Are you clearing the right clutter? How to rock your resolutions this year.

The New Year typically brings resolutions to clear clutter, but instead of sorting through drawers, cabinets and closets, why not remove some serious rocks—the ones that prevent us from carrying out the big resolutions—the ones where we want to live better, healthier, more meaningful lives?

In his book, "40 Days to Personal Revolution", Baron Baptiste, author and yoga teacher says,

"Transformation comes not by adding things on but by removing what didn't belong in the first place. We change by peeling away all the toxic layers, emotional debris, and beliefs that we have added on over the years. We forget that there is something perfect already within us, through years of habit and hypnosis we took a wrong turn, and now we automatically look outside ourselves for something that will fix us."

Baron suggests a physical practice like yoga to remove the toxins, and meditation to clear the clutter in the mind. If yoga isn't your thing, try setting an intention of awareness while you walk, run, spin, or shoot hoops. Be aware of the self-talk, the dialogue in your head that tells you you're not good enough, you're doing it wrong, you're selfish. These conversations are the real obstacles, the rocks in your way, preventing you from keeping the resolutions you've made to live better.

The good news is that we can remove those rocks by simply acknowledging them and refusing to believe them. Just walk around them, set them aside, let them go. Come back to enjoying the walk, the run, to breathing, to being on the court. Quieting our mind’s inner, conditioned chatter puts us more in touch with our true self and our deeper intentions. We become less concerned with what others think about us and cultivate more faith in ourselves and in others.

Make 2010 the year to release the rocks you've been holding on to. Clear some clutter and create space—not just for new stuff, but for a new way of living, thinking, being.

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