It's a new year and like so many people, I've been thinking about resolutions. I've made a few and many of them are the same as last year: drink less, eat fewer sweets, exercise more and so on. From the people I speak with, it seems these are in the world's top ten resolutions anyway.

So I wondered if maybe a different approach to resolutions might work. There's only one way to find out. Let's give it a go.

So today, I share with you a new method for making resolutions based on my limited knowledge of human consciousness. If it works, I'll write a book on it and make a fortune and make a lot of people happy. The latter of course is the real reason for my thinking of course.

I wonder if the reason we fail in our resolutions is because we think about them too much. You know, someone asks you what you'll change and you think about the question and then you think about your answer. Notice the emphasis on the word "think".

Thinking is maybe the wrong method. After all, didn't Einstein suggest that we "cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it". Ah, the clue! It's that word consciousness again. It seems that the secret to everything powerful in life is linked to consciousness.

I've been studying consciousness for about the last decade or so and I've reached some definite conclusions:

We are all connected at a deep conscious level and at this level we are collectively and individually programmed to be successful. That's how we evolve and why life survives even when conditions change.
To tap into our deep consciousness we have to take time out from the cares and problems of day-to-day living. We have to unclutter our minds from thinking so we can be in touch with who we really are. That's how Buddha got to be enlightened and why Jesus took time out to be "with his father".
When we are in touch with our deep consciousness, we are more likely to live with presence. In other words we behave in a positive and constructive way consistent with our true nature.
If we are present, we take right action, probably consistent with the resolutions we'd love to keep.

So, back to resolutions. The best resolution for me (with my goals in mind) is probably not to aim for the goals directly but to resolve to take time out to connect with my true self each day (through meditation, prayer, a quiet bath or a walk in the countryside). In a more connected state, I will naturally be more present and do the right things. But just to check, maybe I'll check in with myself each evening to see how I'm doing.

And if I really want the best resolutions to write down in back of my planner, perhaps the best way is to ask the universe or God (they're the same anyway) what they should be when I'm in an uncluttered state. I can even ask that the answer be given to me a bit later when my sub-conscious has had time to process the data. That way, perhaps I'll get the resolutions I need rather than the ones I think I should have.

Whatever your resolutions turn out to be, I wish everyone who reads this a cracking year.

Clive Wilson is passionate about human talent, authenticity and consciousness. From his home in Harrogate on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales in England, he reflects, writes, creates and speaks on these subjects anywhere in the world. He invites those who can relate to his material to join him at the Sacred Space community on http://sacred-space.ning.com/ where the vision is one of people across the world meeting in nature to share deep wisdom in friendship and peace.