If you have read my previous blog- Setting Intentions for 2019, you will know that I had a tonne of stuff to sift through and get down on paper at the beginning of the year, so I could move forward with a clear path.
I had been to a reike session which had opened up all sorts of stuff for me, I had continually been asked to offer art classes for mums and I wanted to take my art a bit more seriously and I needed a plan of attack.
I had art goals, business goals, money goals and family goals. Where to start?
While we were on holidays, I spent a week writing about the previous year and got very specific about what I wanted for this year. I had a double page for each part of my life, each relationship, each job etc. I filled the pages with how I wanted to feel, what I wanted to do and experience.
Some of the things I wanted to do for my business were:
* Learn about Pinterest for business
* Learn how to create an online course
* Learn how to do a webinar
* Start an art class for mums
* Look into art and business grants
* Set aside time each week to clear my head
* Learn about Instagram for business
I am happy to say that I am ticking off my goals.
* I now have 12.3k monthly views on Pinterest up from 100 when I started and I have grown my followers list
* I have learnt how to use Canva to create my own branded pins, blog pages and other graphics
* I have learnt how to create a lead page on my website
* I have created a freebie for people to connect with the little people in their lives
* I have started my Art Classes For Busy Mums which is a year long art class for mums to be themselves and have fun creating
* I have been accepted to have my own art exhibition at Platform Gallery in Katoomba, NSW, Australia next year
* I have heaps of commissions happening
* I am winging it with blogging and it is next on the list to learn more about (feel free to give me feedback on how you think I am going so far please!)
* I started an Instagram account and again, I am winging it. It is way more creative than Facebook. I still need to learn more about how to use it for business
* I applied for a business grant
How is all this abundance happening you ask? Where can I get some?
My answer is setting intentions. Your intentions are kind of like a wish list of things you would like. Ways to want to feel, who you want to be, what you want to experience, what you want to do. It can be anything from going to dinner with your best friend without distractions to feeling the sand between your toes at the beach or learning how to use Instagram.
There are 2 key ingredients to intention setting:
1. Is to write them down and look at them
2. Write in the present
Writing your intentions down, puts the wheels into motion. There is no holding back. This is what you desire.
No more waiting for fate to happen, this is about you deciding how you want to live.
You can write your intentions on a piece of paper and put it in a prominent place where you can see them every day or write them in a book.
Writing them in the present, as if you already have them, tells your brain that it is actually possible for these things to happen. Your brain thinks they are happening. When I say writing them in the present I mean not using words like "would", "could" and "want". You would say "I am" or "I have". Using the examples above, you would write, I am at dinner with my best friend, there are no distractions, my kids are at home with their dad. We are eating... and drinking...and listening to... . We are talking about... .
Be specific! Use your 5 senses.
You would also write I am walking along the beach and I can feel the warm sand between my toes. I smell..., I hear..., I see etc.
Until this year, I would set my intentions intermittently. Maybe every six months or so. I wasn't reaching my goals or attracting things into my life that I wanted. It is hard to set goals every 6 months. You need to be looking at all the time. You need to reassess if the goals are still serving you or if you want to get rid of them. You will always be wanting to add more. You need them in front of you to keep you motivated.
Plenty of people have their own rituals for intention setting but I thought I would share what is working for me so you can try it too.
This year I have been setting my intentions with every New Moon and at the beginning of each week. Adriana Monique Alvarez has been my inspiration for this. She is a fantastic business and life coach.
The New Moon is a time of darkness so is a great time to start a fresh.
It is known to be a time of growth. Look deep and don't ignore what you want out of life. Be specific, detailed, and don't be afraid to dream big! Why not? Ignore any negative voices in your head and just write it all down.
What you will need to do:
1. Create a space where you will not be distracted. If you are up for it, light some candles, sage your space, put some essential oils in your diffuser and grab some crystals. If that isn't your thing, you will still need to dedicate a quiet space.
2. You will need a book and a pen.
3. Get comfy, sit for a few moments with your eyes closed and be thankful that you have set aside this time to fulfill your desires. Take some deep breaths and let go of any stressful or worrying thoughts you may have. Acknowledge them but don't dwell on them. Take some more deep breaths and open them when you are calm and ready to start.
4. Write down as many things as you like. What do you want to change? What would you like? How do you want to feel? Is there something new you would like to try? Remember to write in the present. I try and write about 10 things, sometimes it is more. Are you sick of being tired and cranky all the time? Well, what are you going to do about it? Certainly not sit back and wait for things to change, because they won't. Turn it around. One of your intentions could be "I am rested and happy. I am dealing with stressful situations things better. I am feeling healthy. I notice how much more relaxed I look". Doesn't that sound better?
5. When you have finished, say each one aloud 3 or 4 times with meaning until you really feel it.
6. At the end say Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
7. Notice how you are feeling. Excited? Powerful? Clear headed?
After this, I put my book away and let the Universe do it's thing. I look back at it maybe once or twice before the next New Moon.
I think we are all so busy with our lives and going through the motions that it is really easy to forget to check in with ourselves and what we want in our lives. We dwell on the stuff that we don't want and forget to make changes.
Taking this time to sit quietly and listen to what is inside is such a powerful tool.
If you are on a high like I was when I started doing this, when things I wished for actually started manifesting, you may like to do this once a week as well as once a month.
The first time I did this, one of my intentions was to have a new car. My car was a bomb, I was sick of worrying that it was going to break down every time I drove it, sick of bits falling off inside, sick of having no aircon in the stinking heat, sick of being embarrassed driving it around. That week I took my car to the mechanics before getting it registered and there was a bit of an altercation. I called my partner and he said he would organise for us to get a loan for a new car. We weren't in a situation where we could afford to do that but that was it! The wheels were in motion. I put it out there and the Universe was providing, in its own funny way. Two weeks later, I had a car that I could drive around proudly and feel safe driving my family and friends around in. I am 40 this year and this is the first car I have that isn't a bomb. It feels so good!
The weekly Intention Setting doesn't need to take long. You can look over your New Moon intentions and intentions from the week before and celebrate your achievements. You can think about what is going well for you, what isn't going well and write your intentions based on them. You might have heard about something that week that you want to try. A relationship might be strained and you want to work on it. You might have bills coming up and need some extra money coming into your bank account. Whatever it is, write it in detail and feel it in your body.
If you think the crystals and sage are a bit airy fairy for you, please don't be put off. Make it your own. Set up your space the way you like. You may have some favourite books or plants or an artwork you love. It is totally up to you.
Try it once, try it twice. Make it a routine. I would love to know how you felt doing this and what you manifested for yourself.
With all this wanting and manifesting, please don't forget to show your gratitude. You could say thank you out loud, do something nice for someone or start a gratitude jar.
Don't forget to tell me how you went!
Happy manifesting!
Jade