How to Set Positive Intentions for the Day: 25 Good Intentions for the New Year
“The best way to insure you achieve the greatest satisfaction out of life is to behave intentionally”
Setting Positive Intentions
As a new year dawns, it is very tempting to start a list of resolutions that will often be abandoned halfway through the month.
Let’s face it in the Northern Hemisphere, when we are confronted with long cold days, very little sunshine, and having to spend a large part of our time under artificial lighting, setting resolutions and sticking to them is destined to fail.
It is the time of the year that our bodies crave carb-rich foods, chocolate, and the odd alcoholic drink. We don’t fancy going out into the cold to exercise and on top of all of that, we have the comedown from Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Therefore, telling yourself that at the start of January, you are going to begin rolling out a new lifestyle, giving everything you enjoy up, and exercising to create a new you is, frankly, for most people doomed to failure. Why even begin the year this way when you know how it will end up? Instead of setting yourself a whole host of resolutions, why not try setting yourself daily positive intentions that you will be able to achieve far more successfully?
What exactly is a positive intention?
For many people, the concept of a positive intention will be new to them so, to begin with, let’s set out what an intention is. A positive intention is where you decide in advance on something that you are going to do or achieve. It is the mental equivalent of planning a journey. If you just get into the car and have no idea where you are going then you could end up anywhere.
If you plan your journey and intend to be at a specific place then you will get there. This is the same with setting positive intentions, it gives us a set direction in how we live our lives, spiritually, physically, and mentally.
What are the benefits of setting positive intentions?
There are many benefits to setting positive intentions. One of the biggest benefits of setting positive intentions is that it demonstrates to the individual just how powerful they are and can be, to control what is happening in their lives, and to bring more and more into it. They also are one of the best ways to make sure that you reach the goals that you have set for yourself.
Setting positive intentions is an excellent way of keeping you on track with what is happening in your life on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They are also one of the best ways of keeping you mindful of what you are doing day-to-day. Setting yourself daily, with positive intentions is a manageable way of achieving your goals without being overwhelmed by a whole list of things that you intend to do or achieve.
“Every journey begins with the first step of articulating the intention, and then becoming the intention.” — Bryant McGill
How to set your intentions on a daily basis
Setting positive intentions is more than just thinking about the goal that you want to achieve. It is a series of steps to take that will enable you to reach your desires. Below are 21 ideal steps that you can use to go about setting your intentions in the best way possible;
Decide what you want
This may seem obvious but you need to be specific about what it is that you want and it needs to be something that you really desire. There is no point in being too vague as you won’t work on your intention and it will never happen.
Write it down
Writing it down is a very powerful tool in bringing your intention to you. Once it is outside your head it has already taken on reality and has become something tangible.
Make it public
Telling other people about your intention is another very powerful way of making your goal successful. Other people can offer encouragement and can also hold you accountable so you are less likely to break your intention.
Create a daily ritual around your intention
Fitting your intention into your daily routine is another important way of making sure that you remain true to your intention. If your intention is to get fitter then incorporating daily exercise into your routine is going to ensure that you are far more likely to stick to it.
Adopt an attitude of gratitude
When you are setting intentions, it is important to practice gratitude for all that you have in your life already. People who are grateful for the things that they have in their lives already often find that the things that they want will come easily to them. Gratitude puts you in a positive mindset and is an important part of setting intentions.
Say your intention out loud in a mantra to yourself
Saying your intention out loud in a mantra to yourself is a really important way of focusing your mind on what it is that you want and reinforcing it. Make sure that you say your mantra daily and with true conviction.
Meditate
Using meditation and mindfulness practices is another way of reaching your goals. Stressed, overactive minds will not respond to intentions as well as calm, centred minds so daily meditation practices are an ideal way to quieten your mind so you are ready for your intentions to be successful.
Feel your intention
Never underestimate the importance of your feelings. Feelings are a very powerful tool in intention setting. Being in tune with your feelings is a crucial part of your goal setting. If you are feeling angry or sad, then your intentions will not happen as quickly. Once you have set your intention, think about how it will make you feel, and then hold on to that emotion. This will make your dreams feel more realistic and more achievable to you.
Keep reminding yourself
Even if you have set your intention into your daily routine, keep reminding yourself throughout the day what it is you are intending for yourself. It is also a good idea to have your intention as your final thought before you go to sleep at night, that way your brain can work on it as you sleep.
Trust in your intention
Once you have set your intention and followed the other steps trust that you are going to receive or accomplish what it is that you have set. Do not let doubt or fear creep into your mind. Have full belief and trust that your intention will happen.
“Our intention created our reality”
Wayne Dyer.
11. Zero in on the process as opposed to the completion date
Don’t become fixated on the completion of your intention, instead zero in on the process of performing your intention. If you do this you will complete your intention in a more mindful and meaningful way.
12. Be courageous, don’t allow fear to stop you
The saying “great things are on the other side of fear” is so true and is especially true when you are setting new intentions for yourself.
