So here we are with a New Year - a new decade actually - and we have decided that we want to set some goals for this year. We want things to change. We want things to be better somehow, and we have resolved to concentrate on achieving a particular thing. We have set a New Year's resolution.

Great.

When you get in your car and start a journey, you need to know where you are going, how you are going to get there, roughly how long it will take, and how you know when you have arrived. So this is a good plan for your own goals - whether it is to lose weight and get fitter, or find a new job, or new home, or a new relationship, it's a good idea to have a plan of some small achievable goals, and an idea of how long you want to take to achieve those goals. Also, define what success means to you. What will it look like when you have lost all the excess weight, or found your dream job, home, relationship, or just found more time to be creative, or read more, spend more time with your children. See it, hear it, feel it, taste it and touch it in your mind, every day. You need a strong REASON to do anything, not just a vague hope, a really really real reason, so that when the going gets tough, you can keep going. I think it was Dexter Yager who said "If the dream is big enough, the facts don't count".

Now what? So you've set your intention and after a week your resolve may be much less than it was when you looked in the mirror on 31st December and decided to do it differently next year. Willpower is a fickle thing. It only works when you are feeling good about your decision, when you are in the first flush of achievement, but after a few weeks or months, Willpower alone can fade. So what else can you do?

So let's have a look again at "setting your intention". One of the things you really need to do is be able to see/hear/taste and feel what it is like to have that thing that you are wanting. The Brain cannot tell the difference between a strong feeling/daydream and actual reality. So if you practise seeing/feeling/tasting/touching the things that you want every day for a few minutes a day, it will come to you. The Law of Attraction really works! You get what you think about the most, so if after a few weeks you start to feel/think "I cant do this", that is what you will attract. Circumstances, people, events will start to get in the way of your success. So picture yourself as being successful with your new resolution. Think positively.

Here's the thing: for most of her adult life Terri had been overweight, and every 31st December she had looked at herself with hate and loathing for her size and shape. In 2019 both she and Paul discovered a low-carb lifestyle which meant that she shed 20lbs very quickly. The biggest difference with this "diet" and ALL the other ones she's tried is the shift in her perspective from "I hate myself at this size and I want to lose weight", to seeing herself as a thinner person every day. She literally daydreamed about walking in her favourite places, doing all the things she loved to do, but doing it 20lbs lighter. So focus on the positive aspect of your goal, not the negative aspect. Shift from, "I'm so fat and I need to lose weight" to "won't it be nice to be able to do all this 20lbs lighter". Also, we stopped calling it "a diet" like it was punishment, and called it "a lifestyle change" which had a more positive, more relaxed sound to it.

Another thing you can do is set up a board in your office or bedroom with loads of photographs and inspirational quotes to keep yourself motivated. These boards are a good idea, but the Brain is as fickle as Willpower, because when your brain gets used to seeing the same photos, the same inspirational quotes, it gets bored and it starts to block them from your view in search of exciting new stimulus instead. So make sure you refresh your boards regularly and keep on encouraging yourself with new inspirational pics and quotes.

Dont try to be perfect, just try. It takes time and practise to get really good at something - you look at dancers, gymnasts, artists, any performing art - heck - even a bricklayer - it takes time and practise to get it right. Don't try to force the end result and get disappointed before you grasp the basics of a technique. I always use the analogy of learning how to drive. Think back to your first driving lesson - you didn't really expect to go roaring off down the motorway at the end of it, did you? OK, well, maybe you did, but when you switched on the engine and released the hand brake, reality crashed in hard on that daydream, and you realised that you needed to get used to this machine and learn how to drive in a straight line! So your first goal might have been, to control the steering wheel. Next goal, increase speed from a wandering 7mph, to a wobbly but straighter 15mph, to a more confident 30mph and so on. It took quite a few lessons to master all those pedals, gears and mirrors, didn't it? "Mirror, signal, manouever" sounds fairly straight forward until you try it for the first time! So don't expect miracles overnight - the chances are that it wont happen that way. Take baby steps, little by little every day, and keep practising it all in your mind too.

And so what if you don't do it today, or you do it worse, or you don't go to the gym, or your first job application fails, or the house falls through. You're human and Life happens. Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, remind yourself why you are doing this, and get on with it again tomorrrow. "When the dream is big enough, the facts don't count."

And we really must talk to you about using Crystals. Why not unlock all those millions of years of creation and energy, strap it around your wrist or neck, or carry it in your pocket and let Mother Nature help you to acheive your goals too. Using Crystals to help you with New Year's resolutions is a broad headline. So let's reduce it down a bit and ask ourselves what aspect do we need help with.

So, for example, here is a short list of the most common things that we might want to set an intention about, and beside it we have added some Crystals that will help us with that. Below this list, we have expanded the information about each of the 16 Crystals so that you can decide which one(s) you want to go for. We would suggest that if you find some overlap with the ideas and crystals, that you limit yourself to wearing/carrying just one or two crystals to start with, and see how it goes. Allow some time to see if the Crystal is working for you - some are more immediate, some will take 1-3 weeks to be noticeable.

