Did you read the title of this article, lean back, and squint, and ask yourself “How to set intentions? What now? I intend to drink this coffee - why do I need to ‘set an intention’ about it?”
Or maybe you’ve read everything you can get your hands on about goal-setting, resolution-making, and motivation mindset. You know alllll about setting intentions; you know why they’re important and how they can affect, well, just about everything in your life.
Either way - whether you’re an experienced intention setter or a newbie - this blog post is for you.
At the risk of tooting my own horn, I know something about the art of intention setting. So much so I created a jewelry line that helps people wear their intentions on their wrists every day!
After years of doing this and watching my wishes manifest, I’ve honed my intention setting process to eight steps and I’d love to share them with you!
How To Set Intentions In 8 Sweet Steps
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Reflect
Before you take a step forward, take a look at where you’ve been. Acknowledge the good, the bad, and the not-so-great from the last few months. Journal about some things you’re proud of, some of the best things that happened. Review your list and celebrate all the wins - including the things that came easily.
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Ask yourself “What do I really want?”
When I coached people one-on-one, I noticed that many of them didn’t want to define what they really wanted because they were afraid to fail. Which is totally understandable!
If we don’t acknowledge what we want, we don’t need to work towards it, and then we can’t fail.
Study after study shows that real change begins when we let ourselves define what it is that we want. That tiny moment of action is a game-changer. It creates clarity where there was vagueness.
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Notice negative energy
We all get anxious and angry sometimes, right? We’re humans and life can be hard!
When you feel you’re getting nervous or notice that doubt is creeping up: Pause for a second. Just notice those feelings.
When we suppress our negative feelings, we give them more power. Leave a little space to let yourself feel the gloomy feelings. Do your best to watch and observe these emotions without judging them. Just identify the fears that pop up when you think about your intentions or wishes.
Maybe you’re worried your goal is too big, too small, or that you should have achieved it already. Simply notice what creeps up.
The science is indisputable: Committing our goals to paper and reviewing them regularly gives us a 95% higher chance of achieving them.
I created Wishbeads to bring home the science of self-fulfillment in a way that’s fun and powerful. That’s why I wear my wish on my sleeve. I’ve seen the miraculous effects of this approach over and over - with our customers, with my private clients, and in my own life.
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Say your intentions out loud
When you write your wish down and then say it out loud, you give it power. When you talk about your intentions, you move through the world differently.
After you say your intentions aloud, write about how it felt to speak your wish. Are you noticing that you’re more supported than you realized? When you start to recognize how the world has your back, you start to change the way you think.
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Know that what you focus on expands
When you focus on an intention or wish, you bring energy to it just by focusing on it. You’re training your eyes, heart, and brain to see opportunities and possibilities.
Instead of spending your energy scrolling through Instagram and feeling inadequate, your energy is focused on finding your dream home, landing a new job, or meeting your soulmate. When you direct your time and thoughts towards the ways you can bring your wish into being, you are SO much more likely to make it happen!
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Take small steps and make tiny adjustments
While setting an intention is fantastic, it’s not enough. Rather frustratingly, you can’t wish your way to living the life of your dreams.
Instead, focus on taking the smallest of steps towards your intentions. Then, take another small step, and another, and another. Each time, you’re getting closer to your wish and getting valuable insight into what’s working. Make tiny adjustments along your journey. This is when change happens!
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Intentions aren’t magic - you just do the work
I developed this intention-setting process based on what I learned in my work as a private coach. When you write a wish on paper, wear it daily, and take small actions toward your goal for 21 days, you witness the miracles around you, and you spark a movement of one.
If you have a Wishbeads bracelet or kit, have you started your 21 days of Wish Work? Do that over here if you haven’t already.