The power of intention words

 What is an Intention word?

An Intention word captures the essence of your desired future achievements and acts as a guiding post to where you want to go and how you want to feel.

An Intention word is like an anchor that keeps you from drifting away when you become distracted or want to give up.

We can use Intention words to help us overcome challenges or reach goals.

Intention words are more powerful than New Year’s Resolutions because they can evoke positive emotions, such as the practice of gratitude.

Positive emotions help you stay motivated, focused, energized, and hopeful.

At the beginning of the year, I’m quite ambitious, with many goals I would like to accomplish, but I typically lose focus or motivation halfway through February…. I’m sure you can relate 😉

This year, I decided to try something different. I thought about some Intention words, which resonated with me and helped me stay anchored and positive during my journey.

Here are some of my favorite Intention words and why I think they are so powerful:

• Clarity

Clarity is on top of my list because without it we don’t know what we want and why we want it.

Clarity is essential for goal setting because it is easy to quit a goal if we don’t know why it’s so important to us.

The next time you set a goal ask yourself “Why is this important to me?” or “How will it make my life better?”

   “Clarity is the perspective you can’t see.”

                                        (Steve Gilliland)                    

• Courage

 Do you have the courage to pursue what you desire? Most of us lack courage because our rational minds will create reasons why we can’t or shouldn’t do something.

Fear is the enemy of courage and, unfortunately, it’s our constant companion. To silence our fear, we must be passionate about what we want and truly believe it’s worth the effort, money, or criticism by others.

“Courage is knowing what not to fear.”

                                               (Plato)

• Faith

Courage is not enough if you don’t have faith in your abilities to reach your goals or attract what you want.

If you don’t believe you are worthy of what you desire, you unintentionally create self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors.

If you are lacking faith, think of a difficult challenge you have overcome, which made you more resilient. When you remember how strong you are, it will provide you with an invisible shield of confidence.

·      Self-Awareness

 Self-awareness is the foundation for self-growth. In my twenties and thirties, I was mindlessly cruising through life, experiencing the ups and downs as a tsunami that could drown me rather than an opportunity of growth. Self-awareness is like a pause button that enables us to see more clearly, to live in the present moment, and make decisions based on wisdom rather than emotions.

You can practice self-awareness during walks in nature, meditation, journaling, or whatever helps you feel at peace.

• Possibility

Feeling stuck is one of the most anxiety-provoking and helpless feelings. It can create a downward spiral of despair and hopelessness, which makes us feel lost. A flexible mind will allow us to see the possibilities in every difficult situation. Instead of focusing on what is not working for you, focus on the silver lining, enabling you to see new opportunities.

• Spirituality

Spirituality has a different meaning for everyone. For some people spirituality is about surrendering their worries to a higher deity, for others spirituality might be about purpose, mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and connecting with the universe.

Whatever spirituality means to you, let it guide you, comfort you and help you overcome life’s challenges.

• Authenticity

What does it mean to live authentically?

Living authentically is about embracing your true self without worrying about other people’s opinions or expectations of you. It’s not easy to live an authentic life because we desire to be liked and accepted by others, which prevents us from discovering our true selves.

It takes courage and self-exploration to live an authentic life.

I hope you honor your true self by embracing all the unique facets of your personality and soul.  

•    Discipline

We live in a dopamine-driven society. We are constantly chasing one high after another, whether it is the short burst of happiness buying something on sale or drinking a delicious, sweet latte from our favorite coffee shop…..I’m guilty as charged…. I love a good deal even though I don’t need another shirt!

Practicing discipline is the difference between successful people and people who constantly complain that they can’t reach their goals. You don’t have to be a monk to be disciplined, you must find your “why?” Why do you want that promotion? Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to run a marathon?

If you don’t have a strong “Why?” discipline will not magically appear in your life.

Without discipline goals are nothing but dreams!

•   Patience

We need courage to follow our dreams/goals, discipline to execute the steps to get there, and patience to see our goals come to fruition.

I’ve always struggled with patience because I need to see results quickly to stay motivated, which is one of the reasons why so many people give up on their goals. They drop out of the gym because the six-pack doesn’t materialize overnight 😉

Practice patience by focusing on the process, not the end goal.

If you enjoy the journey, it will be easier to reach your goals.

• Awe

“Train yourself to be in awe of the subtle, and you will live in a world of beauty and ease.”

                                                                (Rodney Yee)

Children can experience life in a state of awe. They look at their surroundings and nature with wonder and curiosity.

Unfortunately, as grown-ups we have lost that ability because we are too busy chasing success, or we are drowning in too many responsibilities that leave us little time to experience brief moments of awe.

What is awe?

I love this explanation from greatergood.berkely.edu:

“Awe is the feeling we get in the presence of something vast that challenges our understanding of the world, like looking up at millions of stars in the night sky or marveling at the birth of a child. When people feel awe, they may use other words to describe the experience, such as wonder, amazement, surprise, or transcendence.”

Living mindfully can help us experience awe in different ways, such as marveling at a beautiful sunset or a hummingbird feeding on colorful flowers.

Living in awe keeps us grounded and humble.

What are your intention words for 2025?

I hope you will experience many moments of awe, bliss, joy, gratitude, and peace 😊❤️🌻