I get it, I’ve been there, all three. Sometimes all at once, sometimes spread out over a day, week, month or year. Lost and frustrated? For 8 years. Overwhelmed? Every winter for 10 years. Why? Because I was going through life without direction.

I was searching for purpose in every unfulfilling corner as I transitioned from one life of outdoor guiding to what else, I wasn’t sure. So I would work the seasonal job, making money “while the sun shines” to pay the bills for when I didn’t have work.

And so the cycle continued for many years. On again, off again. Feast or famine. And the feast wasn’t even feasting, it was getting by. Winter came, and friends would say, “I’ll see you in the spring!” because they knew I wouldn’t have time for them for the next three months.

Maybe you have kids that you give your time to, or a job that demands your time, or you are in transition between jobs and you don’t know what’s next. Or perhaps your relationship has just ended, and you are scared and unsure of where to go from here. Maybe you want a new home, or change things about your home, but you’ve never put energy into it, you just want it to be different than it is. 

So you continue in the “lost, frustrated, or overwhelmed” pattern believing it will all change someday in the future. You go to bed feeling overwhelmed, sleep poorly, and do it all again the next day, go to bed feeling overwhelmed, sleep poorly, and on and on the next day and the next day. 

Guess what? It doesn’t have to be this way! I understand your feelings, I’ve been there, and I’m now living a life of purpose, peace, and balance. You might be cursing me under your breath right now, “I’ve got this and that to worry about…” etc., etc. Take a deep breath and hear me out.

Here’s one of the big keys to changing from lost to purpose, from frustrated to content, from overwhelmed to balanced: INTENTION. Yup, that’s it, intention. Intention gives you an aim to go toward every day, as if it’s already happened.

If you want to have balance in your day and get away from feeling overwhelmed, set an intention that you will spend 10 minutes giving yourself something nurturing today like a bath, journaling, sitting quietly on your back porch with a glass of wine, meditating, getting a pedicure, or going for a walk. By setting a conscious intention, you are saying to yourself and the universe what it is you want to create, and it will happen, instead of it floating around in the back of your mind in the form of “should’s.”

And even before setting an intention, get clear on why you want to be balanced, why you want to get away from feeling overwhelmed. Is it because you want more peace inside? Is it because you want to create deeper friendships or relationships? Is it because you want to spend more time with your kids? Or perhaps it’s because you want to have more energy for focusing on what’s really important to you. 

So right now, do these four steps and you’ll discover the Power of Intention to create the life you desire:

• Sit quietly for 10 minutes, and write down what you most desire in your life right now. Is it something related to you like loving yourself, or how you communicate with others? Or is it related to your home, friendships/relationship, or work? Take a look around and you decide what’s most important to you today.
   
• Write down why want this. What’s the reason behind it? Dig deep for the answer.
   
• Now state your intention to guide you toward creating what you want. It could be something like: I intend to be loving toward myself today, or I intend to clear out anything I haven’t used in my house for the last year, or I intend to speak my truth with a friend today, or I intend to be courageous in my interactions with my boss to day.
   
• Look back on your day and ask, “Did I fulfill my intentions?” Listen for the answer, and continue striving toward the original reason you set the intention. 

Following this path will give you clarity, meaning, and choice in your life. I can’t tell you how much intentions have made a powerful impact on my life, and I know they can in yours!

Categories: Meditation & Mindfulness