Set An Intent

Author: Manasa Sai Sekar

The back and forth travel between the house and the office brought out the significance of owning a car. After visiting multiple showrooms, I decided to purchase a Honda Civic in the color “Cosmic Blue”. “Cosmic Blue” was newly launched that year. I watched a lot of Cosmic Blue Honda Civic multiple times in a day right after stepping out of the showroom, and colleagues randomly discussing its features out of the blue seemed strange. However, this showed the power of intent. That week, an intent that was set to purchase a Honda Civic showed all the pros and cons of the car in my mind’s own ways.

Ancient and modern philosophies have outlined the effects of setting intentions also known as “Sankalpa”.  Freudian psychoanalytic loosely translates the word “Sankalpa” into deep residing desires that motivate us to take action. Recent research has also shown that setting intentions are better than to-do lists because intentions have a calming effect whilst achieving goals. Although it feels good to tick off tasks on a to-do list, people have trouble sleeping at night without ticking everything on the list.

Different cultures have their own practice for setting intentions. However, setting intentions every day is as simple as,

• Using the statements that start with “I intend to research and apply for the position of an Analyst today” mentally or by physically writing them down
• Mentally rehearsing them quickly during or after a morning shower or after a morning meditation
• Ensure intentions are written using a positive tone. Instead of writing “I do not want to skip the timeline” write “I intend to complete the task before the timeline given”
• Clear, simple, and straightforward intentions give us more direction while executing our actions
• If self-doubts pop up, understand that it is a protective mechanism, so simply acknowledge them and continue with the activity

Intention setting works on the same principle as “neuroplasticity”. Dr. Richard Davidson’s findings involved analysing the brain’s neuroplasticity, states that the brain, on a physical and psychological level, alters itself to suit new circumstances and experiences it encounters through creating or forming new neural pathways. Intention also affects the reticular activating system, or RAS, the piece of the brain that is located throughout the brain stem. All of the senses except smell are wired directly to it. The RAS that can also be compared to a filter ensures that the brain filters out unnecessary information, thereby, playing a significant role in the sensory information that is being perceived on an everyday basis.

If our brain, unintentionally, is constantly changing, then it’s only prudent if this is practiced intentionally too. Job application when done on an automatic mode could be a strenuous process. Choosing the right job application, and consciously applying for jobs effortlessly is possible if we set intentions to do so.

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