How & Why I Started Segment Intending

Lately, I’ve been feeling as if my body is running on autopilot. Waking up, logging onto Zoom after zoom, doing homework, maybe moving around for an exercise, more homework, then sleeping. It seems like no matter what I do, the clock stays speeding up and I can never grasp enough time. Once I finish one big assignment, the next one is due even sooner. The more I slipped into this feeling I realized I haven’t been truly living for myself. I was going through my daily routines practically unconscious. Eventually, I saw a video about segment intending that felt like a wake-up call and decided to try it out. 

The concept of segment intending stems from the law of attraction and Abraham Hicks. It is basically a way of dividing your day into individual moments and focusing on what outcomes you want before beginning each moment. For example, setting the intention to retain the most important information before studying or setting the intention to have fun and get to know people before logging onto your club’s Zoom. The point of segment intending is essentially to manifest the best out of each action so that you are more present throughout your day.

I started out by putting a virtual sticky note on my laptop’s home screen and titling it “current intention.” I would fill it out and change it as I went about finishing my tasks. It felt similar to a to-do list in that sense but acted as more of a “to-want” list. And it worked. By taking the time to strictly tell myself (even out loud sometimes) that I intended to focus on my homework until it was done, my brain became less likely to get distracted. For Zooms, I felt a lot more present because I was now concentrating on what I wanted out of it rather than worrying about what other people could be thinking or what other things I had to do after. I realized what was causing a lot of my stress and anxiety was trying to control the future when all I can actually control is the single, present moment. So, noticing and releasing this resistance to enjoy the present moment without thinking ahead helped a lot. One intentional act at a time.

But I’ll be honest, it wasn’t a complete quick fix for me. I had to continuously try to remember to set my intentions. I also had to remind myself that these were completely for me. No one on my Zooms would know or care if my intention was to enjoy dressing up in my favorite outfit that made me happy, but I would and that’s what mattered. It was incorporating little things all throughout the day for me. Taking the time to see how what I was doing in my schedule benefitted me. There are things I have to do that I may not want to, sure, but they can still teach me something if I am willing to look for a lesson. Adopting that mindset was key to feeling more in control of my life and less like a student robot. 

Another of my struggles was having to remind myself that my free time should not be negotiable. At first, when I started segment intending I got a motivation boost and wanted to get everything on my to-do list done as soon as possible. While the hustle and productivity culture might promote this, it is not actually healthy in the slightest. In fact, “laziness” is a construct. Taking breaks to relax and refresh is one of the most productive things you can do. Even if all your tasks of the day are relatively easy, spread them out. Make your own free time in between to do stuff that genuinely makes you happy. Even if it’s just 5 minutes of putting on Spotify and having a dance party. That will keep you much more refreshed and happier in the long run than getting everything done in one go and feeling burnt out right afterward. This is your life, so don’t forget to make time for you.

• Abraham hicks
• affirmations
• goals
• Intentions
• manifestation
• productivity