At the beginning of the year and the start of every quarter and month, I set intentions. And I’ve found that it’s been the most powerful thing I have changed in my life and business over the last couple of years.
Why?
Because it changes the way I approach my goals and what I want to see happen in my life. The way I write intentions–as positive, active, present-tense statements–gives them something akin to magical powers. They get into my subconscious. They tell my brain and my body what I WILL do.
Rather than being wishy-washy and vague, these intentions give me a clear path to follow and are deeply connected to the vision I have for my life. They keep me aligned with my purpose and my objectives.
And the best part is that it doesn’t take much time or effort.
I basically sit with my goals for the period I’m setting intentions for and decide what my focus will be for the month/quarter/year. Then I list out the top 5-10 things (depending on how long the period is) that I want to accomplish during the timeframe.
As I mentioned above, I write these statements in active, present tense language and I make them specific. For example, if my goal is to write more, then my intention might be:
I write 500 words every day.
Once I’ve written my intentions out, sometimes I put them in my calendar where I can see them each day/week. If you have an office space, you might choose to hang them over your desk. There have been months, though, where I’ve put them away and not looked at them again until it was time to write out the next month’s intentions.
The shocker?
The simple act of writing them down and FEELING them for a few minutes was enough for them to be IN me. I took action on them throughout the month and saw significant progress, if not achievement, by the beginning of the next month. Without EVER looking at them during the month.
Want in on what I like to call Intention Magic? Take some time today to set intentions that will shift your behavior and get you closer to your goals.
- Choose something that is a challenge. What have you been telling yourself you can’t or won’t do? For example, maybe you think: “I can’t eat healthy right now because I don’t have time to cook my own meals.”
- Shift into a general positive intention. Start thinking to yourself: “I’m going to get healthier.”
- Now get more specific. Write out a positive, active and present tense intention that addresses the challenge. “I shop for and cook healthy meals and snacks every week to improve my health.”
It’s that simple. It takes some work in the beginning to start thinking like an intention-setter. But once you’ve got the hang of it, the magic starts to take over and your actions fall in line with your intentions–often without and conscious thought!
What is one intention you can set for yourself today? Share it in the comments or tag me on Social Media (Facebook or Instagram) so that I can cheer you on and add my energy to your intentions.
xoxo
Ami Youngs Coaching 