Are you bogged down with the burdens of daily life? Do you feel anxious before your day even starts? Are you feeling uninspired and bland? Are you willing to try intention settings? This simple practice can help you regain your power and create the life you wish to live now!
Many are surprised by the powerful effects of daily intention setting. By simply incorporating positive intentions into your morning routine, you can create a ripple effect of positivity throughout the rest of your day.
You may even find that setting a clear purpose for the day helps you reach both short and long-term goals much easier. You may experience more mental clarity, focus and energy because YOU are commanding the outcome of your day.
The beauty of intention setting is that it doesn’t cost anything and takes very little time.
Check out the different ways you can begin intention setting today.
1. DESIGN AN INTENTIONAL MORNING ROUTINE
It’s not all that hard to start infusing your morning routine with some intention setting practices. Regardless of your daily habits, be it taking a jog, drinking coffee, watching the news, or taking a shower, setting conscious intentions can completely transform the mundane into magical!
By taking just a few minutes during your a.m. routine for intention setting, you’ll be surprised at the ongoing positive effects that reverberate throughout your whole day!
STIR SUNSHINE INTO YOUR COFFEE OR TEA
Tomorrow, try this: while stirring your coffee or tea, imagine stirring in a spoonful of sunshine. With every drink from your cup, envision swallowing the sun’s rays, filling your heart space full of joy and light.
RINSE AWAY YOUR WORRIES
Here’s another simple intention setting practice to add to your morning routine, that some people call Conscious Bathing. Before you step into the shower, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and declare that this shower will rinse away your worries. Step into the shower, soap up (preferably with an aromatherapy soap to enhance the practice) and envision the lather carrying all your worries down the drain. Simple. Powerful!
2. USE POSITIVE VISUALIZATION
Visualize how you want your day to go. Imagine how you’d like to feel throughout the day. Consider what you’d like to accomplish and how calm you’ll be while doing it. Tune out any negative thoughts that might bring down your energy or discourage your positivity.
Once you’ve visualized your day running smooth and serene, state these intentions out loud to enhance the effects:
• “Today will bring me an abundance of joy.”
• “I am a beautiful person, kind and caring.”
• “Today I will exude confidence and handle chaotic situations with ease.”
• “I am full of laughter and joy. The littlest things can make me roar with laughter.”
3. MEDITATION OR PRAYER
There are lots of studies about the positive mental and physical effects of prayer and meditation. This might be because prayer and meditation allow us to stop and focus inward on what our soul really needs.
Meditation is a good way to “pause” your hectic life and your busy thoughts, so you aren’t overly reactive to your environment. It’s always easier to deal with a jam-packed day when you are coming from a place of peace and calm.
In fact, there is a Zen proverb that goes, ““You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day - unless you're too busy; then you should sit for an hour.” The more you pause to reflect in meditation or during prayer, the more you can command your intention AND attention to what matters most in life. *Tip - It helps when you clear your space with a sage spray before meditation to cleanse the energetic field.
4. DAILY GRATITUDE PRACTICE
Thinking about the big (and little) things about your life for which you are most grateful can turn a negative mindset into a positive one. You can simply think about those people, places, and things that make your life more fulfilling. For instance, maybe you're thankful today for your daughter’s laughter, your co-worker’s kindness, or your morning cup of coffee. Be intentional with this practice and watch as your spirits lighten more and more.
5. ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT
Before the day even begins, think about how you want your day to unfold. Imagine what happens, think about how you feel, visualize who (and how) you interact with during the day. Remember, you can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond. Ask the Universe/GOD/Deity of Choice/Spirit Guides to help guide you during your day, then let it go. Accept that whatever comes your way is a lesson and you are perfectly capable of handling it with ease.
6. WRITE DOWN YOUR INTENTIONS THE NIGHT BEFORE
You can make tomorrow better by starting tonight. Before you fall asleep, write down your goals. Be specific. Detail what your goals are, how you’ll feel when you achieve your goals, what your life will be like once your goals are met, etc. Then drift off to sleep knowing your intention setting will help tomorrow be the best it can be.
Incorporating just one of the above intention setting practices to your morning routine can enhance your entire day. When you command your mind, body and spirit to do what you want it to do, you take charge of what you want out of life.
