Rather than set New Year’s resolutions this year for things like not binging on chocolate or Netflix shows, why not try something different and set intentions for specific things you’d like to achieve. “Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love,” according to Deepak Chopra. It’s impossible to live without intention. Everything we do begins with it, whether it’s deciding to go for a morning walk or to invest in a particular stock.

“In simple form, your intentions are your thoughts directed toward a desired outcome. To be more complex, it’s the realization that our consciousness has the ability to create our reality,” according to Thai Nguyen. In other words, you are what you think. When we put this logic to work, it makes sense, then, that by setting our intentions for specific goals, we can affect the outcome of our lives and make things happen the way we want them to. However, the manner in which we accomplish this isn’t just willy-nilly. Various proponents of setting intentions have come up with a variety of steps for how one should go about doing so. I’ve tried to take the essence of their suggestions and put them together in five steps that integrate their ideas to help us set our intentions for 2017. Here they are:

Quiet Your Mind
Our minds can be noisy characters and not very good company. When they’re filled with too many thoughts and emotions, it’s difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. One of the best ways to open your mind and arrive at a point of complete awareness is through meditation. When your mind is at rest and you’re sitting quietly in the moment, you’re better able to picture what it is you want to have happen in the months to come. It is at this time that you must plant the seeds of your intentions. Having a quiet and open mind will help you be honest with yourself when figuring out what it is you truly want to achieve.

Clearly Define What You Desire
It’s actually possible to be clear on setting the parameters for what you want to have happen in 2017. Start with a positive attitude when defining your intentions. Positive thoughts will attract positive outcomes, whereas negative thoughts will do the opposite. As well, don’t be afraid to be specific about your intentions, clearly stating when they will occur by, who you will be with, and details of what you envision the experience will be. Although specificity is key, don’t forget to be flexible as you move forward with your intentions. Modifications may prove to be necessary.

Be Centered in Your Purpose
“Intention is much more powerful when it comes from a place of contentment than if it arises from a sense of lack or need,” Deepak Chopra tells us. Approaching your intentions from a place of contentment and imbuing them with an affirming attitude free of doubt creates a fertile garden in which they can grow.

Allow Others to Help
As Thai Nguyen says, “If one consciousness can alter reality, a community of combined consciousness, no doubt, will help you move mountains.” It’s a good theory, so don’t be afraid to ask for the support of your community of friends in reaching out to the cosmos and setting intentions for you.

Nurture Your Intentions or Leave Them Alone?
There seem to be two schools of thought on this. The first directs us to visualize our intentions using the whole catalogue of our senses to do so, as well as to work toward our goal doing something daily to move us closer to it. The other tells us to allow the higher powers of the universe to take responsibility for the complete fulfillment of our intentions and have faith in what the outcome will be. I wonder if we can’t combine the two giving our intentions direction while at the same time trusting in a higher power to help.

We all want to be happy, to live a life fulfilled that not only allows us to prosper and achieve our dreams, but that does the same for others. A quiet mind, clear goals, a positive attitude, help from others, direction, and faith are the main ingredients in the recipe for setting intentions that will flourish and take you where you want to go in 2017.