You can still make a mindful start
It’s important not to be disheartened if we haven't stuck to our New Year's resolutions by mid-January because this is a natural part of the process of change.
New Year’s resolutions are often made with the best of intentions, but the path to achieving them is rarely straightforward. Life has a way of presenting obstacles, distractions, and setbacks that can make it difficult to maintain the momentum we hope for. Instead of seeing this as a failure, it’s helpful to view it as an opportunity for reflection and growth.
Work with kindness and flexibility
Begin in the present
- Being Present/Awake – shedding the autopilot mode that so often defines our daily lives
- Turning Toward – facing difficulties and challenges with openness and acceptance
- Responding Skilfully – creating space between reactivity and response, enabling thoughtful actions
- Loving Kindness/Self-Compassion – offering ourselves the same care and understanding we extend to others
- Integrating into Everyday Life – bringing mindfulness into the flow of daily activities
It helps to anchor these themes in ‘attitudes of mindfulness’, as taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn, so that we can bring our full selves to each moment.
- Non-Judging – observing our experiences without bias or attachment to likes and dislikes
- Patience – recognizing that things unfold in their own time, and trusting the process
- Beginner’s Mind – approaching each moment with openness, as if seeing it for the first time
- Trust – cultivating confidence in ourselves and our feelings
- Non-Striving – letting go of goals and simply being present with what is
- Acceptance – embracing the present as it is, without resistance
- Letting Go – releasing attachment to outcomes and allowing experiences to flow naturally
In his book Full Catastrophe Living, mindfulness teaching pioneer & doctor Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote that cultivating these attitudes will help support our mindfulness practice throughout the year.
By coming back to these seven pillars over the coming months, we can learn “to fertilize this attitudinal soil" so that our mindfulness practice can continue to flourish, even if we sometimes falter or don’t meet our goals as planned.
More stories on making a mindful start
- Retreat leader and Coach House retreat venue manager Barry Thurgood explains here that we can choose to make a Mindful Start each time we sit in meditation
- Viren Jeram, Volunteer Retreat Coordinator at The Barn, shares how he made a new mindful start at The Barn here
