Introduction
It’s a new year and you’re ready to make some changes. You know that you want more out of life, but it can be hard to figure out how to get there. That’s where intentions come in. Intentions are the things that motivate us and help us achieve our goals, so they’re important! They can also be hard to find because we often aren’t aware of what our intentions are (or might be). So how do we discover them? I’m going to show you how.
Find your intention and make it clear.
- Find your intention and make it clear.
An intention is a clear statement of what you want to achieve. It can be anything from wanting to learn how to play the flute or become more organized, all the way up to set yourself on a path toward becoming an astronaut or winning the lottery. The key here is specificity: having an idea in mind that is both achievable and meaningful will help keep you focused throughout the year ahead. If your goal isn’t something that brings you joy, consider whether it’s worth pursuing—you’ll likely find yourself less motivated if your goal doesn’t align with who you are as a person. Finally, be willing to commit fully; if this intention is important enough for you to set aside some time every day or week toward achieving it, then honor that commitment by doing so!
Create time and space for your intention.
- Before you can solve a problem, you need to know what the problem is. This is especially true when it comes to setting intentions for your life and work.
- If you don’t know what your goal is, how can you achieve it?
- People who set intentions without having a clear vision of where they want their lives or careers to go are much more likely to be disappointed in their results than those who do their homework first.
Practice mindfulness to get closer to your intention.
To set intentions and achieve your goals, practice mindfulness. This can be as simple as taking a few minutes every day to sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on what you’re experiencing in the present moment. Be aware of how it feels to breathe in and out, feel your body against the chair or cushion you’re sitting on, and notice any sounds around you. You don’t have to do anything but breathe and be aware of your surroundings—and those are great things!
Mindfulness is a state in which we tune out distractions from our daily lives so that we can focus on whatever task we’re engaged in. It’s not a new concept; ancient Buddhist monks were practicing mindfulness thousands of years ago! These days it’s often associated with meditation because meditation is one way to cultivate mindfulness, but there are other ways too (like yoga). Practicing mindfulness has been linked with better mental health outcomes including stress reduction and improved attention span—and who doesn’t want that?
Be aware of self-doubt.
If your New Year’s resolutions aren’t coming together as planned, it’s important to recognize that self-doubt is a normal part of the process. If you’re feeling unsure about what direction to take, or if you think that things are going nowhere, then this can be a sign that it’s time for a change in strategy.
Doubting yourself does not mean giving up on your goals. Think about how often we’ve all heard someone say: “I wish I’d had more confidence in myself.” It’s important to recognize when doubt has become harmful and is holding us back from achieving our goals, but also see it as an opportunity for growth.
Reflect on what you want and take steps to get there.
After you have identified your intention, reflect on it. What does this mean? How does it make you feel? Reflecting on your intention means looking at it from the perspective of a third party – an observer who is not involved in the situation and has no stake in the outcome. This reduces biased thinking and allows you to be more objective about what you want and need in life.
If someone gives you feedback about how they see things, take them seriously because they may have insights into how others view your situation that can help guide your decision-making process.
Next comes action: deciding what steps are needed to achieve this goal, taking action to accomplish those steps, then repeating until all tasks are completed (or abandoned). The key is being aware of self-doubt so that you don’t get stuck along the way – if something feels like too much or just doesn’t seem right anymore, be flexible enough with yourself to change course without regretting any decisions made along the way!
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you identify your intentions for 2019 and find some new tools to help make them happen. While it might seem like a lot of work, remember that the most important thing is to start somewhere. You can always build from there!