This Year, Choose Kindness New year, new you, new plans! Wait! How about you, as you are, right now?

What's next?! What's new?! What will I aim for? Work goals? Life goals? What new course will I do this year? What new skill will I learn? How much weight do I need to lose? How much further will I run, lift a weight, doing, doing, doing!

Do any of these sound familiar? What if, instead, you paused, reflected, and appreciated where you are right now, rather than striving for more and more?

• What if you picked up the unread books already on your shelves, rather than buying new ones? Or re-read a favourite, gifting away the ones you no longer need?

• What if you revisited what you already know about a subject, deepening your understanding and seeing it from a new perspective?

• What if you finished the courses you’ve already started, or, if they no longer resonate, simply let them go?

• What if you accepted yourself, without wishing to be thinner, fitter, a better cook, cleaner, gardener, or more disciplined?

• What if you could say, “this is me, and that’s enough.”

  
  

Unrealistic expectations only set us up for disappointment. By all means, set an intention, but let it be grounded in small, realistic steps, not big “new year, new me” resolutions.

This year, perhaps you could choose a Sankalpa. Sankalpa is the Sanskrit word for intention. San means “to become one with,” and kalpa relates to “time” and the “subconscious mind.” A Sankalpa can help you set an intention that connects with your heart’s deepest desire.

Putting your Sankalpa into words gives you something to return to, a guide, mantra, or affirmation. Our inner critic can get pretty loud, with thoughts that are negative and harsh. A Sankalpa can gently interrupt those thoughts, replacing them with ones that are kind and loving.

Focus on making your Sankalpa positive. For example, instead of “I will not be stressed,” try “Peace is available to me,” or “Serenity flows through me now.”

If a phrase feels difficult, focus on a single word: confidence, relaxation, wisdom. We welcome all feelings, light and dark, but a Sankalpa offers a soft, positive anchor to hold onto when encouragement is needed.

Examples might include: grace, I choose joy, I move with ease, peace, calm, letting go, allowing, compassion. Your Sankalpa is yours alone. Choose it with love, use it with respect, and allow it to evolve. If, over time, it no longer resonates, simply choose another.

I love the idea of moving forward with the understanding that we are ever-growing, ever-learning students of life. There is nothing wrong with striving, but it is equally important to rest, reflect, and nourish what we already have, to be content with our current place.

Once you’ve set a Sankalpa, the next step is creating space for it to settle, through rest and mindful moments.

Rest

Rather than staying in constant “doing” mode, give yourself rest.

Doing nothing was once seen as lazy, but today it is understood as an antidote to our busy, switched-on lives. From the moment we wake until we close our eyes, we fill the day with work, chores, screens, or scrolling.

Resting isn’t “doing nothing.” It’s an opportunity to soften the body and calm the nervous system, especially when it involves being in nature, surrounded by the elements, attuned to your senses.

Mindful moments

A gentle practice to try is adding mindful “snacks” into your day. These are not extra tasks, but chances to turn everyday actions into moments of presence.

Mindful snacks:

• Waiting for the kettle to boil, simply waiting, without doing anything else.

• Brushing your teeth, feeling the sensation of the brush, aware that you’re starting your day with a smile.

• Waking up, if you hit the snooze button, roll onto your back, place one hand on your belly and one on your heart, and take slow breaths. Start your day connected to yourself, your inner home.

• After dressing, open a window or door, look at the sky. Even behind clouds, morning light helps your body align with the rhythm of the day, supporting your energy and immune system. 

Right now, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Ask yourself: “What do I love about my life, just as it is, changing nothing?”

Hold that thought, and allow the feeling of contentment to spread through your body. Let ease permeate your cells and soften your heart.

May you rest in the now, enjoying this present moment. Accept yourself with kindness. Remember: you are not a to-do list. You are perfectly imperfect, whole and complete.

So perhaps this year isn’t about a “new you” at all, but about discovering the joy of being fully yourself, just as you are, right here and now.

"You don't need a new you. You are not an iPhone. You don't need replacing every year. Don't throw yourself away every year like plastic trash. Find the old you. Improve. Evolve. Do better. But head towards yourself, not away. Be gentle with your mind." Matt Haig.

Go gently,

Karen 🌿