This year, the word “intention” should become one of the most powerful in your vocabulary. When you set life goals with intention, you’re clear on what you truly want and why. With this information in mind, you can tap into your desires to achieve success!
 
As you set goals for the coming year, it’s a good idea to understand what it means to be intentional. Through the power of intention, you can achieve goals and overcome any struggles in your way!
 

Set Goals for 2023 Today

Sit down and write out three clear goals or intentions that you want to work on in the coming year. If you’re very ambitious, you can also set monthly goals.
 
Not sure what kind of goals you’d like to set? Try answering this question: what three things could you accomplish this year to make a massive difference in your life? These should be goals you could achieve that would help you feel the most successful.
 
If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, you might instead think about who you would like to be. Come up with several adjectives or nouns that describe the future you. Are you ambitious? A writer? A parent? An artist? Use these words to help you set your goals.
 

Make Your Goals Attainable

With that understanding, start with three goals to achieve. Then, write out three to five steps you can achieve that will make a difference along the way. Each step should get you a little bit closer to the end goal.
 
Sometimes, the small steps you take to achieve one goal can also help you achieve another goal too. For example, you might discover that finding a mentor is beneficial for your financial goals as well as your physical fitness ones.
 
Another way to make your life goals attainable is to keep your goals on your mind each day. Post your goals somewhere you see them regularly, such as a sticky note in your bathroom, the background on your phone, or in your weekly planner.
 

How To Be Intentional With Your Life Goals

Now that you have your three big goals in mind, you need to understand what it means to be intentional in achieving them. Hold your first life goal in your mind for a moment. As you hold the idea, ask yourself a few questions:

• What does achievement look like?
• What do you need to do to feel that you’ve accomplished this goal?
• What does your life look like after you achieve this goal?

Repeat this process for each of your three goals. This will help you establish ways to be intentional in your actions and thoughts. You can hold those positive beliefs in your head as you work through each step you’ve created.
 
As you can see from this list of questions and the need to break each goal into different steps, it becomes clear that living with intention is about living proactively. Achieving your goals requires you to take action—not to merely set goals and watch time pass. You have to act. You have to have a “why.”
 

Know Why You Want It

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much,” said the late Jim Rohn, a prominent entrepreneur and motivational speaker.
 
You must have a “why.” Your “why” is something you want so badly you’re willing to go above and beyond to achieve it. If you don’t have a reason that’s strong enough, likely you won’t have the drive you need to achieve the goals you set.
 
For example, some people determine that their desire to financially support their family is the best “why.” They are passionate about taking care of their loved ones, and that drive feels urgent. Urgency can push somebody to achieve their life goals.
 
According to Jim Rohn, you need to understand the difference between a mere want and a NEED. They are very different, and you’ll see your goals very differently if you want to achieve them but do not feel the intense need to do so. You need to look at these goals as if there is no option but to obtain them.
 

Intention Is About Clarity

If you genuinely want to achieve your life goals, you must think about them with absolute clarity. It must be well established that you want to accomplish these steps with every fiber of your being, from your head to your heart. To feel this, you need to know exactly what you must do to achieve these goals. You need to understand your goals from the inside out, or at least the steps you intend to take on your journey.
 

Intention Is About Confidence

To achieve your goals, you must be confident in your ability to do so. Even if you don’t feel it now, you need to act like the powerhouse that you will become by the end of the year. With a laser-like focus on your life goals, you can do it. Don’t let your confidence weaken, even if you feel you’re not achieving your goals as quickly as you’d like to.
 
Many people believe that they cannot be in control of their lives if they cannot control every aspect. When you live with intention, you have to let go of the facets of life you cannot control. You have to take charge of only the aspects of your life you can change—and then charge at those aspects of life with your entire being.
 

Change Your Life With Intention

When you set out to change your life, you can do it. With these goals in mind and a strong “why,” you can make 2023 the most powerful and empowering year of your life, no matter what else is happening! Your life goals can become your life accomplishments if you are willing to work hard (and smart) enough.
 
 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on January 11, 2020, and has since been updated.