Intention Setting Worksheet

What is intention setting?

As a life coach, you probably have encountered clients who face challenges with self-direction. This might have resulted in them being dependent on others for decision-making and lacking initiative or motivation, among many other things.

Teaching individuals how to set intentions would help them overcome many dilemmas. Understanding why people do things usually boils down to their intentions. Intentions refer to the reason behind their actions, and intention setting is the deliberate process where an individual decides on a specific focus or goal they want to achieve sometime in the future.

Why is it good to practice setting intentions?

Practicing intention setting can offer various benefits. Here are a few:

1. Save time and energy: Take planning for a trip as an example. Individuals can get lost and become overwhelmed without specific goals and itineraries aligned with the budget. Knowing the whys can save time because they know exactly where to focus their time and energy when planning.
2. Gain clarity: Intention setting clarifies one's goals and priorities. Consequently, it provides direction for one's actions and decisions.
3. Boost motivation: When individuals are reminded of the reason behind their intention, it boosts their motivation. They are further encouraged to stay committed despite the challenges they face.
4. Align values: For example, deciding to focus on work-life balance and what's important when considering a job offer, even if it means saying no to more money, helps an individual stay consistent and clear about what they want.
5. Manifest success: Manifestation seemed to have become a buzzword. Some people believe in the power of manifestation — claiming desired outcomes by programming the subconscious mind to work towards achieving them.

What can prevent people from practicing intention setting?

While intention setting is helpful, we can't deny that sometimes specific barriers hinder an individual from doing so. They are the following:

1. Lack of awareness: Some people may not know what intention setting is or its advantages. Hence, they won't be able to incorporate this into their routine.
2. Time constraints: We must admit that we are sometimes pressed for time. Busy schedules and overwhelming commitments can drain us, leaving little mental space to pause and reflect on our intentions.
3. Distractions: Focusing attention or engaging in intention setting can be challenging when constant distractions, such as social media and other forms of technology, are present.
4. Fear of failure: Some individuals skip intention setting because they fear things may not go as planned. This can also stem from perfectionism, where one tends to create unrealistic intentions that they end up putting off.
5. Procrastination: People procrastinate because they perceive something as tricky and don't know what to do. Other times, they do not feel confident doing something and delay it.

What is an Intention Setting Worksheet?

An Intention Setting Worksheet is a resource that helps individuals clarify and set their goals using prompts or questions. It typically includes prompts for reflecting on values, setting specific intentions, identifying actionable steps, and tracking progress. The worksheet serves as a visual aid to organize thoughts and intentions, making the intention-setting process more structured and effective.

How to use our Intention Setting Worksheet template

Setting intentions is a powerful practice that can help clients clarify their goals and take meaningful steps toward achieving them. Follow the steps below to teach your clients to effectively utilize the worksheet and harness the power of intention setting.

Step 1: Download the template

Start by downloading our Intention Setting Worksheet template. You can easily access it from our website or save a copy to your device for future use.

Step 2: Complete details

Begin encoding your client's details, such as their name, age, and sex, on the worksheet. This information helps personalize the experience and ensures they engage with the process more deeply.

Step 3: Reflect on past achievements

Encourage them to reflect on their week or month and list proud achievements or moments. This step allows them to acknowledge progress and build momentum for setting new goals and intentions.

Step 4: Identify areas of focus

List three areas of life where they'd like to focus your energy and attention. These could include career, relationships, health, personal development, or any other aspect of life that is significant to the individual.

Step 5: Describe desired feelings

Let them describe how they want to feel in each area by the end of the next week or month. You may tell them to use descriptive language to articulate the emotions they want to experience.

Step 6: Outline actionable steps

Identify three specific actions or steps  to move closer to the desired feelings in each area. These actionable steps serve as a reminder of progress and provide a clear path forward.

Step 7: Visualize success

Instruct them to imagine accomplishing their intentions at the end of the day, the week, or the month. Paint a vivid picture of what success looks and feels like for each area.

What are the benefits of using this worksheet?

We have explored the goals and advantages of intention setting earlier. Moving forward, let's zero in on the benefits of the worksheet. They are the following:

1. Clear goals: It helps clearly define what people want to achieve, breaking down big ideas into smaller, actionable goals.
2. Focused actions: By outlining specific steps on the worksheet, individuals stay focused on taking actions that directly contribute to their goals.
3. Organized planning: The simple but meaningful prompts in the worksheet help individuals organize thoughts and plans effectively. More than that, it prevents them from being overwhelmed and confused.
4. Trackable progress: Individuals can always review answers and adjust intentions accordingly because the worksheet can easily be downloaded and saved to a device. This leads to a profound self-reflection as they go through their day.