Goals VS. Intentions: Why You Need Both In Your Journey To Success

New Years Resolutions.

Goal setting.

It can all seem pretty overwhelming, right?

Well now is the time to take a step back and really find a way to make all of these things work FOR you rather than stress you out.

If you want to find success this year, you should focus on two things: intentions and goals.

Goals and Intentions – What’s the difference?

INTentions are INTernal while goals are external.

Both are necessary to find the success and freedom you’re looking for, but one should always first start with intentions before focusing on goals. Strengthen yourself on the inside and you’ll find it easier to build stamina on the outside.

When it comes down to it, intentions are a state of constant reflection while goals are a state of conscious planning.

With intentions, you reflect on your feelings in the present moment, encouraging yourself to grow and be more cognizant of your current state; with goals, you’re following a map in the hopes of reaching your end goal.

Along those lines, intentions are basically a pathway to help you achieve your goals. So, for example, telling yourself that you’re going to publish one blog post per week is your goal, learning to better hold yourself accountable to your actions is an intention.

Intentions are typically very broad, again dealing more in the conceptual realm of feelings and living each day as it comes, while goals should always be very specific.

Because of the broad vs precise nature of these things, having good intentions supports you in achieving your goals while having goals with no intentions means lots of pressure and stress from the fear of failure.

How to Set Intentions

To set intentions, you can look to those you idolize – what is it about them that you appreciate? Is it their patience? Their confidence? Their time management skills? Whatever it is, KNOW that you too can be that way by setting intentions and following through with them.

Personally, I’ve struggled with patience. It’s just not a strong characteristic of mine. This year I’m setting the intention of being more patient – not just with my kids or my clients, but with EVERYONE. Yes, even the jerk who cuts me off in traffic.

It won’t be easy, but it’s not supposed to be. Intentions are meant to be work, but in a feel-good, feel-better kind of way.

How To Set Goals

Setting goals comes more from you and your ideals. Where do you want to be 6 months from now? A year from now? Five years from now? What do you have to do to get there?

For example, if you want to be averaging $5k/month two years from now, what actions do you need to take to get there? Again, be VERY specific and write out those steps. Each one of those is a goal and requires you to take action.

All in all, intentions are a state of being while goals are a state of doing.

What will you be working on this year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How Effective Are New Year's Resolutions?

Don’t you just love the end of the year?

It's a time to enjoy the company of family and friends, reflect on the past year and set some fabulous new year's resolutions.  

Many people dust off their old resolutions from last year and re-purpose them for the year to come. (Remember the time you said you’d finally get that six pack?)

According to NYMag, half of Americans make new year's resolutions, but only 8% of them succeed. So, why should you waste your time creating resolutions when the likelihood of success is so low?

To be honest, I haven't set a new years resolution in years. #Shameless

Instead, I create a vision board to visualize how I want to feel and what I want to manifest in my new year.

Having an idea of what you want out of life is the first step to changing your life! Without a road map and a destination in mind, how else will you get where you want to go?

The real question you should be asking is: How can I be one of the 8% that accomplishes their goals?

There is no difference between those that accomplish their goals and you.

They have the same number of hours in the day. They also have a wide variety of circumstances. So, what are they doing differently that gives them the strength, motivation, and will power to keep pushing forward on their goals?

They have someone to hold them accountable.

The most successful people talk a lot about mastermind groups, mentors, associations, and accountability partners. These are the people that work in tandem to push the everyday achievers forward.

Whether they are giving sound advice from a lifetime of experience or getting down in the weeds to help out, this support system keeps achievers going. 

If you want this year to be different, ask a friend to call you every Sunday to talk about your goals for the week. Spend a few minutes every week telling that person what you want to accomplish for the week and how many of your goals you were able to accomplish the past week. This will keep you honest about moving forward.

Related Post: How To Have PRODUCTIVE Calls With Your Accountability Partner

They write their goals down.

The act of writing your goals will increase the likelihood that you accomplish them.

When you take the time to write out your goals, it gives you a chance to think deeper about them. It allows you to revisit your goals to further visualize them and get a better idea of how you will accomplish them. 

If you want to solidify your goals, write them down (with a pen) and write out the steps that you will need to take to accomplish those goals.

If the goal is large break it down into smaller steps. Spend some time brainstorming about different ways to accomplish this goal. Then, you'll be ready to hit the ground running.

They set small goals that contribute to the larger goals.

We all have goals that we want to reach one day whether it's being the CEO of an incredibly profitable business or reaching the C-suite for someone else's company. These REALLY BIG goals cannot be achieved in one month (or even one year).

Smaller goals gives you more opportunities to celebrate small wins while still contributing to your overall larger goal.

