2013 New Years Intentions

Wow, can you say deja vu? It seems like I was just discussing intentions for 2012. Now at the blink of an eye, we’re talking about a new year. 2012 was a good year. The disappointing thing is that I set goals for the year last year. Some progress was made, but I didn’t fully accomplish any of those goals. That simply cannot and will not happen this year. I will accept nothing less than full accomplishment of these goals.

I always say how thankful I am that God offers us a new start every 365 days (actually we get a new start each day. But you understand where I’m going with this, right?). This new year represents another opportunity to take life where I want it to go. I understand this may be of no interest to you. However, besides using this space to provide helpful information to others, I also like to occasionally use it as a personal reflection. Perhaps you can relate to some of these intentions. Here are my New Years intentions for 2013:

1. I am generally a good, positive person. However, I am also very self-centered. Going forward, I intend to focus my attention off myself. Instead, I seek God first, and determine ways I can be of service to other people around me, focusing more on their needs instead of mine.
2. Do it NOW!!! – Procrastination has been part of my vocabulary for way too long. Not anymore.
3. Double my income – This was on the list last year as well. I didn’t double my income, but it significantly increased. Let’s pray big and go all the way this year.
4. See and be the best in everything – I’ve accepted mediocrity for far too long. Only the best will be accepted now.
5. Erase doubt and refuse to take no for an answer – Instead, faith and persistence are this year’s buzz words.

I learn more every year that God has given me the ability to control the direction my life goes. Yes, it’s in His hands, but I believe He wants us to use our free will responsibly along with His guidance to live the most abundant, excellent life. With these goals, I am asking for some rapid, drastic changes in my life. I believe these are the prayers God wants to hear from us, and that He is more than willing to help accomplish these goals. If there is something here He doesn’t want me to have, He will only provide something better.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I sincerely hope this information helps or inspires, and that your New Years intentions are realized. Enjoy the blessings : )

 

2012…How Did It Turn Out?

Can you believe it’s the last day of 2012? It seems like just yesterday I was writing about my goals for the year 2012…as in the upcoming year. Now, at the blink of an eye, I am writing a reflection of 2012 as the year gone by.

Besides using this blog space to provide helpful information, I also like to use it as a space for my personal reflection… So how did the year turn out? I’ll share about that in a moment. First, I’ve copied and pasted what I wrote at the beginning of the year…

…It’s that time of the year again. We reflect on what was, and determine what is to be. Here’s that take from this author’s perspective…

As I look back on 2011, I say it was good. Nothing great, nothing horrible. The negative is that several of the goals set at the beginning of the year still remain unaccomplished. The positive is that I learned a lot. As in more than I have in a long time. Now it’s time to apply that knowledge to enable all of 2012’s goals to be realized.

So here we go. My intentions for 2012. I call them intentions because I don’t like the word resolution. To me, a resolution is something to try and that we hope to accomplish. It works for a month, and then we are often back to the old habits. An intention is something that is going to get done. Period. I believe we need to approach our goals with that attitude. Here now, the 2012 intentions:

• Seek God first. It’s the obvious choice for number one. However, it’s something I often lost sight of in 2011. In order to succeed, I need to see things from His point of view, not mine. The more I am consciously aware of His presence and stick to His agenda, the more successful I will be.
• Double my income. Yes you heard me. No I am not naming it and claiming it. I am constantly told to have faith and pray big. I often recommend it myself. Well here goes. I pray that God forgives me for my financial mis-management and poor stewardship. I pray that He shows me the way to make this happen. I feel that, if we’re not going to pray big, what’s the sense in doing so?
• I intend to have faith and banish all doubt. I’ve taken no for an answer long enough. Now it’s time to believe that my time has come, visualize success, do my part, then know God will make it happen.
• I intend to be content and enjoy the moment. Time moves quickly, and I sometimes allow it to go by without savoring the positive experiences of life. Also, sometimes I am too caught up in future events and goals that I don’t focus on and appreciate present day successes. Life is so much better when we enjoy present moments and victories, regardless of how big or small they are.
• I intend to serve others. There are several great examples in my life of people who make a habit of selflessly serving others. It is a fact that, as we determine what people want and help them get it, we experience major blessings in our own lives. Besides this, I believe it is simply what God wants me to do, and I willingly obey.

As I now look back on 2012 I will call it a good year. My family and I are all healthy and we enjoyed some fun, special moments together. God definitely blessed us. However, as I look at the goals I set, I fell short in many ways. In fact, I didn’t hit any of them consistently. There was positive growth in each area, but not enough to bring my life to the high level I am seeking.

