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Writer's pictureHayley Foster

Fostering Intentions - January



Fostering Intentions

What is an intention? I did a lot of thinking about how to answer this question and for the sake of the discussion today, here’s where I landed. Your intention is the fuel that gets you to the starting line of your journey. It’s the first point on the MAP of where you desire to go, a place you are truly passionate about going. A place that give your life further 'meaning' and 'purpose'.

Here's what it ISN'T..... It isn’t someplace you should go. It isn't a task for you to check off - like an item on your To Do list. It isn't something you hold onto, they need to be released.

When you stand on that line at the beginning of the race or journey and you look ahead you should be smiling, feeling joy, feel a sense of meaning and purpose, and a fire burning inside you of excitement and passion will propel you forward. If that isn’t there, then it’s not the right intention for you and chances are, you’ll still be standing on the line at the same time next year with the same intention.

Your intention needs to have these factors in order for it to have validity:

- It needs to be Meaningful and Purposeful - you have to feel it, not touch it.

- It needs to be Attainable - make shorter term intentions as opposed to long ones. Break them down into steps that evolve.

- It needs to be Positive and Uplifting - don’t use negative words in your intention - instead of using the word stress use peace or calm. Such as: I intend to bring more peace and calm into my life rather than saying ‘I intend to have less stress’.

Here we go:

My January intention is: Find more calm and peace in the day to day. How will I do that? That’s where the planning comes in:

Step 1: I will take a breath and smile before I react (especially with my kids)

Step 2: I will meditate at least once a week (I will use the reminder on my Calm app so that I remember to do it)

Step 3: I will start my day (literally when I open my eyes) on a positive thought everyday for one week. The best part about this one is that if I do it for one week, I will challenge myself to keep it going.

If there are tactics you can do in order to ensure you take these steps, then put them in place. For example, there’s an app I can download to my phone so that when I open my eyes and turn off my alarm first thing when I wake up, the first message on my phone will be: ‘What are you grateful for today’. You can also do this in any calendar app that sends you reminders about eating healthy or getting your workout done. There's a new Google calendar that you can download that allows you to set goals and will help you keep track of them. Check it out on the app store. It also makes your calendar looks super cool. Do whatever you need to do to remind you.

Now it’s your turn.

- Check your intention against the MAP - is it Meaningful/Purposeful, Attainable, Positive.

- What are three things you can do to get you to your destination?

- What do you need in order to accomplish those steps?

Use us for support. Log your answers on our Facebook page and at the end of the month, join the call to share your wins. If you get stuck, give us a shout out and we’ll get you back on your path.

Happy Friday. Happy Fostering. Happy New Year.


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