Setting Intentions For Your Life
Setting intentions for your life is a crucial step to setting yourself up for success in life. The first step is to know where you are heading. Reflecting on what we’re going to do next helps us plan for and accomplish our goals.
When you set your intention on something, it is much more likely to happen.
How well do you know your intentions?
Why You Should Consider Setting Your Intentions Today
- Intentions have power
When you set your intention to something, it’s like you set your sails to go in the direction you want your boat to go to. You naturally start planning and prioritizing your time accordingly to make things happen. When you don’t set intentions you’re just being taken by the flow and it’s not necessarily taking you in the direction you want to go to. - Setting intentions make your course of action clear
When you have your intentions set, you are keep your goals in the forefront of your mind. If your intention is to find a better job, for example, your brain will start to come up with aligned actions you can take, people you can contact, attitudes you need to have, to make it come true. - They can be short-term and long-term intentions
An example of a short-term intention might be increasing your daily water intake to 6 cups a day (or whatever it is you could benefit from). A longer term intention could be working consistently and recording results so that you can ask for a promotion (with data to back you up). It’s good to have both short and long term so that you can have quick wins and not feel discouraged because it takes too long to achieve a goal. - It’s your decision
The intentions you will set are entirely up to you. This is why it’s important to know what are your values and what things matter to you. Everybody wants to be successful, but what does success look like to you? And how much are you willing to work for it? How long are you willing to wait to have it? What it will be, how much effort you will put into it and when you will get it are all decisions that are up to you. In any case, deciding what they are will give you a jumpstart to having a successful life (on your terms). - Setting intentions raises your self-esteem
It is my intention to finish writing this blog post and publish it today. Once I decided this, I knew I was going to accomplish it. It was as good as having it done. It made me feel good even though I had not done it yet! It’s a commitment to myself, and when we follow these, our self confidence and self-esteem get a boost. - You become an inspiration for others
When you set intentions for your life, and make it known to others, you are setting yourself as a model to be followed. Most people live their day to day routines without thinking about what they want to achieve. When you say, “it is my intention to do this” and go for it, you are showing them they too can follow their dreams. You are setting the example and raising the bar. You are allowing them to do the same, and that is inspiring! Additionally, it is another motivation for you to continue on your path of setting your intentions!
Intention Setting Sets You Up to a Bright Future
We all have dreams. The potential to live our dream life is how we know our life is worth living. Setting intentions is the starting step to move towards our dream life. First, get clear on what you want. The how may not be as you expect, but take aligned actions anyway.
This piece may be centered around things we want to bring into our lives in the future, but don’t let that make you forget what you’ve achieved so far. Being grateful for what we have today is what makes ours a blissful road.
A life lived with purpose is already a life worth living. First, you need to decide what you truly want to do with it, then set your intentions! No matter how young or old you are, it is never too late. Having intentions provide you with guidelines and bring you motivation to pursue your dreams every day.
An important tip to make sure you follow through with your actions even when they are hard is creating constructive habits. Once you determine what constructive habits support your intentions and incorporate them into your life, you will get results seamlessly.
Action Steps:
- Create a long-term intention (example: get that promotion)
- Create short-term intentions that support that long-term intention (examples: clarify expectations; set time aside daily to work on advancing activities; do mini-feedbacks; keep a progress log)
- Start taking action today on your short-term intentions. Do at least one activity that will set the process into motion.
Don’t wait to start setting your intentions, if you haven’t done that already. If you have, congratulations! You are already ahead of most people when it comes to walking toward your dream life.
The next step is reassessing and adjusting! Our lives are always in motion and as we make progress, things change! Even our desires and goals may change. Keep that in mind and be flexible!
