Mental Strength: Harnessing the Power of Intention

The end of one year and the transition into the next is the perfect time to reflect, reset and reboot.  You know I love the energy of a new year!  And you likely know that I am a strong believer in the power of intention.  We coaching geeks love goals.  Dream goals, long term goals, short term goals, weekly and daily goals.  We love them all.  Why?  Because we know how powerful these simple tools for motivation and action really are.  No trendy gimmicks.  No expensive contracts.  No state of the art or latest greatest craze.  And definitely no guru's charging your credit card on a monthly basis.  Just you and your vision.  Nothing fancy.

Intention is a powerful thing.  The thoughts that we cultivate day in and day out feed our minds just as the air we breath and the food we eat feeds our bodies.  We are not only what we eat.  We are, in fact, what we think.



Just as we must move our bodies consistently and purposefully in order to grow stronger, we must practice mindfulness, intention, positive thought patterns and affirmations in order to gain mind power.  The good news is, we all have the ability to train, adapt and strengthen not only our bodies but also our minds.  In fact, I do believe, that our physical limits are determined by our minds.  Human potential is infinite but it is easy to lose sight of the mastermind behind it all.  Your mind.

There are many tools for strengthening the power of the mind.  But just as with any skill it takes practice, consistency and long term commitment to see the changes you desire.  Settle in, practice daily and remember that long term results require long term changes.  Just like fitness, mental skills grow exponential and your mind will get stronger and stronger over the days, weeks, months and years.

A few ideas to get you started practicing positive intention:

• Dream Goal.  Take the time to think about this one.  What is your dream?  Envision it in detail.  What does it look like?  Feel like?  Why is it your dream?  Carve it out.  Write it down.  Dream BIG and come back to it every single day if only for a moment- when you have your first sip of coffee, in the shower, on your screen saver, on a poster on your wall or when you close your eyes at the end of the day.
• Long Term Goals.  Where do you see yourself in the next 6-12 months?  What do you plan on achieving?  What steps do you need to take to get you closer to your big dreams?  Write it down this week.  Re-evaluate twice per year. 
• Short Term Goals.  What are you going to accomplish over the next 1-3 months that will bridge the gap from where you are now to where you want to be next year?  You know the deal- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Bound.  Write it down today.  Re-evaluate every month.
• Action Steps.  What are you going to do this week that will get you one step closer to your short term goals?  Write it down"".
• Daily Intention.  Before you go to bed, or first thing when you wake up set your intention.  What one thing (or more!) are you going to do that day, that will keep you on track with your Action Steps for the week?  Spend a few moments every morning reflecting on your Dream goals and your plan for the day.  Before checking your email or waking up the kids!
• Turn your goals into a Vision Board.  Recreate your vision board each year, or leave space to add to your board as new goals come into your mind.  Read more about the power of this awesome tool and how to create your own vision board here. Update: Looking back at my 2012 vision board I am stoked to say that I have achieved every single vision on that board.  Time to get my 2016 board on the wall!

DREAM IT.  PLAN IT. DO IT.

Life is too short to forget about your dreams.

I'd love to hear what tools you have used to successfully harness the power of your mind and intentions!

Cheers to a beautiful 2016!
SS