I’m so excited to kick off our Topic of the Week of 2022. If you’re new here, our Topic of the Week is simply a week’s worth of content about a particular subject, including how that topic relates to your Enneagram Type.
We’re starting 2022 talking about setting goals or intentions in the New Year. Let’s chat about the difference between the two:
Goals:
Specific, concrete plans with a desired result or outcome, typically with a specific deadline. Ex: Saving a specific amount of money by the end of the year.
Intentions:
Aspirational, usually value-based, aims or characteristics that you strive to embrace or live out. Ex: Being a better steward of your finances.
You can also think about the difference between the two in this way – goals are what you want to happen and intentions are what you intend to happen. So which one should you set, goals or intentions? Well, I’d probably say probably both, actually. I love how it’s described here:
We just have to identify suitable and realistic goals and then use the power of intention to guide us along the journey to accomplishing them. Think of goals as something you wish to accomplish in the long run and intentions are as something you use daily as short-term accomplishments on your way towards your goals.
-Brian Schwager, Wellness Movement Center
The above intentions are ones that I set for 2022. If you are looking for examples of intentions to set for the week, month or year, use these as an example. To me, intentions are also no just about achieving something, but also about mindset changes. Changing your mindset is the first step towards growth and meaningful change. If you are looking to make changes in your life, then try by setting both intentions and specific goals.