CARE Intentions Setting Worksheets: To set or not set intentions!?

[Teri Rose, OblSB, Program Director]

Hi everyone-

In the prep for our Lifestyle as Medicine: Stewardship Check-In meetings, I’d like to bring a consideration forward about goal setting/intention setting.

First and foremost: the topic of “goal setting” has a long history for all of us. If setting intentions in any way feels more like a list that “you must control FIRST to then get a result you want” OR it stirs the pot with advocates and if before group meetings you hear a lot of “I didn’t do enough since last time” or “I should have done more” –  I encourage you not to do it.

This is an optional tool. If it doesn’t feel right to set intentions this way, don’t. This isn’t needed at all for you to hear and listen to your Lighter voice. They are already there and know what to do.

If setting intentions feels supportive, then this can be a nurturing place for you to capture the health choices you want/feel ready to make- the choices for stewardship you want to practice.

For example, this can be supportive in helping you not have to “think” of the choices you want to make when tired and stressed. Even when we Turn Towards first and hear our Lighter voice nudging us to nourishing self-care, it can give the brain an assist to have the “thinking” part already underway.

If this structure feels supportive, I encourage you to reflect on and set these intentions at a time when you can best hear your Lighter voice (like earlier in the day, when being reflective before bed, or at our meeting time together).

Ask them, your Lighter voice, to guide you in setting these intentions. Setting intentions with your Lighter voice will feel open and unrestricted, focused on what to add vs restrict. The intentions and guidance from your Lighter voice will also feel healing vs reprimanding, encouraging vs doubting, and empowering vs fearful.

If you hear “I should do this”, “I better do this” or  “I need to figure this out”… pause, turn towards again, take another deep breath and ask for help in hearing your Lighter voice because if you hear these kinds of statements, your Lighter voice is still being muted. They are there, you just have a little static in the way.

Here are the links to download the three versions of the CARE Intentions Setting Worksheets (they are similar but the language is different in each):

1. Intentions Setting and Reflections
2. Listening Journal
3. CARE Goal Setting and Review Worksheet: Food, Fitness, Fun

 

As for how often to set these, you get to decide and play with what frequency feels right for you. Often, individuals will do them more frequently as they are getting started. You want to do them often enough that they feel supportive in helping keep intentions front of mind but not so often that they start to feel burdensome or like actions “you must control to get these results” (does that sound familiar??).

And if you use these worksheets, please personalize them with your own language! Use these just as a framework for developing the tool that best supports you. And do consider the reflections on the back page; reflecting can uncover those areas to bring forward to the community.

Would love to hear additional thoughts from the community on this!

[Anonymous]

This is very well said to answer the need of all of us. I am leaving on vacation and hope to take more time to reflect on what God is really asking me to do.  Blessings on your fine ministry.  Paula

P.S. I will not be taking my computer on vacation.  I do need the time away with other friends and time just to meditate and reflect.  Blessings. See you when I get back.  Paula

[Teri Rose, OblSB, Program Director]

Safe travels, Sr. Paula. Enjoy your time away. It was nice seeing you for a few minutes today while I was at the reception desk.

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