INTENTIONS

What is an intention?

An intention is an energy you create for a goal you want to work towards. It can be a dream, an idea, or a concept of how you want your life to look at the end of a year. Intentions can be small goals you want to achieve, such as reading a book once a month, listening to a podcast on a topic that interests you, or trying to eat breakfast at home rather than after going through a drive-thru window and eating in your car as you race to work.

Therapists often ask clients to imagine a magic wand or a genie granting wishes and ask, "If everything in your life was magically fixed when you woke up tomorrow morning, what would your life look like?" This is a powerful way to set goals. You can envision an ideal life area and set goals around it. Examples can be, "I would go back to school, " "Change jobs," "Create a calmer night routine for myself or my family," and "Exercise three times a week with a friend."

Once you identify your intentions, you can set goals and take steps to achieve them. Some clients use a SMART Goal model: 

Specific

Measurable

Achievable/Attainable

Relevant

Time-bound/Timely.

Others set a goal such as, "I will plan a calmer night routine for myself."

Goal: A calmer night routine

That is your overall goal. From there, you will identify steps to achieve your goal.

Steps:

Here is a sample:

1. When I get home, I will change out of my work clothes and into comfortable clothes or pajamas to physically shed the work day.

2. I will pre-cut vegetables for the week's meals on weekends to reduce cooking prep time during the work week.

3. I will limit my screen time to thirty minutes after work on my devices.

4. Before getting into bed, I will read, listen to music, stretch, or watch a bedtime yoga video.

5. I will shower at night to reduce my morning frenzy and give myself more time to eat breakfast or pack a lunch.

Create a timeline:

Start by taking one step at a time until it becomes a routine. You could start with an easy step such as changing out of clothes or showering before bed each day. You can also change the settings on your phone for bedtime and darken your device screens to discourage the rabbit holes of social media scrolling. You get to choose as these are your goals!

Small changes have a greater impact over time in assisting you in your intentions.

To learn more about intentions, I suggest attending the following workshop on Tuesday, January 7, 2025:

https://www.journeylifebalance.com/event-details/intentions-workshop-1