At the beginning of each year comes the period of setting resolutions and planning goals. The energy of new beginnings is in the air, and it's the perfect time to think about how we want to spend the year, so that we can be happy in it and all those plans and visions come true.

But then February comes and most of the resolutions fail. Why is that so? Often it's because you don't know how to properly set your goals so that they align with what you really want. A crucial factor for success is confidence in yourself, life and the process. When you believe that this is possible for you, it gives you the strength to keep going. When bad times come and motivation starts to wane, it is extremely important to know your why. The reason why you actually do it and why you need it. And last but not least, you need to work with the mindset, because it can limit us nicely, so look at where you stand in your own way.

I want to inspire you in this article to plan this year not according to some exercises and then put it in a drawer and forget about it, but adopt principles that you can follow throughout the year and that will be your compass in any situation.

Today I have 7 principles for you, how to make resolutions a little differently. So that they are truly yours and in line with your inner truth. So that you don't have to keep looking for new motivation.

1. Get to know yourself, your fears, dysfunctional patterns and understand what is actually in your way.

You can certainly have anything you desire, but not based on how you operate today. Examine your thought patterns. Don't believe your every thought. Fear is often just desire in disguise. And also your defense mechanism. It brings you a message. Start asking yourself better questions. Be curious.

2. Trust yourself and the process. Step into life with confidence and take everything along the way as feedback.

Life is the best teacher. Let it go, let it go… Do you know the song from Frozen? When you are not so attached to it, you naturally relax. Actually, it is impossible to hold on to anything. An experience or an activity has no precise end or beginning. It's intangible and yet we cling so terribly to some ideas about ourselves and the world, creating only frustration and disappointment. Let it go. If it doesn't work out, something else and better will come out.

3. Take care of your energy and focus only on what you are after. And make sure it's what you really want.

Energy is your life vitality. It needs to be cared for and protected. It will serve you precisely in those moments when you go towards your goals, outside the comfort zone, when you need to build resilience and expand the capacity for success. Don't underestimate body care. You can't do much without a body. Learn to work with your emotions, release the emotional burden, let the energy flow freely. Go out into nature, drink plenty of water, treat yourself to quality sleep and plenty of green vegetables.

4. Listen to your inner wisdom. It is the best compass. As soon as some "I should/I have to" comes up, be aware.

You strengthen your intuition by becoming quiet. For example, if you make a regular practice of journaling to reflect on how you acted and thought in certain situations. Again, it's about how well you know each other. Each of us perceives our intuition differently and comes to it in a different way.

5. There is strength in simplicity and even greater in the present moment. Let yourself be guided by the question of how you can make it even easier for yourself and then immerse yourself in the here and now.

After all, all of life is just a collection of one here and now after another. After my experience the year before last, when I was sitting with a diagnosis and the moments of my life flashed in my head like in some speed-up movie, I asked myself fundamental life questions. How did I live? How did I even get to this point? How would I feel about leaving now? And at that moment, a tremendous desire to live and not to waste another minute awoke in me. Not by doing, but by simply being.

6. Introduce the rule of one more. A step, a phone call, a contribution, a meeting, a decision, an attempt, because you never know when the next one will lead to a breakthrough.

My coach once told me that I never give up and that is my greatest strength. I didn't realize it until then, but from that day on it became a personal mantra for me and I reminded myself of it during the most difficult moments and pains. If JK Rowling hadn't tried maybe 17 times before they published her book, we wouldn't have Harry Potter and that would be a shame, wouldn't it?

7. Love yourself. Enjoy the ride, support yourself, appreciate yourself, don't stay in unpleasant situations for too long. Be there for yourself.

The most important point of all. You can have discipline, strategies, be part of mastermind groups, all the information in the world, but you can only go the furthest with self-love. Because when you love yourself, you will tackle all the previous points with joy and ease.

I wish you many fulfilled wishes, strength, courage and love.

I will be very happy if it is one of you whom I accompany through personal transformation this year. May your year 2023 be full of health, energy and success - the kind you want it to be with all your heart.

With LOVE

Žanet