5 Ways to Bring Intention Into Your Day

We race through life in a blur, speeding from one activity to another. Gotta get dressed. Off to work. To the meeting. Make dinner. Rush. Rush. Rush. We are rarely in a state of restful awareness, observing the process of life instead of plowing through it. For this week’s Healthy Habit, we look at ways to cultivate a practice of daily intention. What is intention? Dr. Deepak Chopra defines it this way, “Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love.” Here are five ways to bring the power of intention into every day.

1. In Bed. Start your day in a gentle, purposeful way. Try a gradual wake up light instead of a standard alarm clock, or spend a few minutes in bed each morning doing a series of stretches, or sit up and meditate.
2. In the Kitchen. Stock fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Chef Laurence Jossel, Executive Chef of NoPa observed in “Kitchen Table Advisors,” that “I don’t have to worry about the negativity that is sometimes part of the long chain of food when I work directly with someone who has insight into when and how it was picked.”
3. At the Office. Guard your time at work, in order to realize your full potential. Brian Moran has a time block method, published at the American Management Association, that is designed to help you focus on high-value actions, rather than time wasters.
4. In the Coffee Shop. Sip your coffee black, suggests the site Brewing Coffee Manually. “Even the mega-roasters put enormous effort into how their coffee tastes. They are most interested in making sure their coffee taste the same batch after batch ... On the other end of the spectrum, third wave coffee roasters spend hours cupping, roasting and developing roast profiles to get the most out of a green coffee that was often meticulously grown, harvested and processed. It may come as a surprise to you but the taste of coffee can vary considerably farm to farm and region to region. Drinking your coffee black helps you to appreciate and enjoy these differences.” This small act—witnessing the flavor of coffee, instead of slugging down a Whateveruccino—may lead to greater intention throughout the rest of your day.
5. At Your Table. Create an intention journal. Unlike a regular journal, where you work out thoughts and feelings, an intention journal is a way to set goals and priorities. Sort intentions by daily and longer-term desires, and then dream big!