Skip the Resolutions -- Set Intentions and Manifest your Dreams
Setting intentions in the New Year is one part practical practice, and one part magic. And a practice of setting intentions is a crucial part of a wellness routine. Intentions are resolutions with soul – they are your personal, spiritual goals. Intentions ask “What brings you alive, what do you want to create in 2024? What are you manifesting?”
Resolutions fail because they reflect short-term thinking or goals. Resolutions tend to put the focus on un-doing something negative in life, which puts focus on shortcomings, and directs energy there - to more of what you don't want to attract. The first more important step in making actual change in your life: Setting intentions.
Intentions reflect what your dreams are, what you are passionate about. Intentions have no limits. Setting and living your intentions allows you to focus on who you are in the moment, to recognize and live your values, and to raise your emotional energy, which in turn raises your physical energy.
Intentions are expansive. Intentions shouldn’t be confused with goals: They are about who you want to be, what you wish to contribute to the world, and how you choose to touch the lives of others.
Most successful people are really good at having the clarity that setting intentions helps you create. To really be clear about what you want your life to be like, and to identify your values is a powerful way to achieve success, and more importantly, happiness. Intentions provide a roadmap and reminder for how to live out each day. Intentions give you purpose, as well as the inspiration and motivation to achieve your purpose.
Practice setting intentions and knowing that by aligning with your true purpose, your greatest sense of joy, and the most authentic you that there is, you will shine and be rewarded enormously on your journey.
How to set Intentions in Five Easy Steps:
1. Clear your space and clear out 2023. Smudging is an excellent way to remove the energies and air that no longer serve you. Lighting a candle before you sit still to dream and meditate is another good practice. You can check out our intention candles here.
2. Spend time in self-reflection and dig into your dreams.
The most critical step in setting intentions for 2024 is to find a quiet space to meditate and spend some time in self-reflection. What truly matters to you? Write it out. Think through what areas of your life are the most important to you along with what your priorities and passions are. Your intentions need to align with who you are. What do you want your life to look like and why? What would life be like if those things came to be? How will it FEEL when you have manifested what you want? Write it down. Or, create a vision board – vision boards are powerful tools to get clarity on what you want your life to look like.
3. Create a statement for your intention.
Once you know what your intentions are, create an Intention Statement that you can focus on throughout the year. Your thoughts hold an enormous amount of power over what outcomes you will experience in the new year and beyond. Once you have your statement make sure you spend time thinking about it for a short time each day, even before you get out of bed in the morning. Spend time meditating on it whenever you can. Put it on the mirror so you think about it when you’re getting ready in the morning. Or, tuck it into a Wishbeads Intention Bracelet, and wear it close to you.
4. Believe. Release your self-doubt and negative beliefs.
As Napoleon Hill said, “Life reflects your own thoughts back to you.” Your thoughts are powerful. It’s SO important to release any doubt or negative thoughts that you have about your intentions. This can be the hardest thing to overcome, especially if it’s an area that you set resolutions for and failed in the past. Let go of the past and remind yourself you are focusing on intentions, not resolutions now.
5. Go back to #2.
Whenever discouragement or doubt comes in, go back to #2 above and focus on how you’ll feel when what you want manifests. Keeping your vibration high and believing in your dreams, knowing that what you want is on the way is the key.
6. (Bonus!) Read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. You can download it for free on our homepage. Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” is considered to be the Seminole book on setting intentions and manifesting your dreams, and Hill has deeply influenced our modern ideas of personal growth, positive thinking, and manifesting abundance in all areas of life. In fact, many of today’s writers and thinkers from Wayne Dyer to Gabrielle Bernstein credit Hill with inspiring their paths.
"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new Personal Legend, until, someday, the Soul of the World becomes one thing only." – Paulo Coelho
May all of your intentions be realized this year, and always.
Love, Nikki