The Importance of Setting Intentions
It’s Sunday, which for many of us means waving goodbye to the weekend and getting back into the swing of the weekly routine.
Instead of spending your evening wishing the week away, take 10 minutes looking forward to the week ahead and write out a few intentions for the week. These don’t have to be epic goals - they can be as simple as ‘get 2x 30 minutes of fresh air this week’ or ‘drink a litre more water a day’.
Start by opening the notes section in your phone or grab a piece of paper and a pen. I prefer to write notes on post-its and leave them somewhere that I see regularly - sticking them at the bottom of my computer screen means that I’ll regularly look at them throughout the day.
Close your eyes and ask yourself the first question: “What can I work on this week that matters the most to me?” and jot down anything that comes to mind - you can always edit it later. This can be anything from finding a new running route that inspires you to get you out of your slump to batch cooking a few healthy meals one evening so that you have a nutritious dinner to look forward to at the end of the day.
Now for the second question: “What will my future self thank me for at the end of the week?”. This one is my personal favourite, as it really allows me to visualise how I will feel after accomplishing those tasks and helps to motivate me in the present. My most recent “future self” intention was getting to bed earlier so that I am more motivated to get up and exercise in the morning. Since taking this approach of doing things for my future self, I’ve found that my perspective of instant gratification vs long term gains has really shifted. Now I actually look forward to an early night as I know I’ll feel much better the next day!
Try this short exercise tonight and let me know how you got on with your intentions at the end of the week 😊
Instead of spending your evening wishing the week away, take 10 minutes looking forward to the week ahead and write out a few intentions for the week. These don’t have to be epic goals - they can be as simple as ‘get 2x 30 minutes of fresh air this week’ or ‘drink a litre more water a day’.
Start by opening the notes section in your phone or grab a piece of paper and a pen. I prefer to write notes on post-its and leave them somewhere that I see regularly - sticking them at the bottom of my computer screen means that I’ll regularly look at them throughout the day.
Close your eyes and ask yourself the first question: “What can I work on this week that matters the most to me?” and jot down anything that comes to mind - you can always edit it later. This can be anything from finding a new running route that inspires you to get you out of your slump to batch cooking a few healthy meals one evening so that you have a nutritious dinner to look forward to at the end of the day.
Now for the second question: “What will my future self thank me for at the end of the week?”. This one is my personal favourite, as it really allows me to visualise how I will feel after accomplishing those tasks and helps to motivate me in the present. My most recent “future self” intention was getting to bed earlier so that I am more motivated to get up and exercise in the morning. Since taking this approach of doing things for my future self, I’ve found that my perspective of instant gratification vs long term gains has really shifted. Now I actually look forward to an early night as I know I’ll feel much better the next day!
Try this short exercise tonight and let me know how you got on with your intentions at the end of the week 😊