The One Sentence You Need Each Day to Set Your Intention

Summary

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it can be challenging to maintain focus on what truly matters. Joshua Becker, inspired by his spiritual mentor, shares the powerful practice of setting a daily intention with a simple customizable sentence: 'Today I commit myself to ____.' This exercise, embedded in Becker's routine for over 20 years, focuses on living intentionally by consciously directing our thoughts and energy towards chosen goals every morning. The act doesn't eliminate life's distractions but serves as a daily reminder of one's purpose and priorities, encouraging deeper thought on one's life purpose and roles. With adaptable focuses like parenting, career, or self-improvement, this practice is a versatile tool for personal growth and fulfillment.

Highlights

• A morning intention can transform your daily focus and purpose 🌞
• Customize your commitment sentence to what matters most to you 💭
• Even brief focus on your intention can ground you each day 🌍
• Adapting your intention to life's phases is perfectly natural 🌊
• Ask yourself guiding questions to discover your true priorities 🧭

Key Takeaways

• Set a daily intention each morning to live more intentionally 🎯
• Customize your daily commitment sentence according to your priorities 🛠️
• Intentional living requires focus and effort, but it leads to a fulfilling life 🌱
• A simple daily sentence can be a powerful tool for personal growth 🌟
• Reflect on your core beliefs and roles to guide your intention-setting 💡

Overview

Joshua Becker introduces the transformative power of a daily practice: crafting a simple, yet personal, intention each morning. This exercise, shared by a mentor, involves completing the sentence, 'Today I commit myself to _____,' with whatever focus aligns with your current life goals. The flexibility of this practice means everyone’s sentence can be unique, reflecting personal values and priorities more deeply.

While reciting your intention doesn't magically erase life's distractions, it serves as a potent reminder of your daily goals. Becker emphasizes that this is not about excluding everything else you're doing but rather guiding your primary focus. Whether it’s being a better parent, achieving work goals, or pursuing a healthy habit, this practice is about channeling your energies in one focused direction to create a fulfilling and intentional life.

Not set in stone, your morning intention can evolve as your life and priorities change. Becker suggests reflecting on pivotal roles and beliefs in your life to guide this process. Through consistent practice, setting an intention becomes a daily habit, encouraging a life of meaning and purpose. It's a simple yet profound step towards intentional living, offering the best gifts to yourself and those around you.

The One Sentence You Need Each Day to Set Your Intention Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 there are few Pursuits more important than living an intentional life to choose a life that is not wasted but to Center our energies on Pursuits of lasting values is perhaps one of the best decisions we can make however in a world that calls repeatedly for our attention and our affection intentional living can be difficult and requires daily Focus I learned the discipline of setting my intention every morning when I was in college and over 20 years later I still
• 00:30 - 01:00 recite the same sentence each morning a spiritual Mentor was the first person to share this idea with me and he said it like this every morning before I start my day I recite a simple sentence that goes like this today I commit myself to blank this sentence which I purposefully didn't fill in with his words gets to be filled however you choose to complete it whatever intention you believe to be the most important
• 01:00 - 01:30 for example today I commit myself to being the best mother I can be today I commit myself to being a faithful spouse today I commit myself to healthy eating today I commit myself to selflessness today I commit myself to a spiritual Pursuit today I commit myself to this work goal I commit myself to getting out of debt tens of thousands of people will watch this video and what's interesting is that tens of thousands of different sentences will probably emerge the
• 01:30 - 02:00 possibilities are endless but your specific sentence should be singular and specific choose one intention the most important and consequential and set your mind your day and yourself in that direction it's not difficult to do and has served to be entirely life-changing for me but let me continue for just a moment here here's a few things to keep in mind about this practice that I've learned over the years number one set your
• 02:00 - 02:30 intention as early in the morning as possible at the beginning you might find it helpful to combine the statement with a Trigger action like taking a shower or brushing your teeth your first sip of coffee choose a time before the day gets away from you and distractions begin to set in and state your attention out loud number two your intention setting sentence can be completed in a second or it can be meditated on for hours this sentence holds value in just a few seconds it takes to recite it reminds
• 02:30 - 03:00 your mind and your heart and your soul of your desire for the day but it's also a statement that can be meditated upon for hours if time permits what does it mean for me to be the best parent that I can be we're the most important work projects that I should be focusing on what does it look like to live a selfless life today most days I set my intention with just a few words in the shower but I've never regretted the time of focusing deeper
• 03:00 - 03:30 upon it either way just saying it aloud will cause you to begin thinking about it number three setting your attention every morning doesn't eliminate distractions I've done this for decades but there's still been countless times where I've been distracted from that Pursuit stating your intention doesn't mean you'll never slip up in your desire for it but it does remind you each morning of your goal for the day and it sets
• 03:30 - 04:00 your affection upon it beginning your day focused on an intentional approach beats drifting through life every day number four your intention is not the only thing you'll do that day you're not uttering a statement of exclusion you can commit yourself in the morning to be an intentional father while still going to work and focusing on your career goals but your stated intention will help keep your focus in the right place and that's the goal
• 04:00 - 04:30 number five your intention may change every day or it might stay the same my intention every morning centers on my faith and it hasn't changed it's my most important Pursuit every day as I seek to live the most fulfilling and Abundant Life that I can but it's not required for you to keep it the same I would warn against changing it every day I suppose but it's perfectly natural for our goals and intentions to change as we pass through the various seasons of our life
• 04:30 - 05:00 number six setting your intention gets easier over time try it right now before we go any further what is it that you most want your life to be focused on today even if there's just a few hours left try it for the very first time now try to remember to repeat that again in the morning if you forget and you probably will don't worry just set your intention as soon as you remember to do so over time you'll find it easier and
• 05:00 - 05:30 easier to remember in the morning and soon it will be part of your regular routine let me end with this if you don't know what intention is worth setting here are some helpful questions to get you started number one what are the two to three most important things that you want to accomplish in your life does one Stand Out above the others number two is there a role in your life you feel compelled to succeed at number three is there an overarching
• 05:30 - 06:00 spiritual belief or world view that helps you make sense of the world does that motivate you to live a full life number four what current healthy life change are you pursuing number five when you close your eyes at night what daily accomplishment leaves you feeling the most fulfilled do any of those questions draw out a Pursuit more important than the others did you notice any reoccurring themes in your answers to those questions did any of your responses surprise you
• 06:00 - 06:30 were there any words or phrases that seem to represent your passions better than others if you're struggling to come up with a perfect wording to complete your sentence please don't start with what you know to be true you can change it as soon as tomorrow intentional living is one of the best gifts we can ever give ourselves it's also one of the most significant gifts we can give to the people we love and the world around us so get started each
• 06:30 - 07:00 day with one simple sentence today I choose to live an intentional life [Music] today