February is when many of us go from being on track with our New Year's resolutions to falling back into old habits from last year.

Why?

Mindfulness practices can give us one answer. One of the core mindfulness practices is breathing. When something happens, take a breath before acting. When we don’t take the time to breathe, we fall into a state of reaction, which often doesn’t involve our best interests.

When we breathe before doing anything else, we give ourselves valuable time to return to our center, relax for a moment, enter into a reflective state, and take coherent and sensible action.

Now that we brought that into the forefront of our mind, let’s take a moment to circle back to where this blog post started:

When we set goals and intentions for the new year on December 31st and then jump straight into making it all happen in January, it is as if we are reacting to what we set out to do without taking the time to breathe. By following the demands of our culture, we ignore the natural cycle of things.

We see this in big ideas that become a reality. Having the big idea is the easy part. Getting busy right after having it as well. But for any project to become a grand reality, it requires a pause followed by planning. When a movie is made, much time is spent letting the initial idea simmer, reworking it, and creating a plan, long before filming starts. The same goes for a new company just starting up, or when a new product is made.

In nature, we see this process happen right before our eyes. When we want to plant a seed, we must place it in the dark earth and wait until we start to see the first shoots rise above the soil. Some seeds need time in a fridge before they are even planted. There is a quiet, restful period before anything grows and manifests in a way that is visible and tangible.

The seasons show us the same. Where the Winter Solstice and the month of December are all about the rebirth of the sun, of light returning, growth does not usually happen until the end of February and in March. There is a time when it seemingly first gets colder. In ancient times the month of February was sometimes called the month of hunger, as winter could get rough before the light turned the cold landscapes into something habitable to humans again.

When it comes to our new year's goals and intentions, turning the above into practice can look something like this:

In January, we let our goals and intentions rest. We go on holiday, then go back to work while keeping our New Year’s resolutions in the back of our minds. It’s like taking a mindful breath before the next step.

In February, we can take time to gain clarity on how to turn our goals and intentions into a long-term reality. We can brainstorm, make plans, and create a blueprint of action. This is the second breath before moving into actual growth and action in March.

This way, we are more likely to succeed in our endeavors.

If you would like more guidance on how to live with the natural cycles of life, the Magic is Key membership is right for you.