A Beginner’s Guide to Intention-Setting

Have you fallen off?

I’ve never been one for setting new year’s resolutions. I’ve always found them to be something that everyone talks about, but no one ever takes seriously. You hear about them everywhere – radio talk show hosts, tv hosts and celebrities, and social media influencers. Then come to the end of the year, everyone’s fallen off the bandwagon and has to start all over the next year – so to speak. I actually hate that phrase – “fallen off the bandwagon”. I was in band and I never was in a wagon, but I digress. In 2021, I began setting intentions for my year. It has allowed me to create a vision of the year I have for myself so I can take inspired action toward manifesting those intentions into reality. You may be wondering how you can start intention-setting, how to get started, if it would be beneficial for you, etc. Well, let’s get started plus I share 7 tips on intention-setting below!

What is An Intention?

According to Merriam-Webster, an intention is defined as “an intended goal: aim”. While the new year often feels ripe with opportunity, you’re likely well aware that life doesn’t always go according to plan — even in “normal” (read: non-pandemic) years.

Case in point: Studies show 41 percent of Americans usually set New Year’s resolutions — but a mere 9 percent of people actually end up reaching those goals, according to Inc. The problem is that the individuals failed to start looking within themselves to do the inner work that is required whereby shooting for ambitious goals without a strategy. They’ve classically set themselves up for failure. I know that when I see that ball drop on New year’s, I am so excited about the end goal that I forget about the steps I need to take to get there. Once I’ve come back down from that “high”, that’s when the fear about setting up the steps I need to take to reach my goal set in. I still experience that fear but I have gotten better about recognizing it, sitting with it, and learning from it to smash my goal because I’ve done this intention-setting practice.

Resolution Vs. Intention-Setting

Plus, popular New Year’s resolutions often involve huge lifestyle changes. And as soon as you don’t meet your own expectations on the steps that were necessary to reach that resolution, you may feel like giving up completely. And the statistic above shows that many folks do. It happens and it is okay. One way to avoid discouragement when things don’t go as planned is to pair out goals with intentions by doing an intention-setting practice. Unlike goals, which are focused on the end result, intentions are process-focused.  They are based on our internal mindset and are independent of whether we’re on track to achieving our goal.

Luckily, there’s a better way to take on those New Year’s aspirations. Read through these research-backed tips and get ready to achieve all the things you want this year. For more examples, check out these blog posts for the intentions that I set for 2021, 2022, and 2023!

7 Tips for Mindful Intention-Setting

1. Reflect On the Wins and Losses of the Last Year

I love to take a moment to reflect on the highs and lows, wins and losses, lessons and celebrations that this year brought, and give myself some well-deserved recognition for getting through it all. Sometimes life is hard but we do not have to stay in the “hard”. We can choose again and honor our feelings. It’s all about having an attitude of gratitude when it’s easy and when it’s challenging too as they will help propel us toward growth. By starting from a place of gratitude, we can recognize that the past and present make way for the future.

2. Start Small and Get Specific

I’m a huge fan of Human Design. As part of human design and how it plays into interior design, that is a different story for a different day. But I want to touch on one point of it. If you are interested in finding out your human design, I’d check out Jenna Zoe, a Human Design expert, and get your free chart here. There are two types of manifestors – non-specific and specific manifestors. When I say to “get specific”, I mean the vision that you have for your intention-setting practice. I like to set 3-5 intentions for specific areas of life. Some of these areas may be empty because they may or may not be your main focus. Or you may come up with 3-5 intentions for all areas of your life. Once you’ve determined these intentions, then break them down into smaller steps or habits. It’s also easier to slowly cut out the habits that you want to stop because they no longer serve you by introducing more good habits, rather than quitting cold turkey. You might have heard of “SMART” goal setting, which stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Basically, the takeaway from this acronym is to give your goals plenty of details and deadlines.

“Give your goals plenty of details and deadlines.”

3. Find Your Why for Intention-Setting

Every goal-setting session should include some soul-searching. What do you want to achieve this year and, more importantly, why? This is known as intrinsic motivation, which is the deep drive you have to achieve something. Psychologists say tapping into this is a key to reaching your goals.

Some sample prompts to ask yourself to help you discover your why include:

• Why is this goal so important to me?
• What will my life look like when I achieve this goal?
• What would my life look like if I didn’t achieve it?
• What additional benefits will I experience as a result?
• How have I achieved a similar goal in the past?

4. Set a Theme for the Year

Now, I’ve never shared a word of the year in a blog post but I am so excited about my word of the year this year. I’ve decided on the word, “FREE”. It’s like my overall theme for the year. I’ve had a couple of past words like “Organized” or “Powerful.” I’d recommend trying to choose one theme for the new year by picking one word or phrase that you want to define the year ahead. I’d warn you, though, that it should resonate deep into your soul before you start to tackle those intentions.

Pick one word or phrase that you want to define the year ahead.

5. Write Monthly Intentions

I cannot stress this enough about doing this intention-setting practice. Create a list of intentions each month that are in relation to your overarching theme for the year so you can not only check back in with yourself and see if you are on track but also see if you are missing steps or stages in your yearly intentions. I also find that doing this monthly check-in that it also restarts my motivation every month so I feel aligned the entire year! I guarantee you will too!

6. Enlist an Accountability Partner

Get a habit tracker. Get a planner. Sit down with your google calendar and schedule when you will do your monthly check-in and set your monthly intentions. Sure, the bulk of motivation should come from within yourself. But, let’s be honest, checking in with someone can also help keep you on track. According to one study, people have a 65 percent chance of completing a goal if they tell someone else about it. Chances of success will rise to 95 percent if you meet up with your accountability partner in real life.

FWIW, we highly recommend enlisting the help of a close friend, significant other, or coach to help you achieve your goals. I’ve worked with many coaches in 2022 who have helped me align myself this year and I made significant progress on my goals. I honestly can’t recommend them enough so if you are interested in working with my coaches, leave a comment below and let me know!

7. Reward Yourself For Completing Intention-Setting

When you reach those milestones you’ve jotted down in your planner or Google calendar, it’s time to #treatyoself. But I don’t mean going off the rails from your progress. Also, I like to set my treats, rewards, or celebrations also during my monthly check-ins. My personal favorite is to gift yourself a massage, an afternoon at the movies, or even a day trip somewhere you’ve been wanting to go. Celebrating the little victories along the way will help you stay on track and reach your intentions in the long run!

In conclusion,

Intention-setting is so easy to do. Grab a journal like this one, this one, or this one, and do the above 7 steps. If you’d like, grab a copy of my “Monthly Intention-Setting” Workbook here to get started! I’d love to know what your intentions are so I can support you. Shoot me a dm on Instagram or leave a comment below! I’m rooting for you!

Cheers!