One of the phrases I like a lot, when starting something new, is start out as you intend to go on. The idea is that as we approach something new– a job, a year, a project– we begin it with the intention and spirit we hope will carry us through until the end. That does not mean things will not change (they will!), or that we are bound to that intention forever. It simply means that as we begin something, our first intention is the one we hope will carry us through.
Every day, we wake up, and go about our day. But every day is also a new project, a new beginning. We do not usually begin our day with a lot of intention, however. Hopefully, we have a good morning routine that gets us up and going, but what about the intention for the whole day? We usually skip right into our habits (picking up our phone, washing up, whatever it is). What if we made the first habit of the day setting an intention?
When we have a fairly clear sense of what is important to us, setting an intention might be easy. Similarly, if there are specific things we want to improve at, that might be a good starting place for a daily intention. If I have noticed I am not patient enough with my friends or family– my intention might be today I will practice being more patient. Perhaps I have been feeling down a lot, an intention might be I will seek more joy in the ordinary today. It does not even have to be anything too specific, it could be something like today is going to be a good day.
When we take the time to consciously set an intention for the day, it helps us focus on what it is that we are looking for. When we have started the day looking for more patience within ourselves, we find more patience within ourselves. When we look for more joy in our life, we find more joy.
Setting an intention does not need to be a big deal– try it for five seconds before getting out of bed. Eyes open, start to wake up, today I will practice gratitude for the many wonderful things I have in my life. Feet on the floor, begin the morning. No big deal. Nothing special. No drama or ceremony– just a private, internal ritual before the day begins.
I like this intention setting for a few reasons. It is easy. It is not something that requires us to make big changes in our lives, or to re-arrange anything. It does not take a lot of time. Many changes we seek to make in our lives are constrained by time. This is not. It is startlingly powerful. I do not pretend that doing this once will shift your world, but if doing it on a consistent basis, it is amazing to me how it starts to seep into your days. It requires no one’s permission or coordination. You can start it tomorrow. Actually, you can start it right now.
I would suggest trying to be consistent about what intention you are trying to set. Setting the intention for more patience one day, more gratitude the next, and more happiness on the third might have some appeal (I want all those things!), but consistency is what makes this helpful.
Choose your intention wisely. This is a practice, a direction, not a destination, and not a goal. The point here is not to set the intention of meeting a sales goal, or accomplishing a specific thing. Ideally, the intention you are setting is something that is too amorphous to ever fully arrive. If your daily intention includes a lofty word, like truth or enlightenment or happiness or joy or kindness, you are probably on the right path.
Lastly, whenever we are starting something new, it’s pretty normal that we forget sometimes. So what happens if you forget to set your intention on waking up, and then remember at 10: 30 in the middle of a meeting? Don’t worry too much– when you remember, take a moment to set the intention at that time, and keep moving on.
Cheers,
Doc