They keep going when the going gets tough.

I'll be honest... Big goals (if you set them right) are never easy.

You will put yourself in a position to leave your comfort zone behind and grow as a person. This usually comes with a huge gap between where you are now and where  you want to be. This gap is incredibly difficult to cross. The difference between the people who will go on to cross this gap and accomplish their goals and the ones that fail is the ability to get over this gap. 

When you see a difficult moment in your way, understand that you might be really awful at what you're trying right now, but one day if you keep going forward, you could be great.

Related Post: Are Your Goals Crushing You? The Secret To Successful Goal Setting

Simply making a new year's resolution isn't enough to create a change in your life. If you want this to be the year you launch that startup, become profitable or finally get that promotion, you have to make it happen.

Rather than focusing on January 1st and fitting in with the starry-eyed goal setters (who will quit in the first week)  focus on your plan, surround yourself with good people who will push you forward and commit 100% to your goals.

Once you do that, you can do anything. xoxo

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

4 Things to Do Before The End of The Year

People are often excited for the New Year because it’s another year ahead to take a fresh start and accomplish new goals. But, before we make the official countdown here are 4 simple things that you can do before the year ends. 

1. Take a social media break before choosing your goals

Social media is the creepy little friend that likes to tell you that you’re not active enough, pretty enough, going big enough… and after a while of hearing these messages, it’s difficult to set goals.

Taking a break from social media makes it easier to hear your inner voice and choose the best goals for you. I recently read 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, a book about the benefits of taking a day to unplug as well as an example of how to spend that time.

2. Get your free credit report

Yes, credit can be a scary thing. But, a #girlboss understands that finances should always be a priority. Understanding your credit score can help you make better financial decisions.  Know where you are starting so you can make appropriate financial goals for the New Year. You can get a free report on Annual Credit Report.com.

3. Be grateful

Write down 3 things that went really well for you this past year. That's it. As human beings we have a tendency to focus on the negative.  Make sure you include things that went well that you never planned to happen. For instance, we had no idea that so many people would sponsor #VisionCon. Talk about a total win. If you want to include more feel free too.

4. Get rid of the negative

Write down 3 things that are not working out for you anymore. Maybe its a boyfriend that needs to go. Or a friend that is no longer supportive of you and endeavors. Reflect and be honest with yourself, I know it won't be easy. I personally made the decision to close down one of my blogs. I've spent over 4 years maintaining it but, it doesn't add any value to anyone’s life. It was time to let go of my first love. 

Having a vision is more than dreaming about it. A vision requires actionable steps if you really want to make a difference in your life. The goal is to take that one step towards living your dream life.

Happy New Year! It’s gonna be a great one. ;)

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

How To Take A Vacation From Social Media

It's so easy to set resolutions. The hardest part is following through on them.

I find that sometimes we don't have the time to start making changes because we are distracted. As the New Year is approaching, why not take the time to declutter your mind?

Consider it a reflection period where you spend some time with you. I am taking a similar challenge myself and after just 3 days of participating I found myself journaling a lot more. My journal has actual plans and strategies that I declared for both my personal and social life. 

I encourage you to take a mini vacation away from social media. It's a good self care tool and it will allow you to get to know yourself again. 

Here are some methods that make taking a break a bit easier.

Replace it with something new

What will you replace social media usage with? By using the replacement strategy you are still keeping your mind engaged, but on something new. During my vacation time I would read a book or do some Journaling whenever I felt like browsing my timeline. 

Cut out the triggers

I knew that the social media icons on my phone were a trigger for me. So, I had to delete the icons to stay focused. For some people it is staying away from celebrity gossip or newspapers. What triggers your usage? Whatever it is, identify it and if you, can get rid of it. 

Take A Short Time away from Social Media Weekly

You don’t have to make a long term commitment from social media. In fact, taking just one day a week offline to realign with your inner voice can go a long way. Recently, I took a full 24 hours off my phone (no social media, email or anything!) and actually finished an entire book. (<< I haven’t don’t this since college.)

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of taking one day a week away from technology to get out of the phone and get back into your life, check out 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week.

After taking a break last year, I felt as if I had more time to do other things such as work out and take walks. I also noticed that I felt more engaged to work on projects. Not to mention, I didn't feel like I was comparing my life to anyone else. To me this was the most important aspect. It's so easy to admire the lives of others not realizing that they are no different then you.

So, when are you taking your social media vacation? 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

1. Download the FREE vision board party planning checklist.

2. Craft your inspiring vision board workshop talk with our FREE High Impact Storytelling Journal Prompts. 

3. Plan, promote & host your first (or next) professional & profitable vision board workshop with our signature course, Sold Out Vision Board Parties.

---

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!