{"id":33893,"date":"2021-12-29T11:34:38","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T18:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.betternutrition.com\/?p=33893"},"modified":"2021-12-29T11:34:38","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T18:34:38","slug":"how-to-set-intentions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.betternutrition.com\/conditions-and-wellness\/general-health\/how-to-set-intentions\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m a Goal-Setting Expert. Here\u2019s How to Set\u2014and Keep\u2014Your New Year Intentions"},"content":{"rendered":"

2022 is almost here, and it\u2019s safe to say many of us are ready to leave 2021 behind and have a fresh start (or at least a fresh calendar). If you struggle with goal-setting or find yourself dropping your resolutions by the time February rolls around, you may want to try a new personal development technique\u2014intention setting.<\/p>\n

Offering a more thematic-based approach to change, intention setting allows you to focus on the big picture, instead of concrete goals. If this seems intimidating, don\u2019t worry\u2014it\u2019s not. I spoke to a content creator with expertise in goal setting, Aileen Xu<\/a>, to learn about how to set intentions and how to keep them.<\/p>\n

Why setting intentions is important<\/h2>\n

Intention setting is related to goal setting\u2014with a bit of twist. While goals are often more specific and \u201ccheckable\u201d items, intentions are broader, focusing on larger themes in your life. \u201cI believe an intention is setting a focus on the energy you want to receive,\u201d\u00a0 Xu says. \u201cMaybe your intention is you want more joy in your life or more love\u2014better relationships.\u201d Intention setting and goal setting go hand-in-hand, Xu says. And neither is more important than the other.<\/p>\n

Setting intentions allows you to focus broadly on what you need in your life. It fuses concepts of goal setting with self-reflection. With intention setting, you\u2019ll be able to head into 2022 with a better understanding of yourself\u2014and your own needs.<\/p>\n

How to set intentions<\/h2>\n

OK, so you\u2019re ready to set some intentions. How, exactly, do you do that?<\/p>\n

First, Xu recommends spending some time reflecting on yourself and your life. Ask yourself how you\u2019re feeling and what you feel you\u2019re lacking, she says. Sound tricky? Xu recommends breaking it down by different areas in your life. Her workbook<\/a> includes a self-reflection wheel, which gives you space to reflect on and rate different areas of your life, including your health, career, and relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exercise is great because normally you don\u2019t think about it\u2014you don\u2019t realize the areas you\u2019re neglecting,\u201d she says. By doing this exercise, you\u2019ll be able to see the areas where you need place more attention or where something is missing. This is what you can focus on in your intention setting, she says.<\/p>\n

To actually set the intentions, Xu recommends writing them down\u2014and keeping them in a visible place. This can be on a notepad on your bedside table or as your phone background. When you have your intention in front of you day after day, it\u2019s harder to forget about it and neglect it. \u201cSay your intention is to slow down and give yourself some space,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen tasks are pilling on and you feel very overwhelmed and busy, you can come back to your intention. \u2018OK, my intention was not to do more this month, my intention was to slow down, so I\u2019m going to say no to more things.’\u201d An intention should guide your daily life and decision-making processes, she says.<\/p>\n

When to change your intention<\/h2>\n

This really depends on the person, she says. Xu prefers setting a monthly intention, but you may opt to set a daily, weekly, or yearly intention, as well. You can also have multiple intentions at the same time, she says. \u201cThere are no rules,\u201d she says. \u201cI see intentions as your guiding light. It\u2019s the compass to guide you to live the life you want to live.\u201d Intentions can help ground us\u2013especially when chaos and obstacles get in the way.<\/p>\n

If 2021 taught us anything, it\u2019s that life can get in the way (all. the. time.). So why not head into 2022 a bit more grounded, with intentions. (It\u2019s worth a try, right?)<\/p>\n

See also:<\/em> New Year’s Guide to Making Lasting Changes<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Resolutions are so 2021. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"uuid":"a665d27f53752a34302f3c4197c5a65a"},"categories":[143],"tags":[],"byline":[2077],"ad_cat":[],"legacy-category":[],"acf":{"post_video":false,"iframe_hero":false,"add_square_crop":false,"longform":false,"sponsored":false,"membership_content":false,"post_incontent_cta_disable":false,"registered_content":false,"exclude_post":false,"table_of_contents":{"header":"","content_sections":false},"review_toggle":false,"pom_layout":false},"yoast_head":"\nHow to Set Intentions\u2014And How to Keep Them<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Curious about intention setting? 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