Creating an Intentions Plan (Part 1 of Intention Series)

I gave up on resolutions a long time ago. Why? Let’s start with the definition of a New Year’s resolution.

Resolution: a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year

I don’t like making promises because if I can’t or don’t keep it, I feel guilty and feel like I failed. A few years back, I read on someone’s scrapbooking blog about creating intentions instead of resolutions. Let’s look at the definition of intention.

Intention: A course of action that one intends to follow.

I like that much better because each year that is what I do. I intend to follow a course of action. I don’t want to feel like I failed if I sway from that course. Since the, I’ve been creating New Year’s Intentions.

Just about the time I discovered intentions, Ali Edward began her one little word campaign.I like the idea of one word that summarizes my intentions.I find there is often a theme to my intentions. I plaster that word everywhere around me. Then each time I am faced with a decision, I think about my word. Does this get me closer to my word? If not then maybe isn’t in my best interest right now.

My word is usually a state I’d like to achieve or an action I want to take in all areas of my life. My past words have been Simplify, Health & Less. The last 3 years I had my word and my intentions, but no real plan. I knew where I wanted to be, but no idea how to get there.

When we plan a vacation, we first decide on the destination. Do we stop right there? Nope, we decide how we will get there. Plane, trains or car? Then we plan the specific route and where we will stay and what we will do once we get there.

Each year I’ve planned the destination, but never how I am going to get there and what I’ll do when I’m there.

Join me this week as we go through the process of creating an Intention Plan.

1. Write out your intentions
2. Pick one word to summarize your intentions
3. Create a visual of your word and intentions
4. Create your plan of action

Let me know in the comments if you are going to join me!