written by Adrienne Enns
This article shares some simple steps to help you create a daily intention setting practice, starting with exploring why this matters. As you read, you are encouraged to take what resonates and also take the creative license to make this practice your own.
Why a Daily Intention Setting Practice Matters
Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to talk about why a daily intention setting practice matters. First, the intention setting piece itself is important because it means you are mindfully connecting with how you want to show up in the world. And second, a daily practice means this is a consistent commitment we’re making to ourselves. The value and benefits of a simple and consistent daily practice cannot be underestimated! The things you do regularly will become a habit and eventually a lifestyle; this is a beautiful way to set yourself up for a very mindful life.
5 Steps to Creating Your Daily Practice
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Create an Intention in the Morning
First off, create an intention in the morning. By taking a few moments to pause and centre ourselves in the morning, we are taking responsibility for our day and deciding how we want to show up. You can create an intention by pulling an intention card or you could give some thought to what’s coming up in the day and create an intention accordingly. 3 foundational intentions are love, kindness and gratitude. If you chose one of these each morning, you would also be all set.
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Create Reminders of Your Intention
It’s also very helpful to create reminder of your intention to refer back to throughout the day. Days can get busy and stressful and we can fall into autopilot so, having a tangible reminder of your intention could be a great way to ground yourself. It could be as simple as displaying the card you chose in the moment. Other tangible reminders could include: a scent, a picture, a post-it note, a piece of jewellery, a crystal – essentially, some word or object that will remind you and return you to your intention.
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Look for Opportunities
When you create an intention for the day, you can bet that you will get lots of opportunities to practice. For example, if you choose an intention of kindness, chances are you will run into the full spectrum of kind to very unpleasant! This is not about being perfect but, it is about stepping into kindness, practicing it,observing it and learning about it. Be mindful and open to all of the lessons available to you. When you fall down, pick yourself up and keep going.
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End of Day Gratitude & Reflection
The end of the day is a great time to create quiet room for gratitude and reflection. You may want to spend some time reflecting on your intention, how it showed up for you, what you liked, what you didn’t like and what lessons you will take forward. Gratitude is also a very powerful practice and the perfect book-end to a morning intention setting practice. Ask yourself: what am I grateful for today? Don’t just list things off but, think about what really mattered and why. Allow yourself to feel this in your heart. There might also be things you’re not grateful for. Notice them to as there’s valuable learning in that.
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Rinse and Repeat
Now we rinse and repeat. When we create a daily intention setting practice, it is meant to be something joyful and inspiring rather than another to-do list item. Use it as an opportunity to sit in the driver seat of your life and enjoy the adventure. Be willing to change your actions and perspectives. Prepare to be surprised and to change course. Be willing to learn and grow. When we choose how we want to show up, everything shifts and we have incredible opportunities to create a life that really fills us up. Give it time and watch the magic unfold.
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About The Author
May You Know Joy Founder and CEO Adrienne Enns has a mission to inspire our most intentional and mindful daily living through products, conversations and experiences. Through her recovery from addiction (now 11 years sober), Adrienne realized that she could choose to create a life that felt meaningful and joyful. She also learned that it's the simple things we do every day that make all the difference. This is the inspiration behind every card deck. Adrienne wants to infuse our every day with beauty, joy and inspiration. May You Know Joy creates affirmation card decks to inspire your most mindful and intentional daily living. Popular card deck themes include: gratitude, finding joy, self-care and love. Simple daily actions make all the difference; May You Know Joy wants to be a beautiful part of your daily inspiration!
Now in it's 8th year, May You Know Joy cards are widely distributed across North America. She is the author of Intentional Days and her talk, Overcoming Addiction has impacted tens of thousands of lives.
Shop the May You Know Joy Collection of Affirmation Cards >>