JOIN Our E

KITTY COLLECTION NOW AVAILABLE!

New Years Resolutions are out - Devotions are in!
Happy 2015 Love!

I bet you’re totally Beyonce-booty-shaking excited to welcome the New Year because THIS IS THE YEAR you’re finally going to:

Resolutions that sucklose weight, get organized, quit smoking, eat healthier, save money, drink less alcohol, stress less, get out of debt, fall in love, learn something new.
Personally, I’m totally over New Years Resolutions.

Why?

Because I hated the stinkin’ stench of failure come December 31st, when I realized yet another year had passed without sticking to my resolution…

…to kick my disgustingly gross habit of biting my finger nails! Ewww, I know, I know…it’s feral! All those sparkly pink manicures… down the drain.

But then I took a second look.

Aren’t resolutions nothing more than goals dressed up in a sparkly party hat?

And in order to achieve goals, you need a plan.

No wonder resolutions never work. Because they are huge proclamations backed up with… a whole lotta nothing. You’re just a lost soul fighting your way through the dense bush (or woods for my American friends) without a compass. Falling over, walking in circles, tiring yourself out. And then wanting to face-plant into a pint of ice cream every December when you realize it’s too late for your resolution.

I’m here to make 2015 YOUR YEAR. Kick your resolution’s cute butt and instead set:

Your New Year Devotions

Devotions are wayyyy different (and better!) than resolutions because they are rooted in love. There are three simple ways to create your devotions:

1. The power of WHY
2. Paving your pretty plan
3. Fairy dusting your mindset

1. The Power of WHY

Remember when you were a child and would greet every moment with amazement and curiosity?
You’d drive everyone bonkers asking “why” after everything they said?

Channel your inner precocious child and ask yourself “why” FOUR times to uncover the real motivation behind your intention.

Here’s an example:
“I want to lose weight.” Why?
“Because I don’t like how my clothes fit anymore.” Why?
“Because I’m starting to lose confidence in myself when I socialize with other women.” Why?
“Because how I look and feel impacts my confidence and how much fun I have, so I prefer to stay at home instead.” Why?
“I guess I prefer watching TV and plowing into a tub of Ben & Jerry’s Rocky Road ice-cream to make myself feel better…but deep down I know I’m experiencing serious FOMO (fear of missing out), and maybe even an opportunities at work.”

Can you see how the “why” works its magic?

Your real intention isn’t to lose weight. By asking “why” you uncover that your true intention is that you’re confidence is at an all-time low. You’re wallflowering yourself from the world until you magically feel good in your skin…one day.

2. Pave your pretty plan

Now that you know your intention is to rock your confidence socks in 2015, let’s create a sparkling plan that sets you up for sweet success.

For example, one of your reasons for your intention was:

“Because I don’t like how my clothes fit anymore.”

For any self-improvement resolution, I suggest using the Mind, Body & Style approach.

Mind
Give your noodle a pep talk.
Preferably with one of Beyonce’s girl-powered anthems rocking in the background.

positive-post-itsYour “inner mean girl” is shouting all kinds of nastiness, and it’s time to stand up to her.
Anywhere your queen bee shows up, write a love note to yourself on a pretty post-it and stick it there.

For example, you may like to put a post-it on your mirror with something like:
“Hey Hot Stuff – You’ve Got This!” or “I Am Enough!” maybe “light & free”

Find your personal cheerleader.
Grab a girlfriend that you can be totally raw with and ask if they wouldn’t mind being your cheerleader.

You need someone that can slap you back to reality if you find yourself fantasizing about tearing into a pack of Oreos and eat the shizzle out of every last crumb in the box.

Body
Nourish and move that body pronto.
The more you move, the more you will crave healthy foods, the more you eat right, the more energy you’ll have, the better you feel in your body and soul.

This isn’t about some crazy Hollywood-style cleanse where you drink nothing but ginger tea and bounce around like a maniac for 4 hours a day.

We’re talking:

  • get off the train one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way to work
  • replace your pasta with a couple of decent sized handful of spinach to go with your pasta sauce
  • if you can’t cut sugar from your coffee…try gradually reducing the amount you have – take one teaspoon of sugar down to half a teaspoon and go from there.
  • hate the gym? Try cranking your favorite ‘get up and dance’ tunes and shake your booty like nobodies watching.
  • go for a walk around your neighborhood – breathe in that fresh air and soak in that vitamin D…with your 30+ sunscreen on of course. We’re not trying prematurely age here!
  • replace that soda, pop, soft drink for water with fresh strawberries and basil – hydration deliciousness!

Over the next few weeks, start swapping and changing up your normal routine. Grab some pretty stationery that makes you fizz like a bath bomb on the inside and plan out your moves for the next week.
Pretty-Stationery

Style
IMMEDIATELY remove clothes from your closet that make you feel icky.
Nobody needs a daily reminder of that size 4 dress that you used to fit into but now makes you feel like a frumpy, ugly duckling – no siree!

Pull together some pretty pick-me-up ‘go-to’ outfits for those days that you’re in a rush, feel bloated or just don’t feel like yourself – make sure each piece you pull for your outfit, makes you feel good.

It shouldn’t be tugging around your arms or pinching your waist.

Wear colors that pep-up your skin tone – you know those clothing items that no matter how you wear it, or how you feel, you always receive a few compliments for wearing it? Pick those pieces to include in your pretty pick-me-up outfits.

Try rocking a bold lip colour or practice a cat eye flick, if makeup is your bag.

If not, be sure to keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer to suit your skins needs.

3. Fairy Dusting your Mindset

If you have a Devotion lapse, it’s absolutely ok!

Whether you had a little trip-up or you left the apple cart and really flew away on your unicorn… yes, unicorn… because you’re out of your mind from scoffing all those Oreos, it’s ok.

Simply acknowledge the reasons for your momentary slip-up.

That’s the beauty of a little slip – it doesn’t define you. Start over again the next day and put a safeguard in place to prevent that same slip from occurring again and move on.

Think about giving yourself a suitable reward for achieving a goal or milestone – it may give you more incentive to kick your 2015 resolution out of the park.

For example, if you’ve had your eye on an expensive purse for some time, why not use this as a goal incentive.

Or maybe you’ve been wanting a day at the beach but there’s just been too many errands to run on the weekends. Use your beach day as a treat to enjoy the surf + sand and reflect on your achievement.

An incentive doesn’t have to cost you money – as with this entire process, it just needs to be pleasurable to you.

New Year Devotion Rewards

 

Now, I’d love to know YOUR DEVOTION for 2015.

Jump into the comments below and tell me:
In 2015, I’m totally devoted to___________

If you need a little help with your Devotion planning for 2015, check out Ravish!™ It’s like biting into a really delicious cupcake with the good kind of frosting.

With love and gratitude,

Shelley Cohen