The power of intention

‘New year, new start.’ These are the conversations being had right now. What can we do to make this year better? I do enjoy using the new year as a reason to reflect, and I enjoy an element of planning, but only loosely. This is a time of year people tend to apply a lot of pressure – to themselves their lives, their expectations. It’s great to plan and set goals, but they need to be realistic, and in line with our values, which requires self-knowledge and some internal reflection or enquiry, rather than pressurised ‘inspo’ from other people’s facebook/Instagram posts, or worse still, targeted advertising designed to make you feel bad unless you’re working out, finding your zen, studying and building up your side hustle simultaneously.

So I’m not going to guilt trip you, panic you, try to sell you something, or even tell you about my #newyearnewme Instead, I’m going to suggest that every day is a new beginning. Even every moment. Turn that into a hashtag if you are so inclined.

New chances to start over or begin new projects and challenges are in front of us all the time. I’m going to encourage you to choose each day/each moment, to work towards something you want or need, whether that’s a new yoga routine, or a nap. And I’m going to talk to you about the power of intention, quite generally, yet very apt for this turn of the year.

So firstly, what is an intention? Unlike goals, which tend to be more action-based, intentions are more about what you want to achieve inside through your actions, and tend to be more about how you feel about something, or how you want to feel or be. Whilst not vague, they tend not to have the same level of measurability as goals because they are less tangible, but when they materialise, oh can you feel it! Intentions are about moving in a direction – what happens to be at the end of the path taken may not be quite what was expected when you first set off, because it’s about the journey itself and the shift in you along the way. 

Setting an intention is about focusing on it, rather than just having an idea. It’s taking the time to quiet, settle and find clarity with what the intention really means to you, what it would look like once you’re on the path, and declaring your commitment to it. To set the intention, you need to be present, It doesn’t work to be distracted or overly driven, as you’ll miss the subtleties of the process. Awareness is key. Often intentions are in the present tense and start with ‘I am…’ or ‘I feel…’ which can be linked to a longer sentence such as ‘I have an exciting project that is rewarding and energising.’ Note that the type of project and other practical specifics you may find in a goal are absent; intentions focus on specific feelings and attributions – exciting, rewarding, energising. This way we are receptive (in this example) to projects that may meet these criteria, which we wouldn’t otherwise have considered had we already decided what type of project it would be. Likewise, rather than just wanting more money, or money to buy something specific, an intention might be ‘I have enough financial abundance to make choices easily and to invest in my home.’ Equally an intention can be short and about the inner experience, such as ‘I am calm.’

​Why do it? Intention setting is a powerful process and links directly to manifestation. It can be really useful if you are feeling ‘stuck’ with any part (or all) of life, or feeling lost in your life direction. As soon as we have set our intention, we are on its path. If we are present and aware when we contemplate and then set the intention, it will be prominent in our minds and we are likely to gear our thinking styles and decision making towards it. We are likely to be more receptive and notice any relevant happenings around us, and take related opportunities. We may also be drawn to spending time with other people on a similar path or who can help us on our path. 

All these things make the intention more likely to be realised. Intention setting turns us into active participants in our lives, rather than passive recipients where life happens to us and drags us along. ​

How do I find my intentions? If you are lost for ideas on what intentions you would like to set, there are different techniques that could help you to find and focus these. Some examples:

• Journalling could be used to uncover what you want from life, how you want to be, what your values are, or what changes you’d like to see in your life.
• Starting the routine of choosing a word for each day. This could be preceded by ‘today I would like to feel…’ and to allow your awareness to keep coming back to this word throughout the day, looking for parts of the day, small events during the day where you can follow your word like a thread

'The Secret Language of Color' oracle cards by Inna Segal

• Oracle cards can be another way to reflect inwardly. These are usually themed (colours, angels, quotes, animals) and have an accompanying book to explain the meaning of the card, sometimes with meditations relevant to each card as well. Whether you understand this as communication from the divine, the universe pointing you in a specific direction, or pure luck, somehow the oracle is rarely ever inaccurate. Something in the card will speak to your subconscious, which will pick up on something which resonates, holds value or reveals something to you, and you will receive a message from somewhere deep down about where you’re at, what you need to do, or a barrier you need to overcome. This can provide inspiration for your intention setting. 

So what does this look like in practice? To set an intention, most people will follow a routine or ritual of some kind. This is a dedicated time and space for the process. Some people might light a candle or incense to set the scene and as part of the dedication and commitment to the process. Some may meditate to clear their head and focus their mind on the task at hand. The intention will be a positive affirmation (I am calm, rather than ‘I’m not angry’), it will link to their values and probably a wider goal. The intention will be held in regular awareness, checking in on progress and alignment, and reviewing whether the intention is still relevant or has come to fruition. ​If you’re really stuck, or you’ve never done anything like this before, there is a step-by-step guide to start you off at the bottom of this post.

I’m going to end with a verse from the Tao Te Ching, ‘The Importance of What is Not’, because at this time of year, we have a tendency to focus on solid things; money, possessions, muscles, tummies, jobs, hobbies and a ‘need’ for ourselves to be active; doing, having, getting, achieving. In this verse, Lao Tsu focuses on the exact opposite - what is not; that is to say emptiness and space, which could link to the human experience as rest, reflection and freedom. Not to say this is better, or more important, but to bring into balance the active and solid (yang), with the passive and receptive (yin). We all need both to experience harmony. Take the pressure off #newyearsresolution and allow some emptiness and space to creep in too – they’ll make it easier, and more fulfilling.

​Verse 11: The Importance of What is Not

We join thirty spokes
To the hub of a wheel,
Yet it’s the centre hole
That drives the chariot.

We shape clay
To birth a vessel,
Yet it’s the hollow within
That makes it useful.

We chisel doors and windows
To construct a room,
Yet it’s the inner space
That makes it livable.
​
Thus do we create what is
To use what is not?

Step-by-step guide to intention setting 

• Carve out a moment of time (around 20 minutes) where you will be alone and undisturbed, with a paper and a pen/pencil
  
  
• Do something to mark your commitment to what you’re doing, such as playing some calming/inspirational music, holding a stone, or lighting a candle
  
  
• Sit quietly for a few minutes to centre yourself. If you’re comfortable to, close your eyes
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• Let your thoughts come and go, bringing your focus back to why you are doing this

• Once you feel a sense of increased calm/focus/stillness, ask yourself how you want to feel this year (or month), allow your mind to explore this
  
• Write these ideas down
  
  
• Close your eyes and settle again, and ask yourself how you want to be this year (or month), allow your mind to explore this
• Write these down
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• Spend some time looking at the words/phrases you wrote down. You may like to add to these, put some together in sentences, or highlight the most important ones. Consider also your own personal values and how these fit in

• You could take one of these words/sentences to create an intention. You could make this into a visual to place where you will see it often, you could take it as an affirmation and repeat it to yourself in the mornings, or when you know you need to hear it and focus. You could meditate on the intention and what this could look like for you in the coming year.  You could take a moment to practice gratitude for the things that have lead you to this point and enabled you to set this intention, and come back to the intention and say it aloud. How you mark this is up to you. The importance is to spend the time and energy on it, bring focus and awareness, and display (to yourself as much as anyone) your commitment

• OR you might like to keep the piece of paper folded and titled ‘my intentions for 2021/January’ and place it in a drawer. This way you have put your intentions as a request out into the universe. You could check back on this ‘​letter to the universe’ some time later to see what has unfolded since.