Out with resolutions–2023 should be the year of intentions. Resolutions always sound great ringing in the New Year, but who didn’t watch the lofty goals we had for 2022 turn into “I guess I’ll do it next year?” Let’s spend 2023 focusing on intentions, instead.
Intention setting helps us achieve our desires by working through smaller steps. It breaks down a goal that we have for the year (say, learning to meditate, eating more healthfully, or fostering a new relationship) into individual, more easily achieved pieces. Instead of trying to tackle the mountain of “I want to be closer to my community” all at once, we can find little things every day to work towards that goal.
Those little things? They’re called intentions.
Read on to learn how intention setting can help you achieve your new you in 2023 and grab a few tips about how to ask for psychic help in the New Year.
What Are Intentions?
An intention is the result of merging a desire–something you want–with an action–something you do. It’s what happens when you choose to spend any amount of energy on something that will either better the self or reach beyond the self.
If you might feel a desire to be healthier, you might choose to go out for a walk during your day. If your desire is to connect with a partner or friend, you might see if they’re available for coffee. A desire to find a new job might mean connecting with a career psychic about your upcoming paths.
So, why are we so excited about intentions over resolutions?
Intentions are Small and Ever-Changing
Intentions are small changes made toward a longer-term goal, and they’re meant to change as you work toward your desires.
Resolutions can feel intimidating and by nature, they usually take a long time to achieve. If we focus too hard on what we want to do or look like a year from now, we can get lost in dreaming about the future or discouraged by the present.
Intentions, on the other hand, are simple, present, easy to complete, and undaunting. Intentions should be so small, in fact, that they never make you feel stressed or nervous in any way.
More importantly, intentions are open to change. As our desires narrow or widen, our intentions will shift. As we get closer or further from meeting a desire, our intentions will shift. No matter the reasoning for the change, these shifts are natural and good parts of the intention-setting journey.
Intentions are Achievable and Positive
The piecemeal nature of an intention makes it much easier to track and achieve, compared to a resolution.
If my goal for 2023 is to create more personal connections, my resolution might be something dramatic, like finding a long-term romantic partner. If I instead create a short list of intentions—maybe to ask the barista his name next time, or to introduce myself to someone at my yoga studio—I might have an easier time making my desired connections.
Where resolutions can feel intimidating and make it feel like we’re not making any progress on our goals, intentions are naturally affirming. They feel good when we’re doing them. If you make an intention and work towards it, you get a little spiritual boost regardless of the result, like a little voice saying, “Yes! I did it!” In 2023, we’re on the side of positivity breeding positivity.
What Does it Mean to Manifest?
Manifesting is a spiritual practice where a person repeatedly visualizes, imagines, or writes down their desires in order to transpose them into physical existence. Popularized in 2020, the concept is actually hundreds of years old. Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, is credited for creating this idea in the 5th century BCE, saying, “All that we are is a result of what we have thought.”
Modern manifesting works like this: a person creates an intention, and by repeatedly imagining themselves working at the intention, receives a spiritual boost in their heart.
Manifesting’s simplicity is its biggest strength. It’s positive, easy to practice, and flexible enough to incorporate into any routine.
When you pair intention setting with manifesting, you now have an approachable way to work towards your desires.
A Step-by-Step Guide for Manifesting Your Intentions in 2023
To get your New Year started on the right path, follow our guide to help turn your New Year’s goals into intentions and discover how manifesting gives us the spiritual and cognitive lift to see our intentions through.
1) Identify Your Long-Term Desire
At the root of every intention is a long-term, prosocial desire. Our first step is to find that desire.
If a desire does not immediately leap out from your heart, you may need some time to reflect. That’s okay! Give yourself time and space to allow your mind to wander free of distractions. Consider taking a walk, meditating, or simply lying down with your eyes closed; whatever feels best for you. Once in a comfortable position, try to follow the desires of your head and your heart without judgment.
Another approach is to think about any negativity you may be experiencing in your life. Desires are sometimes born from the hope to cancel or change a negative aspect of our everyday life.
Once you find a desire that feels exciting, long-term, and works toward the betterment of yourself or others, you’re ready to break it down into a series of intentions.
2) Create a List of Small Actions Related to Your Desire
Now it’s time to look at our desire as a series of small actions. By creating a list of actions, we lay a stepping-stone path out of the small (but important) physical, mental, and spiritual efforts we’ll use to reach our desire.
For this next step, we recommend writing down the ideas that flow through, so you can keep track of your ideas and review them again later.
