Many people come to me and ask for advice on getting started with various life change experiences. I have a very clear-cut and simple starting point: Set Your Intention.

Let’s just think on this for a minute.

The definition of intention is an aim or a plan. The thing you intend for or wish to achieve. Seems appropriate that it may be the best place to focus at the start. Ask yourself:

What is your intention of this journey?

Where do you want to be at the end of this particular soul search?

What is your aim?

For me, when I started out on my quest for life change and feeling more happiness, my intention was to stay sober from alcohol and cocaine. The clarity of wanting to be happier and healthier is what fueled my mission.

[Tweet “Without getting clear on our intention, we cannot make a plan to reach it.”]

So, I encourage you to spend some time focusing on your intentions.

Can you visualize reaching your goal?

What does it look like?

What does it feel like?

I ask you to go through this process of seeing what it looks like not so that you can “manifest” it, but so that you can always have that point of reference to return to when things get messy or off track.  Because trust me, they will.

My sobriety was in its infancy when I had lunch with a recent ex-lover. I was only about a week into this new lifestyle and I was jiving on my small success, which at the time was pretty huge; 7 days without alcohol and cocaine was a celebration for me.

He was not at all impressed with my baby steps and in fact burst my little bubble by telling me he didn’t think I would make it much longer. I remember him saying, “There is no way you will make it. I don’t think you have it in you.”

To this day, I’ll never forget this comment. Instead of letting this deflate me, I let it build me up. I took it on as a challenge and added it to my intention set. Whether it was a good thing or not, my additional intention was that I was going to prove him and everyone else wrong.

I can do this.  I will do this. 

This intention carried me through the first year of sobriety. Every time I wanted to drink or do coke, I reminded myself of what my goal was and what was at stake.

If you are facing change today, set your intention. Make it the strong foundation you will build your goal on. I cannot stress the importance of giving yourself a solid reason to say no to what you don’t want any longer and to keep saying yes to ONLY what you do want.  Your intentions will always lay the groundwork for this, no matter the size of  what you are aiming for.

You can do this.  You will do this.

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically – to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside.” -Stephen Covey

Photo Credit: B e H a p p y