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Ahhh... The holidays are over and we have put away all of the decorations. I love Christmas but also love regaining some space afterward!

During the holidays, I was invited to a cookie exchange at a neighbor's house. Sounded fun. The invitation said to bring six sets of six cookies and to "wrap creatively." To me, this meant "Do something a little nicer than a paper plate with plastic wrap." I followed directions. Having spent the entire afternoon baking my favorite cookies with all fresh ingredients, I settled on nicely decorated red cellophane bags with twist ties and happily took them to the party.

You have probably guessed by now that "wrap creatively" actually meant "Knock yourself out creating over-the-top packaging." I brought home Christmas plates, dishes, mugs, and other fancy doodads (which must now be stored) and some not-so-great cookies. Frankly, I would rather have had delicious cookies in disposable zipper bags.

Lest you take me for a Scrooge, we all had a great time and I met lots of new people. I was grateful to be invited. But it was another illustration of emphasis on packaging over content.

The point? It's a New Year. Resolutions abound. Everywhere you turn, people are making lists of what they will or won't do this year. Packaging over content. What you do (or are seen doing) is more important than who you are.

I have an alternative suggestion for you and strongly encourage you to do this. Instead of listing do's or don'ts, how about stating who you will be in 2007?

If you have already made your list of resolutions, by all means keep it and good luck! Save that and make a companion list of your being statements for this year. Look at your list of resolutions and identify what it is that you really want from each item. If you have resolved to exercise more, is it because you want to lose weight, maintain your health, look better in your clothes, have more energy, or meet people? Take that information and create an intention statement that says what it is that you're really trying to accomplish. (If you have trouble at first, begin each statement with "I am a person who...")  If it's to look better in your clothes, then your statement might be something like, "I am confident in my appearance at all times."  If your intent is really to meet people, your being statement could read, "I regularly seek activities where I can meet a variety of new people."

The difference in making a to-do list versus crafting an intention or being statement is that it is much easier to succeed when you're clear about the true intention behind the to-do. If you resolve to go to the gym and work out at least 30 minutes four times a week, but only make it three times each week then you have failed at your resolution. However, if you are crystal clear that your intent is to feel great about your appearance, then you can feel good that you worked out three times as part of your intention. You will also naturally do a number of other things to feel good about your appearance. You may choose clothes that are flattering to you, avoid a diet that drags you down, get adequate sleep, maintain a great hairstyle, and exercise as often as you can. It is all about who you want to be and the things you will then naturally do to make that happen.

Here are my own "being" statements for this year:

• I always maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.

• I only take on extra projects that enrich my family or in some way improve a part of the world.

• My business is perfect; I have exactly the workload I can manage well.

Look at the first one. Rather than write down resolutions that I will eat right, go to the gym so many times a week, spend mornings in prayer and meditation, etc. I am focusing on the person I intend to be. I may very well do all of those things as a natural outcome of my intention statement, but by concentrating on the desired result, I free myself of the lengthy to-do list. Best of all, because the intention fits me and is true for me, it governs all of my actions and eliminates failure.

The concept of creating your reality by your intentions is one that takes a while and one that I work closely on with many clients. When my clients really start to get it, they always have a huge "Ah-Hah!" It is a liberating and motivating approach and one that I challenge you to take on this year. If you do, you will enjoy great freedom!

If you would like to talk more about creating intentions for your life I invite you to contact me for a complimentary coaching consultation.

Happy New Year!

Gwen