Creating balanced intention around my life is something that I have chosen in place of setting goals. Balance is one of the soft skills that truly gives you a better life! There is a distinction between goals and intentions I have used both to determine what I truly want for my life, both in the short term and in the long term, and in a balanced way.

Real intentions are beautiful because they allow me to learn and grow as I move through them. They can still be set and as structured as I wish them to be. It is the act of focusing on them daily, weekly, monthly, and annually as I plan my work and play time that allows me to really hold them close.

Over the course of the last few years I made the decision to completely change from goals to intentions. It was a life-changing decision for me. Focusing on my vision for my life, in all areas, my dreams, and my roles allows me to dig deep and create intentions around the areas that need attention and warrant work. My intentions feed me whereas setting goals was draining, disappointing, and often left me feeling defeated.

The beauty of balanced intentions, looking at all areas of my life, allows me to incorporate the spiritual aspect of my core being. As I work toward balance, I am not just look at getting healthy or fit, losing weight, growing my business, being a better spouse/parent/children/friend… I am also working on the spiritual aspect of my life.

This year I have new intentions in each area:

• Physical
• Mental
• Business
• Relational
• Emotional
• Spiritual

As I prepare them for 2015, I look back at the ones I set for 2014. Here are my 2014 business intentions:

• Create:  powerful experiences for others.
• Thank:  show more thankfulness and forgiveness; gratitude and grace.
• Play:  write poetry, color, journal, and draw.
• Grow:  continue my education as a lifelong learner.
• Nurture:  new VA’s through the internship and mentoring programs at AssistU.
• Work:  with five amazing, ideal clients.
• Walk:  my talk; repurpose my own content.
• Hone:  my own business processes and procedures.

As I look forward, the look back is helpful… I can see how far I have come and how the intentions I set impacted each area of my life. While these were business intentions, applying them to my planning and day to day life impacted far more areas of my life than my business alone. That is truly what I love about creating balanced intentions.

If this process is interesting to you, you might want to check out my Faith Filled Annual Planning Experience. This month you can get a sample of what is coming in September through my complimentary eBook: The Life You Intend: A Guide To Creating Balanced Intentions. If you check it out, I would love to hear your thoughts below. Thank you!