take a deep breath.
Reflect before doing by asking yourself, "Is this in my highest alignment?"
Summon the courage to acknowledge the truth to yourself, standing in it even when it defies logic.
Connecting with your deep dreams in winter
Instead of approaching the Capricorn season solely as a time for discipline in pursuing goals and productivity, I encourage you to leverage this winter energy to engage more disciplined exploration of the unconscious. The long nights of winter sharpen our sight to see in the dark, the light in the chamber of the heart, and soul messages seeping in from our unconscious. The unconscious is a source of energy that can be tapped into through fantasy and the images of our dream space. Our conscious mind is responsible for channeling this energy into action. When people have low energy, it may be due to a disconnect between the unconscious and the conscious mind. This disconnect can be clues to our necessary healing focus and unresolved emotional experiences. Ultimately, it’s the healing path that can tap into your unconscious energy and propel you to live a more fulfilling life.
Sovereign crone energy
Self-mastery and the sovereignty of crone energy inspires a detachment from the matrix, the conditioned and conventional way of doing things. Be the wild witch in the woods who is whole unto herself! Even if that only practically translates to getting off Instagram and Tik Tok for the next few weeks.
With devotion and love for life and your spiritual journey, trust that you can traverse life entirely aligned with what serves your highest good. To align with the soul in the modern world is a journey that demands practice, surrender, trust, and the courage to veer from your habitual, conditioned patterns.
Don’t get me wrong, set a vision for 2024, feel into your desires, and if you need to, make that “to do” list. But be sure to include the crucial ingredients of the deep dream time of winter, REST. Nurture yourself, rebuild your vital life force, and prepare for the coming of new without so much focus on the “doing.” Be gentle with yourself and the expectations of your resolutions. Spend more time alone journaling. Prioritize getting 8 - 9 hours of sleep. Have morning quiet time. Drink soothing herbal teas. Eat warm, nutrient dense foods. And celebrate the time you don’t do much at all.
Go slow these first months of the year. When you go slow, you notice more, you feel more.
That’s a good thing.
Reflect & Intend: The Antidote to Resolution Overload
Feeling the pressure of the resolution buzz? What if, instead of forcing productivity, you chose alignment with your heart’s deepest desires? Reflect & Intend is a transformative coaching program designed to help you move beyond the noise of societal expectations and connect with your true inner calling.
This isn’t about making rigid goals or adding more to your plate. It’s about slowing down, tuning into your inner wisdom, and creating a life guided by authentic intention. Through personalized support, reflective practices, and intuitive tools, Reflect & Intend empowers you to honor the natural rhythms of your energy and align your actions with what truly matters.
By joining this program, you’ll:
Rediscover the power of stillness and reflection.
Tap into your soul’s desires for deeper clarity and purpose.
Learn to flow with the seasons, cultivating rest and renewal in winter to energize your creative pursuits when spring arrives.
This is your invitation to step off the hamster wheel of "doing" and into a space of meaningful being. Reflect & Intend is your guide to turning inward, listening deeply, and setting intentions that light the path forward.
Are you ready to align with your heart’s truth?
With love & winter blessings,
Christina
Thank you for sharing and reminding us to slow down, rest and tap into winter’s energy to find and nurture our inner selves 💗
Absolutely wonderful wisdom ✨🩷 Thank you