Setting goals for the New Year can leave you feeling restrained. Setting intentions, on the other hand, can be a liberating feeling. It is a promise you make to show your true and best self to the world.

With the upcoming New Year it is a chance to re-visit the past year; explore how you’ve grown, the pain it may have caused, and how strong you came through to the other side. It is in finding the very courage to overcome all things that come your way, that guides you in seeking what you are truly wanting your life to be about.

In short, intentions, are meant to come from a place much deeper than thought: it is what’s in your heart where the purest ideas that could shape who are, come from. The day to day that we live cannot be controlled due to unforeseen and unexpected obstacles life throws at us, but we can control our actions.  That is why by setting intentions and keeping them close, we can facilitate the path that we choose.

So how does one go about setting intentions for one’s life? Here are a few steps to give you guidance:

• Ask yourself: What give you a sense of purpose and passion in life? Connect to that inner compass - your true identity. This is the person you are meant to be. Your calling in life is within you, your job is to listen closely to find out what it is.
• Make a list and give it to someone who can hold you accountable. Everyday, do something that keeps you committed to your intentions. And have a trusted person check in and make sure you stay on course.
• Choose a few keyword words to sum up your intentions. Words like, compassionate, empathetic, active listener, supportive, ambition, any word that can help you identify and keep a “quick reference” list to your intentions.
• Integrate your intentions into your day-to-day. Be aware throughout that you are putting out in the world whatever it is that you have intended. Make sure it comes from a place of contentment and want, not a need. This way you get to thwart away any fear or doubt it is done in a way that makes you feel free, and not restricted.
• Trust that there exists a greater power for your life. The saying “not in my time, but in divine time” is true. Do not force or feel that you have to be in charge to make things happen. Trust the process and give it up to whatever has been intended for you.

This is how a transformative life can take place right before you.

It takes some soul searching, but you will reclaim your inner compass and find a deeper contentment and inspiration for your life that will align you with your true destiny. It starts with you, so BELIEVE.