The Power of Setting Intentions: How to Lay a Solid Foundation

Photo Courtesy of Haute Stock

 It was a few days into the New Year when a friend of mine confided in me.  Sara, I don’t have the energy to get started on my “to-do” list.   I hear this a lot from other women, along with questions like “Isn’t this the time of year to get started with new resolutions?”.  Or, “ I’ll feel like a failure if I get behind….”.  Do you feel that way, too? 

It seems that in January you can’t open email or social media without being asked to join a health challenge.  Who doesn’t want to eat healthier, improve fitness and be more mindful?  The stumbling block to many of us is that we try to do everything at once with the expectation that we’ve completely transformed our lives in the first 30 days of the year.  Only to experience two weeks later a feeling of guilt and failure weighing us down when we can't live up to rigid expectations.  So what’s a gal to do? Get grounded, set intentions with purpose, and nurture them.  Below I'll share some tips on doing just that.

Get Grounded

Every morning our dog Bentley tears across the living room to the kitchen when he hears the refrigerator door open up.  The problem is, he hits one patch of the floor without a rug.  It seems like ages and a lot of energy later that his scrambling paws finally get a grip and he gets moving again.   That’s what happens to us when we try to do too much at once—we’re so busy scrambling around, that we can’t find any traction to move forward.  We aren’t standing firmly on the ground.  Instead of trying to implement too many changes in the first weeks of the year, plan with intent.  Make sure you have sufficient energy to stand with your feet firmly planted on the ground.  

Winter:  The Time for Feminine Energy

Look out the window.  Do you see trees without leaves and plants that look more dead than alive?  Nature may look still, but underneath the ground, the roots of trees and plants are busy storing up reserves of energy- energy that will burst out in the Spring in the form of new leaves and showy flowers.   If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, then it’s early winter.  In a spiritual sense, it’s the time of year when our yin, our feminine state of energy, dominates.  A time to rest and restore.  A time to plan.  The ideal time to plant seeds of intention and care for them until they’re ready to blossom.

What is An Intention and How Do I Set My Own?

“I’m going to exercise more.” “I’m going to eat more vegetables.” Both of these resolutions sound positive.  However, what do they really mean?  Where’s the motivation?  Resolutions are vague and lack flexibility, setting us up for failure.  This year, set intentions instead.  According to the Meriam-Webster dictionary, an intention is "the thing that you plan to do or achieve; an aim or purpose."  This is much more powerful than a new year's resolution, or "promise to do something differently." You can set an intention by using this formula:

Setting an Intention= Goal + How Often + Why

It sounds like this:

“I’m going to practice Pilates (Goal) 3 times a week (Frequency) so that I can increase my flexibility (Why).”

“I’m going to reduce my intake of processed foods/processed sugars (Goal) most days (Frequency) so that I have more energy and lose weight."

“I’m going to practice Mindfulness (Goal) for 10 minutes/5 days a week (Frequency) so that I start the day feeling grounded and grateful (Why)."

Be sure to write your intention(s) down in a journal, an agenda, or on a piece of paper taped to your closet door.  Somewhere you see it most days of the week.  This will help you maintain a sense of purpose for the transformation you wish to experience. 

How to Lay the Foundation for Powerful Intentions

1. Try a foot stretch and grounding routine like this one here. They say life takes us places, but it's our feet that literally take us places.  It's time to give them the attention they deserve and start the day with a positive affirmation.
2. After you've written down an intention, close your eyes and imagine how you will feel 6 months later when it's realized.  This helps keep you motivated.
3. Don’t forget to nurture your intentions.  Just like seeds of a plant, intentions need care now in order to thrive later on.  
4. Make sure that your intentions are flexible, so that you’re not too hard on yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself, rather treat yourself with kindness.

When you next look outside and see Nature looking a little tired, take encouragement that it may look a little worse for wear now but in a few months' time, it will transform into a vibrant sea of color and beauty.  Just like you.