How to Choose an Intention: 3 Simple Steps - May You Know Joy

We’re going to explore how to choose and intention if you’re not sure where to start. Choosing an intention is simple and creating an intention setting practice can be easy and transformative.  Being intentional means mindfully choosing how we want to show up in the world.  We choose intentions base on what values we want to align with and what it is we want to create for ourselves.  And – we go from there!

It’s the opposite to life on autopilot.  Instead, we’re taking the reins and choosing intentions that consciously create the life that feels really true to us.

Where do we start in creating intentions?

Start in Your Heart

First, know that you don’t need anything to ‘do’ this.  It’s all right in your heart.  Here are a couple heart-centred places to start:

  1.  When you think about the life you want to create, what does it feel like?  How do you want to show up and what do you want to experience?  For example, I may want a life that is more joyful, more creative, more loving or more peaceful.  Choose a simple intention – one thing – you want to infuse your life with today.
  2. If the words aren’t coming, a great place to start can be defining your core values.  What’s really important to you?  These can form the basis of your intention setting practice.  I really love this List of Core Values created by Brené Brown.  It’s a great place for inspiration.  Choose a word from the list and let that be your intention.

3 Foundational Intentions

I believe that there are 3 foundational intentions:  love, kindness and gratitude.  If you chose just one of these intentions for the rest of your life, you would be in great shape!  Moving between the 3 of these would also be very rich and inspired.

Choosing to speak, act and show up from a place of love is one of the most powerful things we could ever do.  Likewise, operating from a place of kindness (towards ourselves, each other, the planet) would also be incredible.  And, when we create room in our hearts for gratitude, everything becomes a gift.

Choosing Intention Cards

Using a card deck to choose your intention can also provide great inspiration.  The cards can open you to new perspectives and new ways of thinking.

I choose an intention card each morning and let the word inspire my day.  It opens my mind and allows me to explore the world with a greater sense of curiosity and wonder.  It also gets me out of autopilot and ‘stuck’ patterns that can have me doing the same things over and over.

This is why I create intention cards.  I think they are this beautiful and simple tool that can help us access our intentional living in an inspired way!  You can check them out if you think this tool would be a welcome addition to your practice.  May You Know Joy Cards include a card deck and booklet to inspire you.  Seeds of Intention cards offer simple daily nudges to get you going in the right direction.  My latest deck, May You Find Joy offers simple ways to connect to joy each and every day.  Very needed during a global pandemic!  Above all, make your practice your own.

Choose intentions that inspire joy, that align you and that create the life that feels most fulfilling to you.  Creating intentions is meant to be simple, heartfelt and inspiring.