Whether planning for way off in the future or just trying to get through your day, humans thrive on goals to get where they want to go in life.
If you’re wanting to achieve your goals – and that can be something as simple as getting your work done today – then setting intentions are a must.
Think of intentions as a map that show you how to get to your final destination.
It’s all about creating a plan for how you’re going to achieve your goals from the steps involved to your attitude along the way.
Our minds are incredibly open to suggestion, especially from ourselves, so intention setting allows us to influence the way our brain is working to help us become more effective.
You can set your intentions in whatever way works for you, such as saying it out loud in the ute on the way to the job (its ok no one will hear you), writing it down somewhere you can see it or even just thinking about it throughout the day.
It’s all about finding a method that works for you and if you do this each morning it will help you to get a clear picture of how you can achieve your goals for the day.
If you’re just learning to set intentions use these tips to make sure they’re effective.
Set the tone for your day
Use your intentions to as a way to plan your attitude for the day as well as what you’d like to achieve so that you go into it in the right frame of mind from the start.
You might say, today I am going to be productive and positive and it will help me to complete all of my tasks.
Don’t be negative
When you go into the day thinking “I’m never going to have enough time to get everything done” then that usually proves to be correct.
You’ve accidentally set yourself up for failure with a negative intention because you don’t believe you can get everything done.
Instead, set an intention like I have more than enough time to get things done today, I am going to be focused and productive and everything can be achieved.
Be flexible
While it is important to be able to visualize your end goal and what you’d like to achieve, it is important to be flexible and allow your path to your goal to evolve as your life and day changes.
You also need to be aware of the need to evolve your intentions in the long term so that you don’t become so desensitised to them that you’re no longer achieving them.
If your intention everyday is to be more focused and productive then allow it to evolve with your schedule, for example you could say, “today I will be present with my children and focussed on their needs” on days when you’re at home with them so you’re not distracted by emails coming through on your phone.
Take action
It is important if you’re wanting to use intention setting to achieve your goals that you actively take steps to make them happen.
Break your goal down into tiny actionable steps and follow through with them so you’re not overwhelmed.
If your intention for the day is to be more focussed then you should actively remove yourself from distracting situations and try to set yourself up for success rather than trying to set the intention to be more focused in an environment that will see you fail. Try diverting your phone even just for a little while to get some work done.
Think in the long term
Intention setting is not only an important way to start your day off right, but a method of helping you to achieve your long term goals.
When setting your intention each day it can help to also visualise how following through with these intentions can ultimately get you where you want to go which will help to inspire you to keep the promise to yourself.
After setting the intention to be more focussed and productive during the day, think about the goal this is leading to, such as finishing a difficult project or increasing your profits while working else.
