5 Steps to Set Meaningful Intentions

I love goal setting, but I find that intention setting can often be even more meaningful and fulfilling. Goals are more dependent on achieving some sort of end result. With goals, you attach an expectation or evaluation to it. Intentions are more about deciding what you want to align with in your life.

An intention is an idea for how you want to be, live, and show up in the world. Intentions are closely tied to purpose and are a direct reflection of your outlook on life. They are heart-driven and are not connected to a tangible end result in the way that goals are.

You can set daily intentions, weekly intentions, yearly intentions, and even intentions based on the phase of life you’re in. Your intentions can be a comforting reminder, a mantra, an affirmation of your purpose. Setting intentions is truly a beautiful practice. Intentions can add so much meaning and fulfillment to your days and help you embrace your life in a way that is most authentic to you.

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The key is to make sure you set the right intentions for yourself so that they’re most aligned with who you are and what you want from life. Aligning your intentions in this way will ensure that you get the most meaning out of them.

Setting intentions is a deeply personal process. As long as you do what works best for you, you’ll get the most out of your intention setting practice.

If you’re new to intentions, or want a guide to help you set them, you’re in the right place! Read on for 5 steps to help you set meaningful intentions!

1. Reflect on the phase of life you’re in now.

In order to set meaningful intentions, it’s important to first recognize where you’re at in life right now. Who are you? What are you dealing with? What is present in your life? Take some time to reflect on the phase of life you’re in and what’s happening in each area of your life.

As they say, there is no time like the present. Becoming aware of your present situation is the first step to realizing where you want to go next with your intentions. It’ll ground you in your present self and allow you to recognize all that is happening for you already so that you can align your intentions accordingly.    

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2. Think about what’s coming up for you in the near future.

Of course, you can’t predict the future, but you probably have a general idea of what’s coming up for you. Maybe you’re going on a trip or starting a new job or simply continuing to live your life as it is. Think about whatever is on the horizon for you, whether it’s new and exciting or difficult and mundane.

Living in the present is important, but when it comes to setting intentions, it’s helpful to have at least a little awareness of which direction your life is going in the future. This will be a big help in allowing you to set meaningful intentions.   

3. Decide what your values, needs, and beliefs are.

It’s always helpful to be aware of your values, needs, and beliefs, but it’s especially important for when you’re setting intentions. Aligning these parts of yourself with your intentions will help you make them the most meaningful to you.

Take some time to reflect on what your top values, needs, and beliefs are. They can be connected to any area of your life. Knowing what these are will not only help you gain a fuller understanding of yourself, but also decide what is most important for you and what direction you want your intentions to go.   

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4. Determine what you want to release and receive in all the areas of your life.

Once you know which areas of your life your top values, needs, and beliefs are connected to, it’ll be easier to determine what your intentions are for each area of your life. This will also help you think about what you want to release and receive in those areas.  

Maybe one of your values is healthy eating, so you can translate that into an intention about cutting down on sugar (release) and bringing more nutritional foods into your diet (receive). A need for alone time can lead to an intention about releasing yourself of the pressure to always say yes to social activities and deciding to receive and dedicate the last few hours of everyday to yourself. And your belief that family comes first might make you intend to spend more uninterrupted time with your loved ones (receive) instead of giving into the belief that you need to be working 24/7 (release).

Determining what you want to release and receive in all the areas of your life will help you shift your values, needs, and beliefs into meaningful intentions that you can carry with you going forward.  

5. Visualize your most authentic future self.

This step is a little bit of an extra. By step 4 you probably already have some pretty meaningful intentions, but if you want to take your intentions a step further, visualizing your ideal future self can be a powerful practice.

Where do you see yourself 10, 20, 30 years from now? Who are you, what are you doing, how do you look? Where do you live and what do you do for fun? The more specific you are in your visualization, the more you’ll be able to realize what your most meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful life looks like. And once you determine that, you can set intentions that you believe will bring you closer to that kind of life and your most authentic future self.

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Setting intentions is a powerful and fulfilling practice. Intentions will help you align with your authentic self, fulfill your needs and desires, and live a purposeful life. Try this 5 step method for setting intentions. Get curious and try some methods of your own. Your intentions are yours to keep, so do whatever works best for you so that you can make them the most meaningful they can be.

What are your current intentions? I’d love to know! Share in the comments below!

intentional livingpersonal growthself-reflection