Setting Plans Versus Setting Intentions: Which One Do You Lead With?

If you're like most people, your day is comprised of a series of plans.

Plans usually look like this: "I am going to brush my teeth, put on my clothes, eat breakfast and get to work."Sounds healthy, productive, and necessary, right? But you could being moving through your schedule with pain, numbness, and boredom.

You could even be excited about your plans,"This weekend I am going to Malibu Wines, then I am going to eat dinner with family and go Hollywood Bowl for a concert with friends." but you could be obsessing about running into an ex-girlfriend, focusing on how to avoid an argument with your family over the meal and freak out about making sure you don’t say too much when you’re wasted on the wine tour.

I used to lead with plans. But I found myself neglected, empty, off center, and reactive. I learned about intention setting 5 years ago and it changed how I live. Setting intentions allow us to choose our feelings and our results.

Intentions are: "Feel Joy, Be Productive, Choose Happiness, Find Balance, Center myself, Let go."Intentions allow us to be proactive, thoughtful, centered, creative and so much more.

How do you know whether you are leading with plans or intentions? Walk yourself through the following conversation map:

Ideally our plans are an expression of our intentions.

Here’s an exercise: try erasing your calendar for the next week. Every morning wake up and set an intention- then choose plans that reflect those intentions. If you can’t lead with intention for all of your waking hours- try starting with 1 hour a day. Maybe during your work out, a meal, or a conversation. And then try increasing that intentional time, daily.

I use intentions first thing in the morning, before a conversation, when I facilitate events, or when I feel off center.

Need help setting the right intentions? Having a hard time finding balance between your intentions and how to actualize them?

Brainstorm with a trusted friend, member of your clergy, or therapist. Feel free to call me for a free 15 minute consultation and see if it can be a good fit for you. For the month of August 2017, I will be doing a special promotion where clients receive their first session for free.

Holler to learn more!

Nicole Nowparvar is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Life Coach. She specializes in helping young adults balance old traditions with modern identity, turn challenges into opportunities, & understand their past so they can reach their goals. She provides individual, family, and group counseling.