The Power of Intention: 5 Steps to Make It Work for You

Posted on March 31, 2014 by

How often do you think about accomplishing a goal in your life or business and feel frustrated that you never seem achieve it? Have you ever set out to do a project or chore and realized later that you never got it done? Do you wish you could eat healthier, exercise more, save for a bigger house, or build a bigger business, but you never took the action required to achieve those things?  Why didn’t you? Perhaps you didn’t activate the power of intention to keep you focused.

IntentionWhat exactly is the power of intention? Or for that matter, what is intention?  According to Merriam-Webster dictionary Intention is: the thing that you plan to do or achieve: an aim or purpose.  Setting your intention is deciding what you want and plan to accomplish or achieve or even more importantly who you want to be.  Deepak Chopra states. “Everything that happens in the universe begins with intention.”  It’s impossible to make a dream come true if you don’t have a dream.

Here are 5 steps you can use to activate the power of intention in your own life and help you unlock your potential both in your personal and business life.

1) Set your intention.  Set aside some quiet time to go within, calm your busy brain, and allow yourself to connect with your inner wisdom.  Ask for guidance on what you want to accomplish.  Be still and silent and wait.  This process will tap into your subconscious. Allow the answer(s) to appear on the blank white board in front of you in your mind.  For guided mindfulness meditations that will help you do this, click here. Write down your intention.  This might be as simple as to express gratitude today or as complex as to create a multi-million dollar corporation for creating products for teaching others how to heal their life.

Definition of planning2) Plan. Now that you have gone within and have set your intention, do some planning and write a list of action steps that you need to take to make your intention a reality.  This moves you from “what” you want to do to “how” to do it. You probably won’t know how to do everything you will need yet so just start where you are. This step might involve writing a business plan and marketing plan. It may involve finding other experts to teach you and guide you on how to accomplish your goal.  It may also involve asking for help and delegating tasks or responsibilities.  It may involve shopping for healthy foods so you can get your health back on track. Keep in mind that you may need to put other things on hold while you focus on this particular intention.

This step will need to be done repeatedly as your progress towards achieving your goal and new tasks are needed to complete the next phase of the journey.  For example, when you first start this process your list may include doing some research, educating yourself, and finding resources.  After these steps are complete you will be ready to write down the next steps.  The creators of the movie Gravity had no idea how to do all the special effects they would eventually need when they started.  They learned along the way and used technology in ways that had never been done before.

action 3) Take action.  Now that you have a plan in place, it’s time to work the plan. Take the action steps you created in step 2.  Prioritize. Be mindful to stay on course. Make sure that what you are focusing on and spending your time doing is consistent with your intention.  Align your actions with your intention.  Be careful to watch the content of your thoughts and keep them positive and focused on success.  Address your self-doubt, fear, low self-confidence, uncertainty and maintain an attitude of positive expectation.    Allow your thoughts and mindset to attract everything you need to accomplish your goal.

4) Check in to see if you are acting on purpose or off course.  As you work towards making your intention a reality periodically step back, go within, and be mindful of what you are doing to see if you on the right track.  Have you forgotten your intention?  Continuously ask yourself how whatever action you are about to take moves your closer to your goal. If it doesn’t then do something else that does. Here’s everything you need to learn to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life – Mindfulness:  The Basics and Beyond.

bullseye-target5) Modify your actions to get back on track.  We live in a very distracting and distracted world with many things vying for our attention.  It’s easy to lose sight of our intention and spend time on things that delay our progress or often keep us from reaching our intended goal completely. So whenever step 3 alerts you that you are off track, simply get back on course.

You will discover the power of intention when you apply these 4 steps routinely to anything you want to accomplish in your life.  Doing this process requires some mindfulness, planning, and discipline but the rewards are unlimited.

Debra Burdick, LCSW, also known as ‘The Brain Lady’, is an international expert on ADHD and Mindfulness. She is an award-winning, #1 best-selling author of: Mindfulness Skills Workbook, Mindfulness Skills for Kids and Teens, ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments and Skills for Children and Teens, Mindfulness for Teens with ADHD, Mindfulness for Kids with ADHD, Mindfulness Skills for Kids Card Deck, and Radical Self-Care When You Are Ill Card Deck. She is an international speaker and retired psychotherapist and neurotherapist, who has been helping all ages thrive for over 30 years.

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