Setting Powerful Intentions

Do you ever get into bed at night, sink into your pillow and think “Where did today go? I wish I’d done X, Y or Z.”? You realize that from the moment you woke up to the moment you went to bed, you’d zombie through the day, floating from couch to kitchen with no real intent.
Not super satisfying.

We’ve all had those days. In fact, a had a day like that last week (and when your time off is limited, one day is important). That’s what inspired this article.

Intention. It’s the starting point. Whether for your health, your career, your relationship, mindset… intention is where it begins. Always. When you brush your teeth, that started with intention. When you pour your coffee, that started with intention.

“Intention is one of the most powerful forces there is.” B. Yovanoff

Intentions come from your deepest desires and goals. From intentions come actions and from actions come progress and from progress comes success. But none of this can happen unless you have set intentions in the first place.

We all have goals. We want to be fitter, richer, smarter, healthier. We want to be better friends, parents, children, significant others. All of these things – YOU CAN ACHIEVE. But you have to take action and to take action, you must set intentions.

I am not one to tell you that “you MUST do this thing every day and you will succeed”. I believe in taking time off, in rest days and in choosing the path that works for you, not for everyone else. BUT…

Setting an intention is something that is worth doing, every single day.

Intentions are mini goals. We set them, we accomplish them, we feel great about ourselves and then we make more. They create momentum and momentum drives us towards achieving our goals.

Do you have to create a massive to-do list every day? No. But a day without intention is like wandering a path mindlessly, with no idea where you will end up or what you will get out of the path. Think about it this way: how do you feel when you think about your day and realize you did nothing to propel yourself towards your goals?

I’ll tell you how I feel when I realize I moved through my day with no intention: sad, disappointed, stuck.

Here’s how I want to feel (and how I want you to feel): optimistic, proud, strong, confident, powerful.

Embrace the power of set intentions.

1. Define your goals. What matters to you the most? The answer to this question could be (and often is), both tangible and intangible. You want to be healthy and you want to quiet your worried mind, but you also want to buy your first home. Both are important because both take up space in your mind.
Ask yourself questions: What do you want to let go of? What do you want tomorrow that you don’t have today? What would you like to create in life? What relationship would you like to nurture? What makes you happiest?

2. Set your intentions in line with your goals. You want to be healthy: set your intentions to workout daily and stretch in the morning. You want peace of mind: set your intentions to take 10 minutes every day before bed to reflect on the day you’ve had and the day that is to come. You want to buy a home: set your intentions to learn 2 new things about buying a home each day and spend 5 minutes each afternoon searching for homes near you.

Write your intentions down and revisit them often. Keep yourself centered around these intentions and goals and let them ground you to the things that make you happy in life.

3. Hold yourself accountable. Recognize that your actions aren’t arbitrary. Your actions connect you to your deepest desires and they matter.

Intentions vary. What matters is that you set them and recognize them. That you go after them so that when you lie your head down tonight, you feel happy, content and powerful.