How many times have you just rolled out of bed and gone through your day without any real direction or intent?
The reality is that for most people, mornings can be a very busy and stressful time. This is especially so for women who not only need to take care of themselves but often need to get their kids and family ready too (prepare them breakfast, make sure they are wearing the right clothes for school, etc.…)
The busy life we all live can often lead to very stressful mornings. Just think for a second, what your mornings usually look like?
I realized that far too often, from the moment we wake up, we start thinking about everything we need to do on this day. And the list of “to dos” gets bigger and bigger and by the time we have been awake for 10 minutes, we may already feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done.
And we all know that the list often looks like the day has 40 hrs and not 24 hrs. When I think about all the lists I used to create in my my head, I am pretty shocked. How the hell did I think I could squeeze all these tasks into one day?
Of course, creating these kind of lists didn’t help me feel good at all. For that reason I started thinking about daily intentions. As soon as I started practicing this, it helped me feel so much happier.
So, what do I mean by Daily Intentions?
Daily Intentions in practice are usually purposeful phrases that you set up in the morning. It should help you navigate throughout the day. The aim of daily intention is to help you manifest a sense of focus as well as to empower you to create for yourself the day you want to have.
Personally, I can definitely say that concentrating on daily intentions has completely changed my morning routine. Now, instead of rushing in the mornings, I wake up each morning 10 mins earlier than I used to and I spend this 10 mins in a quiet space in order to determine the intention I want for myself. This helps me start my day with more positivity and strength. Also, if I feel lost during the day, I always go back to what my intention is.
So, now, I’m challenging you to do the same. Why not spend a few minutes each morning establishing your own intention?
How can you set up daily intentions for yourself?
Personally, as mentioned, I do it every morning. I would recommend taking 10 mins for yourself each morning and think about your intention for the day.
It is important that you focus and connect to your ‘why’. Usually your why is what drives you to achieve your goals. When thinking about intentions, you should really connect to your heart and leave all fears and doubts behind you.
It is important that your intention deeply resonates with you. Once you determine your intention, if you feel energized and powerful when thinking about it, then it is the right one.
For a better understanding, let’s now take a look at some examples of intention:
I am enough and I fully accept myself: this helps to eliminate insecurity and any need for perfection which usually just holds us back from achieving our goals.
I love myself; I accept all my flaws: Too often we strive for perfection and are afraid of making mistakes. This often leads to self-judgmental behavior and increase in anxiety. So, by setting the intention that you love yourself and accept your flaws, you promise to yourself to be your best friend. And you allow yourself to make mistakes and to not be perfect.
After you do this, you will probably feel a sense of freedom and relief as now you can be who you want to be without this negativity holding you back.
I intend to laugh today and have fun: we take our lives too seriously and hence we often do not laugh enough. Life should be fun and we should laugh as much as we can and make space for fun in our lives.
I intend to write down 3 things I am proud of today: we forget to praise ourselves. Most people are very good at judging themselves but not at praising. Make sure you write down every day, 3 things you are proud of.
This can be as simple as I took time to go to the gym, I went out and enjoyed some fresh air, etc. It doesn’t need to be big thing. It can be smaller things that should make you feel proud of yourself.
I intend to find at least 3 things I am grateful for today: again, often we focus on what we do not have instead of being grateful for what we already have. Do you live in a country without war? Do you have space to live in?
Believe me, even if you think you don’t have anything to be grateful for, if you are simply alive, this is a big thing you should be grateful for.
These are just a few examples of what intention looks like. However, keep in mind that intention can be whatever you think it should be as long as it energizes and empowers you.
Hopefully, this will help you to feel happier and more empowered about your life. If you have any other advice on routine that can help you feel more empowered in life and at work please share it in the comments.
