At the beginning of a new year, people often make a list of goals or wishes that they intend to make happen during the next year. If you’re one of these people, you’ve also likely experienced how difficult it can be to follow up on those goals. As with any successful goal setting, your intentions must be crafted for the best chance of manifesting them. Here are some tips on how to create intentions that will work for you in the upcoming year and beyond.
Create Specific Intentions
The more specific your intention, the easier it is to visualize yourself having what you wish for. General intentions can get lost among all of the other thoughts that your mind deals with every day. To demonstrate how detailed thoughts are easier to focus on, consider the following statements:
- “I have a doctor appointment later this week.”
- “I have an appointment with my dermatologist on Friday at 3:00pm.”
Most people find the second more detailed statement easier to remember. The same process works with intentions. For example:
- Instead of intending to increase your monthly income by $1,000, intend to increase it by $1,235.
- Instead of intending to successfully pass your classes next semester, intend to pass them with an average GPA of 3.5 and by learning two new skills that will help you in the job market.
- Instead of intending to lose weight this year, intend to lose 30 pounds and 2 inches from your waistline.
Create Measurable Intentions
How will you know when you’ve achieved an intention? Define exactly how you’ll know this and include it in your intention process. For example:
- “I will increase my monthly income by $1,235 which will appear on my February paystub.”
- “I will lose 30 pounds which will be evident on the scale and my loose fitting clothes.”
- “I will pass my classes this semester with an average GPA of 3.5 displaying on my transcript.”
Create Achievable Intentions
The chances of success for your intentions depends on the level of faith that your system has that you will really manifest them. If you think of an intention and your system fires back at you “You will never do that!”, then you have blocks to achieving the intention that you’ll have to work on. Find the intention that your system is most comfortable with to give you the best chance of it manifesting. For example, try variations of the intention until you hit on the one that your system agrees to:
- “I will increase my income by $2,000 this year.”
- “I will increase my income by $1,850 this year.”
- “I will increase my income by $1,725 this year.”
If your system is uncomfortable with the first two intentions but OK with the third, then that intention is most likely to happen.
Create Intentions with Time Constraints
Open ended intentions may never manifest. For example, an intention that says “I will increase my income by $1,235” doesn’t say when you want it to happen. So the Universe may plan to manifest that intention in the next 50 years. Put a realistic time limit on your intentions:
- “I will see an increase in my monthly income beginning with my February paycheck.”
- “I will lose weight so that I must cinch up my belt one more notch by the end of 60 days from now.”
- “I will pass the first exam in each of my classes with a grade of 95% this semester.”
By creating your intentions using these tips, you’ll increase the chances that you will see the results that you wish within the time frame that you desire.
