A meaningful intention is a powerful catalyst for change
Intention
A meaningful intention is a powerful catalyst for change
“You create your future with the power of your intention. Intention is simply the conscious act of determining your future now. Health, harmony in relationships, happiness, money, creativity, and love will come to you in the future, based on your intentions now. Intend every day and create your future life.”
I believe that Rhona is spot on, having a strong, heartfelt intention is the foundation to creating positive habits and ultimately achieving the success you are looking for.
As a yoga teacher - and practitioner - setting an intention for my class and personal practise is very important as it keeps me focused. Without a focus, how do you know what are you are striving for in your yoga practice, let alone in life?
As Emma Newlyn, Ekhart Yoga says,
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.By setting an intention, we actively choose to empower ourselves to make a change. Even looking objectively at ourselves and asking ‘how am I?’ to begin with can be a transformational step, bringing attention to the present moment. When an intention is set, it’s also a way of carrying a yoga practice off the mat and out into the world, where that intention can translate to other aspects of life.”
I know from personal experience that setting a strong and meaningful intention is essential to help you reach your goals. An intention keeps you on track in moments of doubt, in conflicting situations and when making decisions as it reminds you of what you need to do to get to where you want to be.
Often, we set goals for short-term or superficial reasons especially when it comes to our health. For example, because we have a holiday or an event coming up and we want to look good. The problem here is that aesthetics alone isn’t motivating enough in the long term enough to keep us connected to our aspirations.
To be successful and stay committed, we need to dig deeper and find a stronger reason for realising wellbeing in the long-term.
An intention is like a map
Q: If you were visiting a new city how would you find your way around or a specific destination?
… I think you know the answer!
When I lived in London - before the iphone (showing my age here!) – my trusty A-Z was never far away and of course, now of course I use my map app. Like any newcomer to a city or town I need a map to get around if I want to get to a specific destination or to avoid getting lost.
The principles are the same when you commit to a change journey e.g. improving your health, a new career, better spending habits and so on. If you don’t have a map to plan your journey it’s going to be really hard to get to your destination. You will end up taking wrong turns, wasting time and having too many diversions which adds up to a frustrating experience.
Think of setting an intention as being a map. Your intention keeps you on track and it helps you get there quicker. And most importantly it helps you stay focused on your destination so you don’t get lost again.
Would you prefer to use a map to realise your goals or put on a blindfold and blunder around in the dark?
When you commit to a goal, it’s about looking forward to the future. It’s a destination that you want to get to. However, setting an intention often asks us to reflect on our past experiences to get a true understanding of why we want to change or create a different pathway for ourselves.
Looking back to my childhood and teenage years, I experienced two extremes of ill-health on each side of the family. I became determined to do everything in my power to live a healthy life – mentally and physically – for myself and those around me. My intention hasn’t changed over the years and my resolution gets stronger every day. I believe this is how I have been able to establish and maintain my wellbeing.
Setting a meaningful intention
If you are having a hard time committing to your goals why not try experimenting with setting an intention? When you understand more about why you want to achieve something it really helps motivate you and keep you on track.
Perhaps start with the most simple question: “Why do I want to lose weight?” OR “Why do I want new clothes?” and from there ask yourself “why”. Everytime you come up with an answer delve deeper to get to the source, considering your life experiences and desires as you do. You will get a much better understanding of why you really want to achieve a goal.
Keep your intention front of mind as you start to make changes and if you are tempted by diversion revisit your intention to stay committed. Writing down your intention is a great way to solidify what you want and help keep you focused. As is keeping a journal and creating a mantra to repeat during meditation or as part of your daily routine.
Intention is something we can use in all areas of our life: from our daily rituals to pursuing our career and relationship goals to buying the house of our dream and everything in-between.
Intention sits at the heart of the work I do with my clients on their health, connection and confidence.
For example; when I work my clients on growing their confidence through developing their personal style. Many of them, if left to their own devices would shop for clothes and accessories without purpose. Like magpies we collect all the sparkly and shiny pieces our eyes are drawn to without thinking too much about if they work for us - body shape, finances, lifestyle.
However, when you put intention at the heart of the way you shop you are much mindful about what you buy and this positively impacts your finances, your time, your self-confidence and your success!
If you would like to learn more about how I can help you grow your health, connection and confidence get in touch.
Love Rhi x