Make 2024 Your Year Using This Method

by Milinda Atallian

When you think “IRA” – and let’s be honest, the average person probably doesn’t think about this too often – does it bring you thoughts of serenity and fulfillment? Probably more like stress over whether you’ve saved enough for retirement, right?

For the purposes of this brief mind excursion, can you shift your focus from that IRA to the IRA Method?

When the new year starts, often we find ourselves making these grandiose promises and plans, only to forget about them after a couple of weeks or even a few days. And, inevitably, we end up making the same promises and plans at the start of the next year.

Having a grand plan that you work towards is a wonderful thing. Setting goals and working towards them puts purpose in the things that we do. But what if you took the time each day to set an intention – just for that day?

Whether it is physically related, spiritually related, something that you can do for yourself or something that you can do for others. The list of daily intentions can be anything from completing a specific workout to simply getting your laundry done. Or it could be something that you do for someone else, whether it is paying them a compliment or holding the door for someone. Wake up, set a daily intention each day, and then follow through.

Once you get into the habit of doing that, perhaps the larger resolution(s) that you set for your monthly and yearly goal will seem more attainable.

For example, we often hear everyone talking about how they need to drink more water, and that is their New Year’s resolution – DRINK MORE WATER. What if you took that grand resolution and turned it into a daily intention of drinking water every day? Yes, it is the same thing, but not as daunting as setting a 365-day goal. One day, one cup, one intention at a time.

The most important thing we can do for ourselves as we move through our daily intentions and the monthly/yearly goals is to give ourselves the gift of self-affirmation. How often do you find yourself complimenting others? And how nice does it feel to know that you have said something that has made someone feel good about themselves? Why then do we not do that for ourselves daily?

Too often we are critical of our own appearance and performances. Too often we take for granted the wonderful things that make us who we are. Taking the time to self-affirm could change our whole perspective for minutes, hours, or even the whole day. Appreciate your strengths, take notice of something good that you are doing while it is happening, give yourself a compliment, smile back at the face looking at you in the mirror. There are so many ways to self-affirm, it is just a matter of taking the time to do so. Consider that if you are your best cheerleader, achieving your intention of the day and your resolution for the month/year will be that much easier.

The IRA-Method is about being your best support system. It is about using every single day to achieve or work toward short-term and long-term goals. It is about giving yourself a boost of confidence along the way with self-affirmations. It is simple, free, and totally worth the moments that it takes to make it happen. As you move into the New Year ahead, hopefully you can see each day as a new opportunity to set your daily INTENTIONS, continue to work towards your monthly/yearly RESOLUTIONS, and along the way, give yourself the gift of daily AFFIRMATIONS to celebrate all the good that you do.

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