Setting intentions is a powerful, but under-utilised tool to set you up to make changes in your life.And let’s face it, making long term sustainable changes to our habits, behaviours and thought patterns can be hard.

But not anymore!

It’s like planting a seed that you can attend to from time to time and nurture to help it grow into something bigger and beautiful over time.

WHAT IS SETTING AN INTENTION?

An intention is a clear statement about how you want to live your life. It is not the same as a goal setting, however can assist you to clarify, set and achieve them. They can act as fuel for your goals and visions. There are times that intentions and goals align.

Intentions act as a reminder or a commitment as to how you want to live your life. They may include characteristics that you display towards yourself or others, such as kindness, compassion or gratitude. Or they may help support internal motivation, reinforce beliefs or act as inspiration.

STEP 1 – WHERE TO START

Quietly take some time to reflect on the person you are and the person you would like to be. You may use grounding or breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, prayer or any activity that helps you to feel centred, calm and clear. We want to go beyond the noisy internal dialogue of our ego mind into a quieter space where our pure consciousness can unfold.

It is from this place that we open ourselves up to our deepest needs or desires and allow a positive focus point to come into our awareness.

Recently I reflected on being reliable as an important aspect of my being. Sometimes, as I’m human, I don’t achieve this in the way I would like to. This started to show up in running late. According to my own personal value system, when I am late, this translates to not caring enough about the person I am running late to meet for example. In addition, feeling stressed and flustered due to being late is a feeling I would rather prevent.

So my intention was based around reliability and running on time.

STEP 2 – AVOID JUDGMENT

Don’t be tempted to start giving yourself a hard time for not living up to the best version of yourself! This is an opportunity to identify a core value, belief or skill you would like to focus on, pay attention to or nurture.

If you find yourself getting caught up into a negative thought pattern or creating a story about being a bad person (this is an example of shame) or doing a bad thing (this is guilt), this is an opportunity to practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of the most powerful self healing tools you can practice.

In addition, judgment can act as a sign to come back to our centre or stillness.

STEP 3 – JUST PICK ONE

You may have identified multiple areas of your life you would like to work on and feel a little overwhelmed. This is not an uncommon experience. You are not alone. After all, we all could improve in lots of different ways at any time. Still unsure, take a broader long term view of what you would like the world, your family or your relationships to look like. Allow the first thing to come into your awareness to become an area of focus. There is no need to dwell on it, or think about it too much.

There is always the opportunity tomorrow to set a different intention.

STEP 4 – RELEASE YOUR INTENTIONS OR DESIRES

From a place of restful awareness and with an openness to endless possibilities, release your intention to the universe. You can do this by saying it out loud, saying it in your head (maybe more than once) or write it down.

After you set your intention, let it go and stop thinking about it. Try and remain in your calm and centred state for a period of time to allow it to settle. This may be just for a few breaths or for longer when you have the opportunity.

STEP 5 – DETACH FROM THE OUTCOME

We live in a world that can at times values results at all costs over process. There is no need to have a rigid attachment to the intention we have set. The process or balance may unfold in unexpected ways.

Trust that things will work out the way they should, then let go and allow an openness to new opportunity to come your way.

INTENTION SETTING EXAMPLE

Most days I sit comfortably for a few moments, either at the start or the end of doing some light exercise in the early morning, such as stretching or going for a walk. After taking attention to the breath, feel for where the body is in space. Feel sensation thru the whole body and a quietening calm move throughout the whole system.

It can be a nice thing to do outside, but you don’t have to! When feeling calm and clear, I allow a point of focus to come to my awareness. This may be something physical, such as the feeling of fatigue. From here, an intention around moving with energy or being kind to myself and those around me may be set.

“Today I am energised by the universe and those around me” or “I treat myself and those around me with kindness.”

For some people, using one word as a focus works best, this may simply just be KINDNESS or ENERGISE.

If judgment crept into my intention practice, such as I’m so tired because …. happened yesterday. Then I use a statement such as “I have access to unbound energy, I wholeheartedly love and accept myself and those around me.”

As setting intentions becomes a daily practice in your life, it can literally take 30 seconds and completely change the quality and awareness you bring into your day. Sometimes you may have the same set intentions for a week or even longer and at other times it may change daily. Let us know how you incorporate a daily intention setting session into your life by commenting below, or contacting Prue directly.