Why You Should Start Your Day with Positive Intentions + How to Do It
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Are you the type of mom who rolls out of bed when her kids get up, getting straight to work putting everyone else’s needs above your own? If you struggle with mom life in the mornings, there’s something you can add to your daily routine that will help – positive intentions.
Setting a daily intention is a way for you to check in with yourself in the mornings. This means taking a moment before you begin your day and asking yourself what you want to get out of it.
This helps set the tone for your day, and it delivers plenty of other benefits too. It allows you to stay mindful and intentional throughout the day. It takes no more than 5 minutes, and it keeps you connected with yourself and your goals, and it stops the overwhelm and burnout that can come with too many things to do.
What Are Positive Intentions?
A positive intention is a commitment to yourself – almost like a way to tell yourself what it is that you want to be, rather than what you want to achieve.
When you start your day with positive intentions, you’re basically telling your mind what you want to accomplish in the next 24 hours. It’s a choice that you make about your frame of mind, whether it’s regarding a goal, the way you feel, or how you plan to act.
We all set intentions at the beginning of our day whether we realize it or not, so it’s important that they’re positive and help you get where you want to be.
An intention can guide you through making the decisions in your day, remind you what you want to focus on or who you want to become, or simply be a way to stay intentional about the day.
It might sound a little woo-woo and vibe-ish, but changing your mindset by setting intentions is the first step to making a happier, calmer, less stressed momma!
You get to choose how you want to show up each day, which is pretty powerful.
Aren’t Intentions the Same As Goals?
Intentions can align with your values or goals, but they’re not the same. Here are a few key differences between the two:
- Goals are set to be accomplished in the future – you work toward an outcome that you don’t currently have. Intentions are set to keep you in the present – they’re meant to keep your focus on what you currently have.
- Goals are outcomes that you want to achieve. Intentions are a way to tell yourself who you want to be.
- Goals are meant to be tangible, for lack of a better word. A good goal is measurable, so you know exactly when you hit it. Intentions aren’t necessarily measurable – they involve your thought process and mindset.
You generally follow a series of steps to accomplish a goal. But in order to stay committed to those steps, you need focus and the right mindset. Without the right mindset, it’s easy to get distracted.
This is where intentions come in. They provide a reminder of what you’re capable of and keep you from being distracted by negative thoughts.
Why Set Daily Intentions?
Here are some amazing benefits that positive intentions provide:
- Motivation to get out of bed in the morning
- Improved focus
- Development of a positive mindset
- Better likelihood of achieving your goals
Positive intentions give the mind a clear focus. They help you become more present and focus on what it is you need to do today to achieve your goals. Because they help you get out of your head and provide a clear path to where you want to be, you’ll notice that you’re much more productive, less stressed, and happier overall.
Your brain automatically sets its own intentions for the day if you don’t get in there and consciously do it. The bad news is that your mind finds it easier to focus on the negative. The good news is that you have the ability to train your mind to be more positive.
How to Start Your Day with Positive Intentions
Here are some general guidelines:
- Keep it simple. An intention should be something short and easy to remember.
- Set one intention at a time.
- Write it down. If you’re drawing a blank, start with “Today I intend to _____.”
- Revisit your intention at the end of the day to review how it went. This will help you decide if this intention worked for you, or if you should try something else tomorrow.
Your intentions might change from day to day, or you might stick to one intention that you use all the time. Remember that an intention is a commitment to yourself. There’s no accountability here. Treat it as a gentle reminder when your thoughts start getting off track, whether you’re distracted or starting to think negatively.
Examples of Positive Intentions
Below are some basic examples that you can follow. Think of what it is you want to achieve or feel by the end of the day. Set that as your intention, and remember to keep it positive!
Today I will…
- Stay focused on my to-do list and not get distracted
- Accept love and joy into my life
- Be present with my children
- Choose to see the good in people
- Remain calm and patient in every situation
- Be there for those around me
- Remember my priorities – family first
- Spend my time wisely
- Be intentional and organized
- Choose peace over chaos
- Listen first, speak second
- Stay optimistic
- Be realistic about what I can accomplish
- Let go of what I can’t control
- Be grateful
- Love myself unconditionally
How to Avoid Being Distracted from Your Intentions
Realistically speaking, you’re probably going to get distracted from your positive intentions. Our brains respond to whatever gets thrown at us at any given moment, so it will surely take conscious effort to remind yourself of the intention that you set for the day.
The best way to stop from being distracted is to make sure that you see your intention multiple times per day. Here are a couple of tips:
- Write it down. If you look at your planner or to-do list often during the course of your day, write it there. Or write it on a sticky note and put it somewhere that you pass by often. I like to put a sticky note on the front side of my phone – every time I pick it up, I’m forced to move the sticky note out of the way.
- Set an alarm on your phone with the intention as the alarm name. This is especially good to do at times when you’re most likely to lose your focus. For me, that’s around 3:00 or 4:00 p.m.
Are you ready to try it out for yourself?
When you start each day with a positive intention, it can add real meaning into your life. You may just be surprised by how beneficial this simple act can be to make you more successful.
What positive intention will you set for today? Let me know in the comments!
