It’s the first day of Spring!

The days are getting longer and warmer and all around us new plant life is bursting forth as the trees and flowers begin their new cycles of growth.

As with seeds reawakening after a long sleep and finding their way out of the dark, cold soil of Winter, we too have the opportunity for new growth and to feel alive with new ideas, new plans and inspirations.

Spring is a transformative time of hope and optimism that offers a welcome change after the quiet and reflective Winter season. Perhaps never before have we experienced such a Winter of constriction and Covid-induced hibernation and whist there seems no end in sight for us getting out of lockdown let’s use the start of this wonderful season to plant positive intentions for the months to come.

Now is the time to get really clear on what you want to grow in the fertile soil of your mind and what you want to harvest in your life.

It’s also the perfect time to ‘spring clean’ your intentions and in doing so bring some powerful changes into your life for as author James Redfield is widely quoted as saying

‘Where attention goes energy flows; where intention goes energy flows’

You’ll note that I’m mentioning Intentions and not Goals and I’m doing this consciously as there’s a big difference between the two. Currently so many of us need all the emotional support that we can get, so unlike previous years where I’ve focused the start of Spring on strategies and structures for Personal Goal Planning and Development Plans, today we’re going to focus on Intention setting.

So what's the difference? Goal setting helps us to see the future, understand what we want, create a plan, and stay on track to get it done. Sounds wonderful, but for some, there is a downside to goal setting. It takes us out of the moment and creates an emphasis on what we don't have. For those who set goals and sometimes fail to achieve them, the act of goal setting can lead to a sense of, not only?failing, but of being a failure.

Intentions on the other hand are a guiding principal for how you want to be, live and show up in the world. They’re not the same as a goal which typically has an endpoint or an expectation of success. An intention is a path you aim to align to. The guides your thoughts, actions and attitudes and are heart-centered and emotionally charged beliefs.

Setting an intention is the first step in embodying who you want to be. As Dr. Wayne Dyer says,

“You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.”

Setting and living your intentions allows you to focus on who you are in the moment, to recognise and live your values, and to raise your emotional energy, which in turn raises your physical energy. They also provide a roadmap and reminder for how to live out each day. Intentions give us purpose, as well as the inspiration and motivation to achieve our purpose. The practice of setting daily intentions can literally change your life.

So what does an intention look like. Here's an example:?Your intention could be to get a great new job and have some new business that you're excited about drop into your in-tray. Others might be broader e.g. to take more time for your physical health; to focus on a?relationship; or to?save for a mortgage.

Once you have your intention in mind, it's time to announce it to the universe and this is where you can create a ritual that honours your intention. For me and at the start of a new season or month, I’ll take myself for a long walk and then sit with a pen and paper and just check in with myself, feel the energy of the upcoming month or period of time, and write down what my intentions are.

Part of that ritual is finding a?few moments of gratitude?for things that have happened in the period of time that you're completing.?Gratitude is a very important part of the intention-setting process because if you're always just wanting and wanting and wanting, and not finding the peace or the gratitude in your life, then you're in a constant state of scarcity.

While setting monthly intentions sounds doable enough, it's also important to remind yourself of them weekly and daily. I reconnect with my monthly intention each Monday, and also set a couple of goals, or intentions for that week. A couple of actionable items will also help you start to feel connected to that larger momentum that you have and that’s why choosing these activities at the start of month, week or day are so important.

Every morning I create a daily intention and have this linked to a ‘trigger action’ which for me is taking a shower.?Setting an intention for yourself at the start of each day has the power to transform how your day will unfold. Where the intention goes, the energy flows!

So in the shower I take a moment to stop, be quiet and take a deep breath. As I inhale I say to myself,?"I am"?or?"I need,"?and exhale with my one-word positive intention. For example, this morning as I inhaled "I am" and let there be peace for a moment, then the one-word "present" came into my mind as I exhaled.?

Once you’ve set an intention, your subconscious will direct you to fulfil it. Your only job is to listen. Eventually things will happen, sometimes not what you expect, but they will happen once your intention is set. Tune out those other little voices in your head that say you can't, or it's too hard, or that it will never happen, and listen only to your inner wisdom. It only takes a few moments, in the many moments of your day, to let intention in and allow it to transform your life.

So, this Spring, take time to spring clean your intentions – reflect on what values are you hoping to align with? What heartfelt desires are you following? What dreams and new ideas do you feel alive with? What intentions will you plant for the growing months ahead that will inspire you to manifest your best life?