Start by asking yourself: What are some small actions I can take that will guide me toward my goal? Your actions can support your desire directly or indirectly. As long as the actions will affect you or someone else’s life in a positive way, you’re on the right track.
Don’t stress about finding “the perfect” action or planning on “the best way” to achieve your desire. With intention setting, nothing is ever incorrect. Write down every idea you have. You can always ignore or change the intentions you don’t like later.
3) Choose An Intention
Now it’s time to select an intention from your list.
Feel free to select any intention you like; you can always change your mind later, or try an intention for a while to see what it’s like before trying out a different one.
Our only recommendation is to avoid an intention that’s too difficult. If your desire is to learn how to play the guitar, “play around for 5 minutes” is easier than “learn a new rock melody.” By starting with intentions that are easier to achieve, you’ll feel better about intention setting in general, and will feel more motivated to continue down the path toward your desire.
4) Manifest and Act
Now, it’s time to manifest and act.
Manifestation and action are two sides to the same coin: both will work towards your intention, taking you one step closer to achieving your desire.
To manifest your intention, repeat it over and over, in whatever way is helpful to you. Some people like to chant their intention out loud, some write in their journal, and some simply visualize completing the intention over and again in their minds.
Try to manifest in a safe, quiet space. If manifesting fills you with a sense of elation—like you just completed a goal—great; that positive feeling means that manifesting works well for you. If manifesting doesn’t seem to change your mood, that’s okay too, just skip straight to putting your intention into action.
Now that you’ve manifested, it’s time for some physical, mental, or emotional effort. For this step, carve out a little free time and perform your intention without passing any judgment on yourself. You may not complete your intention action, but that doesn’t make the action a failure. Without judgment, actions cannot be failures, only successful momentum that brings you closer to your desire.
5) Reflect on Your Experience
No intention is truly complete without reflection.
Find a quiet place to think and reflect on your experience. Once you’re ready, it’s time to ask yourself the following questions:
- How did manifesting or acting on my intention make me feel? If the experience was positive, try to repeat the same process but with a new intention from your list. If it didn’t go so well, try to tweak your action steps: you could try an easier intention, practice a new method of manifesting, or take a different path of action.
- What’s my next step in reaching my desire? If you’re a go-getter, you may want to shift immediately into completing a new intention. If you’re more the reflective type, you may want to take a break for a day or week, letting the event settle in your mind and your heart. As always, your path is up to you!
How to Ask a Professional Psychic for Help
Sticking to a goal, no matter how easy it may seem on paper, will always present challenges. There will always be distractions, valid excuses, social obligations, and family considerations that pop up and lessen your resolve. Luckily, there are trained, easy-to-access online psychics close and ready to guide you along your journey.
Whether you’re looking for help, advice, or guidance, the following types of professional, online psychics can provide the support you need no matter how hectic your schedule:
Tarot Readers:
Tarot readers can help interpret a person’s future using a deck of 78 cards that help the reader unleash their predictive abilities. If you’re unsure about where your New Year is taking you, a tarot reader can clarify the paths ahead of you and help you select one desire that will become your primary focus.
Career Psychics:
A career psychic is trained in connecting spiritual elements with a client’s career aspirations. Most commonly, a client who is looking to start or switch a career prospect can ask a career psychic for predictions about the possible success of their various paths. If part of your New Year's desire is to find the perfect job or to better your current role, try contacting a Career Psychic.
Love Psychics:
Love psychics are professionals with a gift for interpreting a client’s personal relationships. Although romantic love is a common specialty of love psychics, most also provide insight into other relationships such as friends, family members, and coworkers. If your New Year’s desire is to mend, find, or end a personal relationship, a love psychic can provide the support you need to complete your intentions.
Horoscope Psychics:
Horoscope Psychics use a client’s unique astrological signature to make tailored, customized predictions about their present and future. If you’re not sure what your New Year’s desire and intentions are quite yet, a horoscope psychic could help point the way.
Discover More About Your Horoscope
Intention setting, manifesting, and working toward your ultimate desire is never easy, but most challenges aren’t meant to be handled alone. If you ever feel stuck in 2023, try giving one of our favorite online psychics a video call, text, or phone call.
Make 2023 Your Year of Intentions
There’s no such thing as a wrong way to practice intention setting and manifesting. As long as you’re remaining positive and prosocial in your objectives and practice, you can iterate on the following techniques in any way that works well for you. To be your best self in the new year, all you need to do is get creative!
