7 Sneaky Ways We Sabotage our Intentions and Goals

by Christine Kane

“Intention rules the earth,” says Oprah.

It’s true.

In fact, the first week of my Uplevel Your Life™ Mastery Program is devoted solely to intention, with reams of hands-on techniques to strengthen clarity and commitment as you answer the age-old question:

“What the heck do you want?”

This question might totally throw you off.

If you’re like many of my clients, you’ve believed your limiting thoughts for so long, that you don’t realize you can ask for what you truly want and that you have the power to attract it!

So, naturally, you might do some wonky things at first that actually sabotage an otherwise powerful intention!  Here are seven of the most common ways we do that:

#1 – “So that.”

Example: “I intend to lose weight and get in shape SO THAT I can be energetic and happy in my daily life.”

“So that” says:  “I can’t have THIS if I don’t have THAT.”  It is restricting.  And intentions are about expansion!

Be brave enough to ask, “What do I ultimately want here?”  If you want two things, you can divide the intentions with AND or WHILE.  “I intend to lose weight while being happy and energetic in my daily life.”

#2 – Implementing Bureaucrat Speak Calibrated to Leverage Maximum Capacity Mental Paralysis

Example: “I intend to leverage an incremental degree of financial stability insomuch as I can facilitate a reasonable facsimile of value-added methodology.”

When you set an intention, you’re speaking to your soul, not to the folks in HR.  Intention is supposed to excite us a lot, and scare us a little.   Pretend you never worked in corporate, and use language that feels good to you.

3 – “Ing” Overdose

Example:  “I intend that I am becoming clear about my career path while my health is getting better and I am attracting a loving romantic partner.”

The Universe always says YES.  In this case, it says, “Yes indeed. You ARE becoming clear.  And you are, in fact, ATTRACTING a loving partner… any minute now!”

Don’t push your goals into the future. Stick with present tense.

4 – Scattered, Splattered and Covered

Example:  “I intend to get clear about the next steps I’m taking in my life with health, lifestyle, my relationship, and career. Oh, and I also want to lose weight, make more money, move somewhere else and write a novel.”

I call this “Attention Splatter.”  And the problem with it is this:

When you’re splattered, you never experience completion or success in ANYTHING.

Here’s what’s wild, though.  When you focus on one single intention, often the other things you want will begin to manifest effortlessly.  (OR you come to realize that you no longer want all those things!)

Be willing to be unimpressive and boring.  Start with just one thing.

5 – Trying to figure out the HOW.

I call it “The Unstoppable Power of Intention” because when you set an intention, you don’t have to know HOW.

Yes, of course, you take action. But you don’t “figure it all out” first. Trying to figure out HOW it could possibly happen is just your scarcity mindset trying to take control.  (And how’s that been workin’ for you so far?)

6 – Worrying about your ego.

“Isn’t this just my ego talking?  How will I know if I’m honoring my deepest self?  Is this intention my TRUE! LIFE! PURPOSE????”

You can spin your wheels for years trying to discover an Academy Award-Winning Life Purpose, or waiting til you’re “totally at peace.”   Don’t set this trap for yourself.  The simple action right in front of you is all you need to take. (And sometimes, it might be deceptively boring!)

If you can’t hear your deepest self yet, then just start somewhere. Maybe your ego’s desires will open up a deeper path.

7 – Removing, obliterating, or ridding yourself of obstacles, weakness, and issues.

Example:  I intend to rid myself of all of my anger and addictions and stop letting my ego run the show and never have emotions again.

Dude.

This is SO not gonna happen.

You don’t have to focus on your “stuff” just to prove that you’re not in denial.

Remember this: Energy flows where attention goes.  When you include your “issues” in your intention, then you are, in essence, saying, “Let’s really give this my energy. Let’s dredge it up, shall we?”

Focus instead on the things that you DO want. That way, the obstacles and issues will naturally come up for release in their perfect and right time.

Christine Kane is the Mentor to People Who are Changing the World. She helps women and men Uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly Uplevel You eZine goes out to over 20,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at https://christinekane.com/.

See Christine’s blog at ChristineKane.com/blog.