How to Set Intentions for your Best Life!

Personal wellness and self-care have really mattered this year! Things like gratitude, mindfulness, journal writing, intention setting, and other wellness practices are simple yet are believed to be quite impactful.

how to set intentions gravel road living

So months ago, I decided I wouldn’t set any New Year’s resolutions this year. Instead, I would set Intentions.

New Year’s Resolutions

I haven’t necessarily been a huge resolution-setter in the past, but I do know that I tend to fall within the 80% of people who give up on their New Year’s resolutions by mid-February (Jennifer Cohen, forbes.com).

6 weeks… that’s all it takes for most of us to call it a day on the resolutions.

There is much research related to why most New Year’s resolutions fail, and by understanding this you could give yourself a better shot. Therefore, If you have set New Year’s resolutions for yourself, you may want to do some reading to arm yourself with a bit of knowledge so you can help create a better path forward to success. Here are a few easy to read articles to help.

Making New Year’s Resolutions? Chances are you’re doing them wrong (Laura Hensley, Global News)

Most New Year’s resolutions will fail in 6 weeks. Here’s how you can beat the odds (CBC News)

Personally, I’ve decided to look at the year ahead a bit differently with a focus on Intentions instead of resolutions. I think this is a perfect way to have a great start to a new year.

What are Intentions?

If you do a quick search of this phrase, you’ll find some common words and themes appear:

framework
guiding principle
driving force
roadmap
path
purpose
values
alignment
feeling
attitude
positive
motivational
inspirational

Thus, Intentions may be defined as positive statements, unique to ourselves, that guide and motivate our thoughts, attitude, feelings, and behaviours.

I visualize Intentions as a personal compass that we can check in with every now and then when we need a little extra direction, purpose and inspiration in our lives.

woman holding compass for direction — Credit: M Hewines | Unsplash

When faced with decisions, your Intentions can also help guide your decision-making. As well, they focus on checking in with yourself, feeling well, and enjoying the journey, which are all key elements of self-care and wellness.

What is the difference between Resolutions and Intentions?

Resolutions are commitments or promises to either do something or not do something. They are very focused on outcomes and are usually finite in nature. Alternatively, Intentions may be more broad and rather than act as goals, they can provide a foundation for goal-setting.

Resolutions come with that inherent pressure to achieve or fail, whereas Intentions guide you in the life you want to lead and are more focused on the process rather than the output.

Personally, I feel like Intentions are a bit more forgiving and sometimes we need that!

Having said that, I believe that Intentions and goal setting/to-do lists can work well together. I will continue to make my to-do lists and set goals in my life, but I appreciate that wellness and happiness are derived more naturally from intentional living rather than from a list that includes clean bathrooms and make lunches.

How to Set Intentions

I came across many different methods for setting Intentions, some quite involved, but most shared a few common steps.

To make Intention setting simple and doable, here are three easy steps you can follow.

Step 1: Reflect and Check In With Yourself

Find a time and space that works for you for this first step. There was lots written about Intention setting during meditation or yoga for example, but for me, a walk outside is where I do my best thinking. It’s right outside my door and all I need is a pair of shoes.

gravel road living — Credit: V Ciro | Unsplash

Intentions evolve from knowing yourself and reflecting on your feelings and actions so just do what you need to do to give yourself time to think, feel and reflect. If you need to hide out in your car for some quiet time, I think that’s fair game.

Use this time to think about how you are feeling now, how you want to feel, what you love, and what you want more of in your life. Think of actions (the journey), not results (the outcome).

What do you want your journey to look, be and feel like? This is what sets the stage for the Intentions you set.

The teacher in me feels like this is a bit like a brainstorming session or mindmap. Get it all out there and don’t judge it. You can focus in on your priorities during Step 2.

Step 2: Focus on What is Most Significant and Meaningful to You

Now that you have some clarity and awareness around what really matters to you and what you want more of in your life, focus on those areas that you feel most strongly about for your Intentions.

Of course you are welcome to write down as few or as many Intentions as you wish to guide you throughout this new year. However, I think there is something to be said for keeping it simple here so that your Intentions guide you, not overwhelm you.

Once you have established some clarity and priorities through reflection and checking in with yourself, and have focused your attention and commitment to the areas that matter most to you, it’s time to write your Intentions down.

Step 3: Write Down Your Intentions

Intentions are meant to be written down as positive statements.

Examples of Intentions

Because Intentions are personal, they really can focus on anything and therefore will look different for everyone. However, generally Intentions are written as positive “I” statements.

Here are 10 examples you can use as a guide:

I will spend time outdoors every day.
I will love and accept myself more.
I will listen without distraction.
I will acknowledge the things for which I am grateful.
I will make nutrition choices that are good for me.
I will strengthen friendships.
I will approach challenging situations with a positive attitude.
I will believe in myself and feel confident.
I will embrace small moments and ways to connect with my family.
I will be patient and calm with my tween and teen. 🙂

If you think about it, these simple sentences that can have a big impact!

Conclusion

Summary of Steps

Step #1 – Reflect and Check in With Yourself
Step #2 – Focus on What is Most Significant and Meaningful to You
Step #3 – Write Down Your Intentions (as positive “I” statements)

So I have set Intentions for the new year and it’s kind of comforting to know I have created this little roadmap to help lead the way. Life can get so busy at times but my Intentions will help me stay focused on what matters, even in the midst of the tough days.

Because Intentions don’t lead to a specific outcome, they don’t come with that same “New Year’s Resolution” pressure to either succeed or fail. I think the little bit of magic here though is that if you align your thoughts and actions with your Intentions, you might just crush some of those resolutions-you-didn’t-make anyway. 🙂

Happy New Year to all! KJ

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