Intentions

Insights, prioritization, phrasing and visualization.

Hello, my fabulous friends! As promised in my last post, Reflections (2025), I’m going to introduce you to the magic of setting intentions. Instead of resolutions (which have never worked for me), I gave this a shot a few years ago and fell in love with it. This practice has proven to provide me with better focus and motivation, which carries throughout the year.

Exactly What Are Intentions, Anyway?

Forget rigid, demotivating resolutions. Intentions are your flexible besties, offering guidance while still allowing for some wiggle room. They give you the chance to redefine what success looks like, and they’ll be there as a comforting reminder of how to stay focused when you inevitably face challenges.

Intentions are not just list items to be checked off; they serve as a compass, pointing us toward who we want to be and where we want to go. Setting intentions now creates a solid launchpad for when we get down to creating supportive SMART goals—the secret sauce for actually making things happen.

Crafting Your Intentions

Ready to rock ‘n’ roll? The following steps will help whip up intentions that’ll spark your fire for your year ahead.

• Reflect on Insights: Grab your notes from the Reflections (2025) exercise and review. What were the highs and lows? Jot down any revelations which bubbled up if you haven’t already.

• Prioritize What Matters: Pick the top three areas in your life you want to focus on such as personal growth, relationships, finances, career. Knowing what matters keeps you from wasting time on unnecessary distractions. Now, consider how these connect with your insights.

• Phrase Your Intentions: Ditch the “I want to” and embrace “I will” and start relatively small. For example, instead of saying, “I want to lose 20lbs,” try “I will find time to exercise regularly.”

• Visualize: Picture yourself working on these intentions. Where are you? What are you doing? What are your feeling? Close your eyes and let your imagination take flight. This visualization creates an emotional bond in your mind that will help keep up motivation. Tip: if something on the list isn’t lighting you up, put it aside or strike it off completely.

  Here are a few I’ve come up with, myself, so far as an example.

  

• Create a Ritual: Take some quiet time for yourself on a regular basis (I recommend weekly at a minimum) to review your list of intentions. This will not only serve as a consistent reminder, but also offers you a chance to make adjustments as needed. After all, life happens!

Connecting Intentions to SMART Goals

This is where the magic will happen. Setting clear intentions is the first step towards crafting those SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals. Intentions serve as visions for which these goals become focused guides on the path to success.

I will be sending a post specifically on creating SMART goals after the New Year. But, if you want to get a jumpstart, my Ko-fi shop has a free worksheet available. As always, no signups or subscriptions are required for access.

Final Thoughts

Setting intentions isn’t “woo woo” or a fad. It’s a way to grab hold of life’s reins and steer through life’s unpredictable path. By anchoring ourselves in purpose, we set the stage for an incredible year.

As we step into 2026, I’d love to hear your intentions! What magic would you like to conjure up?

Can’t wait to hear from you!

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