So much has changed since I started this Ten Weeks of Intentions journey. Most of the time it has been a stretch not struggle to get a weekly post up in what started out as an “occasional blog”.

So how do you feel after a stretch?  There are times when we need to stretch, not just physically like a cat, but emotionally. When faced with making a change, there is a conscious and an unconscious response to the impending change.  Conflicting thoughts and emotions result in a struggle as we overthink, filter the information and maybe even jump to negative conclusions about the outcome. An emotional stretch may involve changing habitual actions or thoughts and our inner self talk can often sabotage even the best intentions. A little bit like what we are going through at the moment. This is where you need someone to walk alongside you and cheer you on as you stretch to move out of hibernation and towards setting some goals for our “new normal”.

One way to make reaching your goals a pleasant stretch not struggle, is to use the SMART method of goal setting.   Setting a goal or intention using this formula works. Make the goal or intention Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timed.

Specific: Write down as much detail as you can about your goal. It helps if you have a genuine belief that the goal can be achieved. ? It helps to create a vision board to focus your attention on the end result and in Reiki classes we have a saying “Where attention goes, energy flows”.

Measurable: How are you going to measure that you have obtained your goal? Trackers are great as you can see your progress.  Start with the end in mind and work backwards to now or when you commit to starting.

Your bank account?  x amount of $ saved per week/fortnight/month

Your ideal weight?  x amount of kilograms/pounds reduced by each week/fortnight/month

Actionable: What are the actions you must take to reach your goal? They can be baby steps or great big scary steps. For example – how many subscriptions do you still have that are being used? Which ones can be suspended so that you can save precious dollars while we are in uncertain times? If you find that you have been making too many trips to the fridge or pantry – what actions must you take to get to your ideal weight? Being honest about food intake/portion sizes or daily activities will help to get you to goal weight.

Realistic: Is your current spending rate going to allow you to save for something special or do you need to economize on certain expenses? If you love a garment that is 3 sizes smaller than you currently are, will you realistically fit into it once social distancing rules have been lifted?

Timed:  Mark the date that you want to achieve your goal on the calendar, regardless of social distancing rules.  If the goal is a big one, then it is a great idea to break it down into smaller time frames. Likewise with reducing weight. Adjusting your timeframe to acknowledge that you may have a couple of occasions where there is the likelihood of not reaching your weekly or monthly target, will mean that you are less likely to have a negative self talk session with yourself. Make it a stretch not struggle.

My intention for this week is to reflect on the journey thus far and to use the energy of The Fool from the Rider Waite Tarot to continue journeying on.