Back to Basics: Intention is Everything
Before your dreams can come true, you need to define them and shift your life toward receiving abundance. One of the simplest ways to do this is to set intentions for everything you do. The benefits are twofold: It creates awareness that helps keep you mindful in the now, rather than wallowing in the past or worrying for the future. And it injects energy into building the life of your dreams.
People often start the new year by creating a vision board. These useful tools tell the universe that you intend to have these things in your life. Setting intentions daily can be much more effective because it keeps our energy focused on creating our best lives.
Most of us go through our days mindlessly performing tasks without really considering why we're doing them and what we want out of them. We allow our subconscious to take charge. This sets us up not only to repeat potentially destructive patterns but to continue to manifest lives that we don’t want.
Often, we think more about paint colors than we do about our daily lives. But knowing that thoughts create reality, we can consciously use our thoughts to create the lives we want.
Energy shift
Getting clear about an intention immediately shifts your energy.
Do you normally get up in the morning and mindlessly go to work? Your morning routine is probably just that - so routine that you go through the motions without thinking about it. Let’s do a little experiment. Try saying this to yourself tomorrow morning (or whenever you next go to work): “I'm going to have a fulfilling day at work while making money to take care of myself and my family.” Then notice the differences throughout your day.
Chances are you will feel more joy, gratitude, and fulfillment than you’re used to experiencing at work. Interactions may also be improved. This intention changes the energy that you carry throughout the day and that, in turn, changes the day you have.
Putting it to work
How do you make intentions work for you?
They’re best used all day long, with everything. For starters, that keeps your awareness in the present. You need to really think about what you’re doing and why. Then you can decide if you want to continue doing it.
So, start by determining your ‘why’. What is the reason behind the things you do? Think about some of your daily habits and then consider why you developed them.
Why are you washing the dog nose prints off the windows? Is it so your neighbors don’t judge you for having a dirty home? If that's the case, you know you have mindset work to do. Is it because looking out a clean window lowers your anxiety? In that case, state your intention as: “My intention is to clean the windows because I feel calm and happy when my home is clean.” Then clean away!
Here are a few more sample activities and possible intentions:
Cleaning out a closet. My intention is to feel comfortable and attractive in all the clothes in my closet.
Grocery shopping. My intention is to buy healthy food to nourish my family and I intend to park close to the door and find great sales today. (Notice that this is a compound intention! Make sure you analyze your ‘why’ for each part.)
Working out. My intention is to have a strong, healthy body and a clear mind.
Eating Meals. My intention is to put my phone down during meals so I can enjoy this moment of my life and connect with my friends and family.
Watching Netflix. My intention is to give my body and soul a break and time to recharge.
These are just examples to get you started. You may want to start with a simple daily intention then add more throughout your day as your energy shifts.
Conclusion
When I was in high school I woke up every morning and told myself, “Today is going to be a great day.” It’s amazing what a difference that simple statement made.
Start where you’re at and build from there. It doesn’t have to be complicated or elaborate. Remember to include surprises. “My intention is to have a productive joyous day that contains good surprises.” Say it out loud. Pronounce it to the universe! Imagine the difference in your energy with this statement! You’re paving the road to the life you want to live with intentions.
Using intention is the first step in learning to focus your energy. Once you have control over how to focus your energy, you can create anything! What changes do you see as you begin to live your life with intention? Leave a comment below - I’d love to hear from you!
Renee is a Law of Attraction Coach & Mentor, Spiritual Advisor, and Host of The Abundology Podcast. Learn more and work with Renee here.