Many people fill their days with thoughts of who they want to be, what they want to do and what they want to have. "I want financial freedom. I want a new car. I want to take a vacation this year. I want to learn another language. I want to be in a committed relationship. I want to land the role of my dreams. I want a gallery to show my painting. I want to lose 10 pounds. I want to write the next great American novel." The list of possible wants is endless.



Wanting things and experiences is wonderful. At least there is desire, a goal in mind. However want and desire not backed up by intention and action are just nice dreams. When the dreams remain unfulfilled they soon become the source of frustration, restless agitation or quiet desperation.

There is tremendous power in setting an intention. This power directs your energy to the completion of that intention. By setting an intention, you make it clear to yourself and others, just what you plan to do.

Before we show you how to set and act upon an intention let's define what an intention is in the first place. Dictionaries define the word intension as:

- A course of action that a person intends to follow; The goal or purpose behind a specific action or set of actions - Purpose: an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions - The focus of the mind, the sense of purpose that leads to action.

Now that we have clarity on what an intention is, let's review the steps in setting and taking action upon that intention to achieve the desired outcome; the fulfillment of the 'want'.

Five Steps to Set An Intention:

1. Get clear about something you want and write it down.

Write it down in a way that it is a movement towards something you want instead of a movement away from something you don't want. For example, the goal of "I don't want to have any more debt." (away) can be reframed to "I intend to save $5,000 to pay off my credit cards." (toward) or "I want to stop procrastinating." (away) can be reframed to "I intend to complete my screenplay in 30 days."

Get specific. If you intend to remodel your work space, work out the details. How would you remodel it? If you're ripping up the carpet and putting in new flooring, what kind of flooring? Wood, tile, cement? Adding more light; more windows? How large? What kind? What brand? Will you hire a contractor or do it yourself? Putting in better storage capabilities? What kind of storage? Cabinets? Closet? Get detailed on exactly what you want. Get clear on what the end result, the remodeled work space will look like.

2. Envision how you will feel once you've accomplished that intention.

If you're intention is to "Get a Gallery to show my art" spend some time thinking about how you will feel as an artist who's work is being shown in a Gallery. Imagine the opening event of your show. What Gallery? What paintings will you show? How will they be displayed? Who will be there? What will you wear? How long will the show run? Who will buy your paintings; what will they say to you or the Gallery owner? Will the owner want to show more of your work? What will happen as a result of your gallery show? How will you feel when that happens? What will you do? What will you have?

3. Share your intention with someone in a way that will supportively hold you accountable to taking action.

Telling others about your intention inserts external accountability into the power of the intention. It is one thing to not complete a stated goal when no one is looking. It's done every year with New Year's resolutions. It's quite another motivating force to have others bear witness to the failure to complete. It is easier to hold yourself accountable if you are also held accountable by others.

4. Do something today to demonstrate your commitment to your intention; a baby step.

Identify one thing, even one little thing, that you could do today to move you towards accomplishing your goal. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds, throw out the bag of chunky chocolate chip cookies in your cupboard. If you want to take a 2 week vacation and go to Paris, figure out the 2 weeks you will take. Check flight availability and fares. The hardest step in accomplishing any goal is the first step. Make that first step a tiny one, one that is easily accomplished. What is important is that you begin!

5. Acknowledge that you did what you said you would and then, take the next step. And then the next...

Celebrate each step you take to accomplish your goal. Enjoy the process. Have fun. It can be a great ride! Before you know it you turned your dreams into reality.

Wizards are alchemists after all; they can turn an inspired idea into a fully actualized creative expression.

Copyright (c) 2009 Valery Satterwhite