Around this time of year, many people decide to make a New Year’s resolution to meditate daily. I used to make resolutions too! But often, my attempts were pretty weak, and sometimes, I didn’t even make it to mid-January before missing a few days of meditation. In fact, there were times when I completely forgot about meditating for days.
This situation can create a sense of failure, which then undermines our self-confidence and makes it harder to succeed in other areas as well. My main issue was that these resolutions weren’t really firm commitments. I hadn’t fully decided on them; they were more like fleeting ideas without a solid plan or necessary actions to make them happen.
To truly change, we need the right strategy and environment. A resolution is a good start, but it doesn’t go far enough on its own. If you want to make it last, you’ll need to spend some time planning and setting up supportive conditions.
If you’re looking for help in establishing a regular meditation practice, we’re here for you! We offer a year-round program of meditation events to help you maintain and deepen your practice, along with a community of meditators who can provide support and encouragement. Feel free to join us in Wildmind’s meditation community.
One of the key strategies I found was meditating in my car before work. Thanks to my flexible work hours, I have a predictable time slot five days a week. I usually arrive at the parking lot around 7:40 AM and initially committed to meditating for half an hour, even if it meant being a bit late. Now, after more than two years, I meditate for up to 50 minutes. My next goal is to get up a little earlier to try meditating for a full hour.
On Sundays, I drop my family off at mass and spend 50 minutes meditating under a tree. Saturdays are a bit trickier, but I usually manage a session if my wife works in the morning and I have to get up to take her to the bus stop. It took me about 30 years to get started, but better late than never!
There can never be too many posts about how to make resolutions stick, especially when it comes to meditation. I’m new to the world of online Buddhism blogs and hope to contribute. This article is very thoughtful and emphasizes the importance of persistence.
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