Recently, I was asked to contribute to an article about Intention setting. And that got me thinking about intentions and their value. I set intentions every year and find them transformative. But why? That’s what I have been thinking about and this is what I came up with…

If you look for something, you find it. It’s strange but true. You may not think about the white Teslas you drive by but if you set the intention to notice them, you will see them everywhere.

I don’t like New Years Resolutions. Lose weight. Make more money. Get married. It’s all hollow. None of it matters. It’s the core of it that matters and that’s where setting intentions can be meaningful.

Losing weight is about feeling healthy and confident. Set the intention to create a healthy life and build confidence, and you will look for opportunities to do that and they are far more meaningful than a number on the scale. Making more money is about financial security. Set the intention to create financial security and you will find the opportunities that allow you to build your wealth in a way that lasts. Getting married is about creating a lasting relationship. Set the intention to find a good partner or work on your relationship and the pay-off will be exponentially more than a ring.

Intentions can be about finding answers or creating space. I intend to create more space to write and so I will look for those gaps of time to make that happen. The year I left my marriage, I set the intention to get clarity on the relationship that I had with my then-husband. I did and that’s the year I went through a divorce. Setting that intention, while a painful reality-check, was life-changing and necessary.

When setting intentions, it’s important to think about where you need shifts and what you want to grow or build for yourself. By setting the intention, you will create a mindset that helps you see and look for opportunities to make it happen.

And here’s a link to the article I was asked to contribute to about Intention Setting.