Hey, do you ever wonder why some intentions stick and others don’t?
One possibility is that there is such a difference between a list of ‘shoulds’ (aka resolutions) and intentions aligned with the client’s heart and big vision.
One thing is clear, ‘shoulds’ live in the head so helping clients get out of their heads and
talking about what their heart really wants is the first step towards intentions that stick.
Once they name it, it’s important to make it “3-D.” Make it come alive, involve the senses, engage feelings, feel it in the body, etc. I call this activating the intention. Below are 4 easy ways to do this.
4 Ways to Activate Intentions
1. Make it Visual
Collages are a wonderful way to do this. I prefer old school, cutting words and pictures out of a magazine. But there are some great online tools to do it digitally too. You could make a collage for each intention or the overall result when all of the intentions are achieved.
2. Infusion Words
I learned about infusion words from my friend Laura West. This is about coming up with three words or short phrases that hold the energetic focus of your intentions. These are words that connect you to your heart’s desire and that bring you alive. They will make you smile and will feel expansive. They are not ‘should’ words or even things you want to do – it’s what you want to feel or experience – they are about attraction energy. You may need to noodle with them to get them resonating for you. Here are two examples: brave, be, let go, and playful focus, dancing energy, believe.
3. Visualize
This is about taking just a few minutes a day and imagining the end result. You have already achieved your intentions or better. Tap into how that feels and what it looks like. Make it 3-D. Engage as many senses as possible. I find it easiest to set a timer and write it as a story in the future. For example…I loved getting up this morning, making coffee and watching the sun rise from the window of my beautiful remodeled kitchen…etc.
4. Revisit Regularly
Once you’ve activated your intentions, it’s important to keep revisiting them. Otherwise, before you know it, life gets in the way and you’ve forgotten about the intentions. Create a FUN way to revisit your intentions monthly or quarterly. Create a ritual or a game. Do it with a buddy. My husband and I have a monthly ‘meeting’ to revisit intentions and goals. We give it a fun name, go out for a drink and an appetizer and talk about progress, celebrate successes, maybe make revisions, and renew our commitment. This year’s monthly outing is called ‘Twist & Shout. (we’ve had a music theme going for a few years) The name makes it fun and something to look forward to. The key is to actually get it on the calendar.
A list of ‘shoulds’ will fall flat every time. Find the heart of the intention and activate it in meaningful ways.
