The Art of Writing Powerful Intentions
Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love.
– Deepak Chopra
The premise of the Law of Attraction is that like energy attracts the same, meaning what you think, feel, believe, and do is exactly what you are going to attract in your life. This is why intention is such a powerful manifesting tool.
It provides a tangible framework that focuses your thoughts, feelings, and actions on creating a positive outcome rather than waiting aimlessly to see what shows up. It also declares to yourself, others, and the universe at large that you are serious about your dreams and goals. And you reaffirm that every single time you revisit or say that intention.
There is, however, a bit of a science when it comes to creating an effective intention statement. Good ones are usually concise and very clear and it’s important that they are in alignment with your values and beliefs. Let’s dive in a little deeper with nine tips for creating powerful intentions.
#1: Affirm only what you want, not what you don’t want.
Think about what you really want to create because focusing on what isn’t working right now is just going to bring you more of it.
For example: “I am no longer overweight” is an intention that still includes a focus on your weight being a problem. A better way of saying it would be, “I am at my perfect weight.”
#2: Focus on the feeling.
While you’re crafting your intention statement you want to think about how it would make you literally feel if it were your current reality. When we connect our feelings with our thinking, that’s when the magic occurs; it’s like adding a little extra secret sauce that makes your intention that much more powerful and magnetic.
As you envision the outcome you desire, add the details to your intention of how you’d feel if it were true. And, each time you read or revisit your intention take a moment to really feel it as well.For example, your intention might be, “I have the perfect life partner.” Adding the feeling of what you desire will turbo-charge it: “I am in a relationship with my perfect life partner, which fills my heart with joy, love, and peace.”
#3: Avoid using the words, “don’t,” “can’t,” or “not.”
This is similar to #1 in that you want to avoid focusing on the negative. Think about what you can do and what you do want because the mind tends to skip over words like these, negating what you are trying to affect.
For example: “Today I’m not going to think about how stressed I am.” In reality, using this statement your mind is probably going to skip over the “not” and go right to how stressed you really are! A better way of saying it would be, “Today I am focused on being clear and calm.”
#4: Check your statement for the words, “try” and “but.”
Using “try” or “but” sets your intention up for failure – it’s almost as if you’re hoping that the intention will work, but you’re not really sure. Trying to do something almost always ensures you’re never going to accomplish it while using “but” negates everything you put in front of it.
For example: “I try to stay positive about my life” represents a good attempt, but more than likely no clear result. Likewise, “I’m focused on staying positive but need to manage my stress level first” puts the emphasis on managing stress rather than staying positive. A better statement would be, “I am optimistic about my life.”
#5: Write the intention as if it’s happening right now.
Without realizing it, people often write their intentions with a focus on the positive outcome happening in the future.
For example: “I will be financially free.” This implies that while your goal is to be financially free it’s not going to happen until some point in the future.A better way of saying it would be simply, “I am financially free.” The same intention, but a subtle difference indicating that you are focused on being financially free now instead of waiting for it to happen.
#6 – Manage negative self-thoughts.
When we craft powerful intention statements sometimes we face negative self-thoughts that stem from the conditioned self. This is the side of us that often is the naysayer, the stomper of dreams if you will. It’s the voice that pops up and points out how hard something might be to accomplish or why we can’t have it. Think of this as a form of self-sabotage, disempowering us from what we really want.
For example, maybe your intention is, “I’m a powerful healer, helping people all over the world.” As you write this and start to really feel how it might be to have such a significant impact that little voice pops up immediately and says, “Really? Who do you think you are? Do you think you’re going to affect people all over the world? I don’t think so.” Or, “How can that be realistic? You won’t make enough money to support yourself!” You get the idea.
When these thoughts pop up, think of them as weeds that need to be pulled. Starting with, “thanks for sharing, now move along.” But the conditioned self can be pretty strong after all its job is to keep you safe. So, you might need to re-write your intention statement so that it’s more acceptable and believable to the conditioned self. This doesn’t mean you’re limiting yourself, rather you are toning things down a bit until you can get to the root of that conditioned self’s belief and deal with it. So, instead of “I’m a powerful healer, helping people all over the world” perhaps you say, “I use my healing gifts to help others.”
#7 – Ensure integrity.
Sometimes our intentions involve other people and if that’s the case you must ensure you are aligned with their highest good. If you are unsure of the impact on those you are including be sure to write “If it is in the highest interests of all those involved or concerned…”
For example: Maybe your team at work is looking for support to get funding to launch a new product. You want to make sure the team is successful, so you might write the intention, “Our team has the funding it needs to launch this new product.” But, maybe the team isn’t supposed to get that funding because there is a new, better product looming on the horizon. Instead, a safer way to say the intention is, “If it is in the highest interests of all those involved or concerned, our team has the funding it needs to launch this new product.” Or, you can simply say, “For the highest good of all, our team has the funding it needs to launch this new product.”
#8 – Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude.
Remember the secret sauce I mentioned in #2? There’s another critical component to a really powerful intention statement and that is gratitude. Gratitude has an especially high frequency and can turbo-charge anything you want to create. Taking a moment to be grateful for what has already transpired in addition to that you wish for is essential.
For example, your intention might be, “I flow through life with ease and grace.” All you need to do to turbo-charge it is add the words, “I am grateful.” So, it might be, “I am deeply grateful as I flow through life with ease and grace.” Be sure to embody that feeling of gratitude as you write the intention and every time you revisit it.
#9 – Let it go.
This may be one of the most important aspects of creating a powerful intention statement. Once you’ve carefully crafted your intention statement, felt it and said thank you, you must let go of your attachment to the outcome and the timing of when it shows up. I realize this might sound a little counter-intuitive to everything I’ve said about creating intentions, but it is key. We can become so fixated on the desired outcome or the timing of it that what Spirit has in mind for us (that is likely so much better) will pass us by.
There are two aspects to this, the first being a simple releasing of the intention to the universe. And when the conditioned self pops back up to remind you of what is or is not happening around it, because it wants it all NOW, that’s a cue to take a step back, breathe and release. Trust that what you intend will show up in perfect, divine timing.The second part of this is to end your intention with the statement, “This or something better, for my highest good.” This tells the universe that while you’re asking for something specific, you are in fact, open to greater possibilities.
Think of it this way, you might set an intention for a new car and even have the perfect one in mind, maybe a Chevy Blazer. You’ve done all your research and are convinced this is exactly what you need. But, unbeknownst to you, Spirit has in mind something a little flashier, maybe a Camaro with racing stripes, which shows up at the perfect time and circumstances. Since you kept an open mind you go with the flow, eventually realizing that even though you thought the Blazer was “the one,” the Camaro is so much better suited to you! (Because Spirit always knows exactly what you need.) For example: “I have the perfect reliable car for my needs, that I’m excited to drive every day. This or something better, for my highest good.”
So, there you have it— Nine tips on how to write powerful intention statements.
Once you have your intentions written, read them aloud. Verbalizing each one puts them out into the world in a very real way, rather than just holding them in your head and heart. You can choose to revisit your intentions once a day, once a week, or put them away in a sacred place. The choice is yours. Just remember to let go of the attachment to the outcome or timing, no matter what the conditioned self says!
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