Never let fear stop you from doing something or achieving something great. When you feel that fear, that’s when you know you are doing something worthwhile and something that is going to make a difference to you.
As Susan Jeffers said in her book, “Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway.”
13. Understand the why behind your intention
Why are you setting the intention? What is it for? What will it bring you or do for you? How will it change your life?
There are many questions about your intentions, make sure that you understand why you are setting it. Make sure that it is something that is for you, not something that somebody else wants you to do.
When you have a full understanding of the “why” of your intention, you will be far more likely to see it through.
14. Be committed to giving 100% towards your intention
When you set an intention commit to it 100%. There is no use in setting intentions if you have no intention of keeping them. When you go all in make sure you give it everything that you have got!!
15. Accept you are not perfect
You aren’t perfect. Here’s the thing though, nobody is, not one single person anywhere at any time, past, present
or future. We are all going to make mistakes, get things wrong, and have to start again at some point. Knowing in advance that you are not perfect and that you will sometimes need help, or have to start again is important as it will mean that you will be far less likely to give up on your intention.
16. Keep the fun in your life
Make sure that whatever intention you have set for yourself, you still make time to have fun. Intentions should add value to your life, not detract from it. Life is all about enjoying yourself, relaxing and having fun so make sure that any intentions that you set let you enjoy your life.
17. Prioritise your physical and mental health
Your mental and physical health are your two most important assets in life. Nothing comes close to the value that good health and any intentions that you set should reflect this.
If you set an intention that is going to be hard physically on your body or that is going to cause you stress and anxiety, then it isn’t worth undertaking.
Yes, we all need to stretch ourselves and move outside of our comfort zone from time to time but damaging our mental and physical well-being is not the way to go.
18. Be forgiving to yourself and others
If you find that something goes wrong whilst carrying out an intention, either at the hands of yourself or someone else, learn to be forgiving. There is no point in beating either yourself or anyone else up for mistakes made.
19. Concentrate on what you can control
There are always going to be areas that we have control over and areas that we don’t. You can’t control what other people think or do and there are always going to be circumstances that you have no control over. Accept this and instead concentrate on what you can control, this is the only way to ever succeed.
20. Keep an open mind and be prepared to learn something new
As humans, we learn and grow all of the time. Life is one constant learning curve and you must be prepared to accept this when setting and committing to new intentions. You need to keep an open mind and be prepared to learn as you go along. Not doing so could mean that you either fail or end up with a different result than the one that you were hoping for.
21 Be positive at all times
Being positive is one of your super emotions when setting new intentions and carrying them out. There is no point in starting something if you have a negative attitude. You always bring about what you think about in life, therefore if you are thinking negatively regarding your intention then you will bring about a negative result. Remain positive and see the rewards come your way.
22. Use self-care to make time for yourself
Self-care is one of the most important experiences we can have. When setting new intentions, they can sometimes take far too much from us physically and mentally. Setting aside some time each day to practice a favourite self-care routine will prevent you from suffering from burnout and being too overwhelmed and will help with the completion of your intention.
23. Let yourself go with the flow
At times in life, you just have to go with the flow and this is true when setting and completing intentions as much as at any other time in life.
There is no point in fighting against circumstances that you have no control over. When they appear and you can’t change them just go with the flow and see it through.
This is a far more winning attitude ultimately and will be better for you physically and emotionally.
24. Live your life with a powerful sense of purpose
When you live with a powerful sense of purpose you are far more likely to succeed in life. You will know where you are going, what you want to achieve and how to get it. This is the way winners live so if you want to be one of life’s winners then get purpose in your life.
25. Use mindfulness to stay in the present moment
Mindfulness is all about staying in the present moment. This is an essential tool to live your life by, especially when you have set your intentions. Being mindful cuts down on stress, and helps you to focus and see with clarity. It stops you from dwelling on past negative events and also prevents you from projecting negativity into your future, all things that can hamper the completion of your intentions. We only ever have the present so spend as much time in it as you can. Practising mindfulness will help you to achieve this.
Final Thoughts
Positive intentions have long been used as a way of changing behaviour in people. They are used by Life coaches, in NLP and psychologists such as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers were also advocates of the idea and its importance in humanistic psychology.
The use of positive intentions is far more powerful than resolutions. They are something that you can commit to far easier. You can have daily intentions, weekly, monthly or yearly intentions.
They promote a positive mindset, which in turn aids the body in every way from a cellular level right the way through to an emotional level. Positive intentions really do work for the mind, body, and soul.
Creating positive intentions takes a commitment from you and this commitment works in a positive way to impact every level of your life. Instead of starting the New Year with a whole list of resolutions that you know deep down you won’t stick to, set yourself some daily positive intentions that you will work into your life and that will bring you rewards that will continue to benefit you throughout the year.
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If you have any positive intentions you would like to add please comment and share
