As we get ready to embrace a new year, I want to share a best practice I highly recommend to leaders. It’s one I’ve used in my life for decades and it has really made a difference in achieving my goals, both personally and professionally.

I start every day by setting daily intentions on how I want the day to unfold. I also set intentions throughout the day as the pace of the day ebbs and flows.

Why set daily intentions?

Intentions give you purpose and the inspiration and motivation to achieve that purpose. If you are always anticipating your day with fear or frustration, what do you think will happen?

For me, my purpose is to help individuals working in the corporate world to become highly impactful leaders who drive performance and engagement. Being intentional means that I am present in every moment of my day, so that I can give my best to everyone I engage with.

While setting intentions applies to leadership, you do not need to be a leader in business to apply this best practice.

It has nothing to do with the “what” you do, but, rather, about the “how” you do things. The how starts with your thinking and your mindset and you know I talk a lot about mindset and how important it is to everything you do. 

Examples of setting intentions

Before I facilitate a program or workshop for one of my corporate clients, I will say to myself or sometimes say aloud, “Today, I plan to deliver a highly impactful and amazing experience for my participants,” or “I see all the participants fully engaged in the workshop and getting added value from what they learn.”

Even when I’m not working, on the weekend, for example, I may set the intention that it is going to be an amazing day and I will bring nothing but positivity to everyone I meet.

The most powerful lesson you can learn about setting intentions is that you manifest your reality and results with your mindset.

Think of a professional athlete. Do you think they sit around worrying if they will lose the game or get injured? No. They train hard and “go in” with a “winning” mentality.

Don’t let “life” interfere with your intentions

Sure, things may happen during the workday that could sway you away from your positive mindset (sick child; you get stuck in traffic; you forgot about an important report etc.), the trick is to not let circumstances derail you.

Setting intentions focuses our thinking on the positive vs. the negative and allows you to show up in very powerful way. 

You set the stage with the level of energy and focus you bring to your life. I promise you if you start practising daily or moment-by-moment intentions, you will see a big shift in both your mindset and results.

I hope you will think seriously about setting daily intentions as we move into the new year. So much has changed for us at work and at home, that we need to empower ourselves to keep putting one foot in front of the other and take pride in the job we do as leaders and the things we’ve already accomplished in our lives.

More help for setting intentions
Successful leaders follow their own “playbook” of daily practices that keep them anchored to what is important while they focus on their tasks and their people. However, even the most impactful leaders can run into roadblocks from time to time. If you need a refresh or recharge, then please feel free to reach out for support.

You can email me at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 1.855.871.3374.