While cutting up some old Yoga Journal magazines to create a vision board, I stopped to read an story by Elizabeth Marglin called “Make this Your Year!” The article talks about how creating goals which serve something bigger-than-yourself will help you to meet those goals. Also, they recommended telling your goals or resolutions to someone might help you to feel more accountable to meet those goals. I would recommend only sharing your goals with trusted and non-judgmental friends. To help find this bigger-than-yourself goal, an exercise to find your heart-felt desire from clinical psychologist and author of Yoga Nidra: The Meditative Heart of Yoga, Richard Miller, PhD was also presented in the article. Since I found the activity beneficial, I wanted to share it with you all too.

Finding your Heart-Felt Desire

#1 – Welcome relaxation in a comfortable position. You can lie down or sit.

#2 – Imagine and feel as if what you want most has already come true. Is that healing, health, awakening, enlightenment, or love?

#3 – Write down words which represent your heart’s desire being in fulfillment.

#4 – After writing down words, make sure they are positive, concise and in the present tense. An example could be “I am committed to expressing self-love.”

#5 – Create an action statement. How will you bring this heart-felt desire to fruition? An example could be “I am going to spend at least 10 minutes creating artwork every day.”

#6 – Check in with your heart-felt desire periodically as it can change over time.

#7 – Repeat steps 1-5 if you would like to revise or create a new heart-felt desire.