So what happened? Why were these goals not accomplished? I believe it is simply a lack of focus on them. I realize that I have to do more than just write them down and hope they happen. Those are resolutions. As I noted last year, these need to be intentions instead of resolutions. I have set most of these goals again for 2013 (more about that in the next post). In order for them to be realized I need to focus on them on a daily basis. It’s as simple as that.

In every year we learn some valuable lessons. I have learned that the goals I’ve set can easily be accomplished. However, they’re not just going to happen on their own. Constant focus and constant action is what’s needed to get it done.

I certainly hope your 2012 was a positive year. Great blessings to you : )

The Power Of Intention Statements

Do you have a to-do list? I have learned that it is very helpful to have my plans written down, along with the goals to be accomplished each day. I try as much as I can to do this on a daily basis.

I have become more aware of ways to enhance the quality of life. One that I consistently read about is the concept of intention statements. An intention statement is exactly that..an intention. You say to yourself consistently that you intend to…and fill in the blank with a goal you are seeking to accomplish.

Do these work? I believe they work the same as the to-do list I mentioned earlier. For example, my to-do list for today might say something about grading papers for all of my classes, and picking up a list of items at Walmart. Those are the goals. The list is something that keeps me focused on accomplishing those goals. If I use this as an intention, I can simply say that I intend to grade papers for all of my classes today and I intend to get A, B, and C at Walmart. I’m focused, I do what I need to do, and it gets done.

I am finding more each day that these intentions can be used for far more. They can be used to enhance the quality of your life in all areas. You can say things like..”I intend to spend at least 30 minutes of quality time with my family each day”; “I intend to add positivity and joy to the lives of at least 10 people today”; I intend to earn X dollars this year; I intend to bring my weight to X pounds within two months. These are just a few examples. Some can be general, but the best ones are the ones that are specific and measurable.

Why are intentions so effective? Mainly because intentions help you to keep your focus on the goal instead of the things that pull you away from it. It also makes the goal more believable. The more you repeat your intention, your subconscious mind believes it more and more. With enough repetition, you are convincing yourself that the desired result will take place. Once your subconscious believes something, it’s only a matter of time until you are lead towards manifestation of the goal.

Ultimately what you are doing when you use intention statements is using a glorified to-do list. You are writing down and saying what needs to get done, then you decide what you need to do and do it. It’s as simple as that. So why not put some lofty and ambitious goals on your intention list. Pray for God’s guidance, start moving and acting right away, and experience the joy of your goals being reached. Enjoy the blessings : )

2012 New Years Intentions

It’s that time of the year again. We reflect on what was, and determine what is to be. Here’s that take from this author’s perspective…

As I look back on 2011, I say it was good. Nothing great, nothing horrible. The negative is that several of the goals set at the beginning of the year still remain unaccomplished. The positive is that I learned a lot. As in more than I have in a long time. Now it’s time to apply that knowledge to enable all of 2012’s goals to be realized.

So here we go. My intentions for 2012. I call them intentions because I don’t like the word resolution. To me, a resolution is something to try and that we hope to accomplish. It works for a month, and then we are often back to the old habits. An intention is something that is going to get done. Period. I believe we need to approach our goals with that attitude. Here now, the 2012 intentions:

• Seek God first. It’s the obvious choice for number one. However, it’s something I often lost sight of in 2011. In order to succeed, I need to see things from His point of view, not mine. The more I am consciously aware of His presence and stick to His agenda, the more successful I will be.
• Double my income. Yes you heard me. No I am not naming it and claiming it. I am constantly told to have faith and pray big. I often recommend it myself. Well here goes. I pray that God forgives me for my financial mis-management and poor stewardship. I pray that He shows me the way to make this happen. I feel that, if we’re not going to pray big, what’s the sense in doing so?
• I intend to have faith and banish all doubt. I’ve taken no for an answer long enough. Now it’s time to believe that my time has come, visualize success, do my part, then know God will make it happen.
• I intend to be content and enjoy the moment. Time moves quickly, and I sometimes allow it to go by without savoring the positive experiences of life. Also, sometimes I am too caught up in future events and goals that I don’t focus on and appreciate present day successes. Life is so much better when we enjoy present moments and victories, regardless of how big or small they are.
• I intend to serve others. There are several great examples in my life of people who make a habit of selflessly serving others. It is a fact that, as we determine what people want and help them get it, we experience major blessings in our own lives. Besides this, I believe it is simply what God wants me to do, and I willingly obey.

So here you have one man’s intentions for this year. Can you relate to any of them? If so, please share. Perhaps we can experience success together. Or, if you have any other goals I would love to hear  about them. Either way, I wsih my cherished readers a very happy and successful 2012. Enjoy the blessings : )