Setting clear intentions is at the foundation of creating lasting lifestyle changes. Most of us are interested in living our best lives. On the journey toward living our best lives, we are all attempting to change something—our jobs, our bodies, our schedules, our eating habits, our exercise habits, our self-defeating thoughts and behaviors, our ability to take action in spite of our self-doubts and fears, our unconscious compulsive habits, or our work/play balance. When we’re contemplating lifestyle changes, getting clear about our intentions and finding a way to keep them in the focus of our daily attention is key.
For example, it’s one thing to say that our goal is to lose weight, but it’s another to get clear about our intentions behind the desire to lose weight. Perhaps what’s driving the goal of weight loss is the desire to improve our health and well-being, the desire to feel more energetic, or the desire to feel better about ourselves.
Getting clear about our intentions is the first step toward creating lasting lifestyle changes. There are several ways that we can go about clarifying our intentions. Writing about them is a great way to get clear, as is asking the questions, “What is my intention? What matters most to me?” during our meditation practice.
Once we’ve clarified our intentions, it’s useful to find or create a visual image that represents our intentions. For instance, if the intention is to lose weight in order to improve health and well-being, find or create a photograph of something that represents health and well-being. Placing the photograph on our desk at work, or somewhere we’ll see it throughout the day keeps our attention on our intentions and can serve to keep us focused and guide us in making the decisions and choices throughout the day that support those intentions. Similarly, once we’ve achieved our goals, continuing to focus on our intentions can support us in making ongoing choices that support lasting changes.
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness teacher, coach, and therapist teaching mindfulness for healing and creative awakening. Contact Jen to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.