Intention

Simple meaning

An intention is a clear, conscious decision to do something — a plan that you have made on purpose, in your mind.

Detailed meaning

An intention is stronger than a wish and more specific than a goal.

A wish is vague: "I wish I exercised more." A goal is a target: "I want to run three times a week." An intention is a commitment with a plan: "I will run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 a.m., and I will lay my shoes out the night before."

Research on behaviour change shows that people who form implementation intentions — specific plans that name when, where, and how — are far more likely to follow through than those who have goals alone. Naming the intention makes it real.

Setting an intention also primes the brain. When you start the day by stating what you intend to do, your mind filters information differently — noticing opportunities, resources, and cues that align with the intention.

Word forms:

• Intention (noun) — the plan or purpose: "her intention was clear"
• Intend (verb) — to plan to do: "I intend to finish by Friday."
• Intentional (adjective) — done on purpose: "an intentional choice"
• Intentionally (adverb) — on purpose: "She intentionally left space for questions."
• Well-intentioned (adjective) — meaning well, even if the result was not good: "a well-intentioned but misguided plan"

Common phrases:

• "Set an intention" — to decide clearly what you plan to do
• "Good intentions" — meaning well, even if execution falls short
• "Implementation intention" — a specific if-then plan: "If X happens, I will do Y."

Where to use it

• Personal habits and mindfulness — "She began each morning by setting one intention — one thing she genuinely meant to do that day."
• Workplace — "The project lacked clear intention — everyone was busy, but no one agreed on what they were trying to achieve."
• Communication — "He stated his intention at the start of the conversation: 'I want to understand your perspective, not argue.'"

Where not to use it

Good intentions is a common phrase — but do not let it become an excuse. The road to poor outcomes is famously paved with good intentions. Having good intentions does not guarantee good results — action, clarity, and follow-through are still required.

5 example sentences

1. She began each coaching session by asking the client one question: "What is your intention for today?" — not the goal, but the intention.
2. Research shows that forming an intention with a specific time and place — "I will do this on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the kitchen" — dramatically increases follow-through.
3. His intention in the meeting was not to persuade — it was to understand what the team was actually afraid of.
4. She was well-intentioned but had not thought through the consequences — which is how good plans become cautionary tales.
5. Starting the day with one clear intention gave her a focus that survived meetings, interruptions, and the general noise of a busy office.

Common mistakes

Similar & opposite words

Similar (synonyms)

Opposite (antonyms)

Memory trick

A short story to remember it

Every Sunday evening, she wrote one sentence in her notebook.

Not a goal list. Not a plan. Just one sentence beginning with: "This week, I intend to…"

Some weeks: "I intend to finish the report before Thursday so I am not rushing." Other weeks: "I intend to listen more and speak less in difficult conversations."

The sentence was not magic. But it was a commitment — a contract with herself that gave the week a direction.

On the weeks she did not write it, she noticed the difference. The week scattered. The days filled with noise.

The one sentence was not about what she had to do. It was about who she intended to be.

"A goal says where you want to go. An intention says how you choose to travel."

Practice quiz

Summary

Intention is a clear, conscious plan to act — more specific than a wish, more committed than a goal. The verb is intend; the adjective is intentional. Research shows that naming an intention with a specific time, place, and action (an implementation intention) dramatically increases follow-through. Common phrases: "set an intention," "good intentions," "well-intentioned." Intention without action is just a wish — but intention with a clear plan is one of the most powerful tools in behaviour change.