How do I use the Crystal? Just take it everywhere with you, talk to it, touch it as often as you can, or wear it next to your skin so that it's energies can be absorbed into yours. Let the crystal know what you are using it for. "In Love and Light I ask for help with finding friends" or "creating abundance/prosperity" etc etc. You may find after a while that you will get brilliant ideas to do things, or to be somewhere, or talk to someone - this is your inner voice working with the crystal to help you to achieve your goal. Enjoy the journey.

• For all New Beginnings - Amethyst, Aventurine, Citrine, Fluorite, Jasper, Labradorite, Moonstone
• Quit a habit (smoking eating drinking etc) - Amethyst, Carnelian, Hematite, Quartz, Tigers Eye
• Getting healthy / reducing stress / reducing weight - Amethyst, Aquamarine, Carnelian, Hematite, Moonstone, Onyx, Quartz, Smokey Quartz, Tigers Eye, Tourmaline
• Get organised, get motivated - Carnelian, Citrine, Fluorite, Hematite, Jasper, Quartz, Tigers Eye
• Finding Love - Aquamarine, Aventurine, Moonstone, Rose Quartz
• Finding new friends or job - Aquamarine, Aventurine, Rose Quartz
• Get more connected to your inner self or further your spirituality - Amethyst, Aquamarine, Moonstone, Quartz, Rose Quartz, Smokey Quartz
• Attract more prosperity / abundance - Aventurine, Carnelian, Citrine, Quartz
• Finding your life purpose or true self - relaxing more - bring closure to a situation or relationship - Aquamarine, Aventurine, Fluorite, Jasper, Labradorite, Moonstone, Quartz, Smokey Quartz
• Stop being a doormat, learn to say no to others and yes to yourself - Aventurine, Carnelian, Citrine, Fluorite, Jasper, Labradorite, Onyx, Quartz, Tigers Eye, Tourmaline

And here is the expanded information about each of those crystals. You can find all the crystals that we have in that group by clicking on the name of the crystal and it will take you to that particular collection.

AMETHYST concentrates the mind so that you feel less scattered and are able to set goals and feel more balanced. If you want to break free from addictions & habits, this is the stone for you. Amethyst is one of the most spritual stones, so if your goal is to find your inner self or further your spiritual path, carry some Amethyst with you and listen to that inner voice when it prompts you to go somewhere, or meet with someone etc.

AQUAMARINE clears your mind, releasing anger, stress or any negative feeling. It helps you to bring closure to any event or relationship which no longer serves you well. Aquamarine calms the mind and enhances meditation. It brings luck in love, and helps to make positive changes

AVENTURINE is absolutely on the money when it comes to manifesting prosperity and wealth, bringing luck, attracting new friendships or changing your job. Green Aventurine is a gem of good fortune, new beginnings, and alternative possibilities - you can wear it as a "lucky charm". It enhances creativity, and dissolves negative feelings.

CARNELIAN will strengthen your motivation, increase your self confidence, increase your creativity and help you to find your personal power. It is associated with the lower Chakras so it will assist you with weight loss and exercise.

CITRINE is one of those rise-and-shine prosperity/abundance stones that will assist you with a new venture. As well as attracting wealth and abundance, citrine can boost your confidence, creativity, and self-esteem.

FLUORITE clears confusion in your mind, releases negativity, increases your concentration, expands the mind and enables wise decision making. Get organised and get things done with Fluorite!

HEMATITE boosts your confidence, enhances your willpower, and gives you courage to make decisions. It helps you to become more grounded and focused, and to release negative energy.

JASPER increases your motivation by bringing determination to all of your pursuits. It helps you to speak out, become more active and more able to manifest new ideas and get to grips with a situation with more assertiveness.

LABRADORITE helps us to see and manifest our intentions and goals by dispelling any illusions. If you want to discover your true self, uncover your destiny and find your life purpose, keep a piece of Labradorite with you at all times and enjoy the ride!

MOONSTONE is a stone for New Beginnings. It connects us to the Goddess and feminine energy, bringing calm, empathy and less stress.

ONYX is stone of protection and will shield your body and mind from negative energy or psychic attack, which will enable you to overcome feelings of depression. It can calm your fears and therefore reduce stress. Onyx brings support in times of great stress or grief.

QUARTZ is the master healing stone which amplifies the energies around you and within you, so it will magnify your intentions, clarify your mind and bring focus to your endeavours.

ROSE QUARTZ is all about love - opening your heart to love, finding love, loving yourself, increasing your self-worht, attracting a harmonious long term relationship and healing from emotional wounds either from the past or present.

SMOKY QUARTZ is about letting go - it lifts emotional fear and anger, and overcomes negative emotions or depression.

TIGERS EYE helps you to find your personal power by strengthening your willpower and motivation to achieve goals. It increases your creativity, and encourages you to look at the positives instead of the negatives.

TOURMALINE - stop being a doormat, learn to say no to others and yes to yourself. Tourmaline promotes a laid-back positive attitude, and is an excellent protector against ill-wishing, negative energy or psychic attack.

Thank you for reading this blog, and feel free to share the information on your chosen social media, but please give us the accreditation for the blog piece. We have enjoyed sharing with you, and hope that you will find some nugget of information or inspiration, that will help you on your Journey. We wish you much success, good health and happiness.