Intentions or Goals?
When we set goals or intentions, it is driven by a desire to change something about our life.
As a coach, I find this topic an interesting one. My coaching training is based on the principle that you help clients set goals and those goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. I have felt endlessly conflicted on this as I don’t like SMART goals. I find them too restrictive and too black and white. There, I have said it!
The pros – Goals give you clarity, and you know exactly what you need to do to achieve them.
The cons – They can be so black and white; you can fail before you even get off the blocks.
Let me give you an example...
My goal might be to go to the gym three times each week to lose a total of 10lbs by the end of February. This fits the mould of good goal setting perfectly. It is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.
So, what happens if I only go to the gym twice? Have I failed the goal?
What happens if I only lose 9lbs?
I find this type of goal setting approach too limiting. The reality is, that I could potentially still achieve my weight loss goal by going to the gym twice a week. I might feel equally as good about myself having lost 9lbs as I would having lost 10lbs.
This rigid method just does not work for me.
For the past few years, I have moved more in the direction of intention setting. They feel more liberating to me as they set a direction without determining all the steps.
The pros – Intentions are not prescriptive and create space for things to evolve
The cons – They can feel lacking in accountability
For example,
I might set the intention that I am going to focus on feeling fitter and healthier. This intention gives me the space to focus on health and fitness without being prescriptive. I might enjoy yoga for 3 months and then move on to running. I might limit alcohol rather than cutting it out completely.
I like the freedom of this however it can feel like intentions are a get out of jail free card. It is easy to fall into the mindset of “it doesn’t really matter if I have a day/ week/ month off…”
I normally spend time over Christmas and New Year deciding on my word for the year, setting my intentions for the year and creating my vision board. I allocated a day to it where I would normally get cosy, put music on and capture my desires.
This year it didn’t happen.
I sat with my journal and my planner, and I felt no inspiration to do this annual ritual that I usually love so much. I tapped into my intuition and received the guidance to just relax and read instead. So, I did. I didn’t make myself feel bad about not being organised, I went with the flow rather than push myself to do something out of habit.
In the space I created, a thought came to me.
It is not about intentions vs goals. The magic happens in the beautiful combination of the two.
There are two energies we embody: masculine and feminine.
This is not about whether we are male or female. We use both energies regardless of how we identify.
Masculine energy is the ‘doing’ energy. It aligns with having a plan, taking action and getting things done. It is the energy of goal setting.
Feminine energy is the energy of receiving and flow. It aligns with trusting, allowing and being open to possibility. It is the energy of intention setting.
I have a powerful belief in our ability to work in alignment with the Universe to manifest the desires we hold in our hearts.
Manifesting involves both masculine and feminine energy.
If we only use masculine energy, we can only identify ways to achieve what we want based on what we already know. We achieve through doing and striving and we limit the options for achieving more than we had imagined. We do the heavy lifting and limit the potential of the Universe to surprise and delight us.
When we only use feminine energy, we may create space for the Universe to deliver our desires in ways we have not even conceived however in my experience, you have to do some of the work too (particularly if you want to supercharge what you manifest). Your role is to be really clear about what you desire and to believe it is available to you. Taking small steps in the direction of your dreams creates momentum and allows the Universe to work its magic.
When I have reflected on this topic, I have started to realise how goal setting, intention setting and manifesting is all part of the same thing. They combine powerfully to help us set our direction, move forward and leverage the magic of manifesting.
Our intentions operate from feminine energy. They are about articulating the desires in our heart. They are our dreams, our aspirations, our vision.
Our goals (or action steps as I prefer to call them) operate from masculine energy and establish our initial pathway in the direction of our dreams. It is a familiar path using steps we know and creates the initial momentum.
When we combine these two powerful energies, we then create the space for the Universe to wow us and open up possibilities and momentum we could not have even imagined.
I believe this insight is why I could not set my intentions at the end of December. I needed this piece of the puzzle to drop.
Over the course of the next two weeks, I am going to do the following:
Allow myself to truly tap into what I desire for this year and beyond and not limit myself. Dream big and dream bigger.
Set 3-5 powerful intentions
Write 3 action steps under each of my intentions to create initial momentum
Trust that the Universe will blow my socks off and show me the steps that come next.
Be grateful for what I already have as the magic of 2025 unfolds.
Call to action
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