Setting an intention is more than passively thinking about a goal. While it may not seem like much, relentlessly reminding yourself of what you want will actually help you reach your desires. You’ve got to live, breathe, eat, and sleep what you’re after. So how do you turn a mindset into a reality? By practicing any - or all! - of these 10 methods, getting extremely specific with what you want, and letting go of the rest (more on this later).
1. Create a Mantra
Think about what it is you really want and then consider all the ways you’re subconsciously blocking yourself from getting it. Now, tune out all those negative thoughts and create a positive mantra to repeat until you’re determined to accomplish what you’re setting out to do.
2. Share your intention with a friend.
Sharing what you want with someone else will keep keep you focused, encourage you to become extra clear on your ambitions, and hold you accountable to your goals no matter the time frame.
3. Verbally share your intention with yourself.
By now you know your intentions by heart, so first thing in the morning after you’re awake, verbally share out loud what you desire. It could be a mantra, or even a few sentences about the kind of life you want and see yourself having and say it with conviction.
4. Create a ritual.
Incorporate your intentions in your existing morning routine. If you like to sit down, read the news, and sip your coffee, make some time to state your intentions while the coffee is brewing, or while you’re pouring your cup.
5. Meditate.
Meditation can help your mental health in many ways from helping you sleep more soundly to easing tensions. Why not use mindfulness as a method to rid yourself of anxiety and direct your energy towards your goals?
6. Practice gratitude.
Focus on what you do have and what you’re grateful for this moment. Now here’s the unconventional part; practice gratitude for that thing you deeply desire because by repeatedly stating your intention and focusing on what you do have, you’re actually working towards your goal.
7. Ask for what you want, then let go.
Before the day begins, ask (or state) what you want. Think about it, revel in it, vision it, and then resist the urge to control every aspect of your day so that whatever you desire will happen in its own way. In other words, trust the process.
8. Remind yourself daily.
The best way to truly set an intention is to be firm with yourself about not forgetting it. Repetition is your best friend here. Every morning (and throughout the day), set your intentions and keep focused.
9. Consider how you’ll feel.
A large part of setting an intention is getting super specific about what it is you want and how you’ll feel once you get it. Tapping into those emotions only make your dreams feel more real and plausible.
10. Write it down the night before.
Sometime before bed, write down your goals: spell out what they are, what your life will look like once you accomplish them, how you’ll feel when you accomplish them, etc. Then read what you wrote (and make sure it’s extremely specific!) in the a.m. to set your mindset for the day.