Monday Motivation Hack: Set an Intention

“Set your intention.”

How does that make you feel? Inspired? Or did the flash of a pseudo-spiritual yoga sesh make you cringe?

You will be happy to know that intention-setting isn’t just for yoga buffs and the meditative among you. Observationally, psychologists have found evidence of greater levels of achievement when daily intentions are set and revisited.

Likewise, it’s important to understand that intentions are different things for different people. Some people set intentions as they would goals, while others set intentions that work more like guiding principles. All people set intentions to stay focused in their day-to-day lives.

Think of intention as a focal point for living—a goal or quality that you want to structure your life around.

How to Set an Intention

Many people who set intentions for their day do so during exercise, meditation, or a daily routine. You can choose to set your intention however you like, but it’s important that you take some time to carefully consider your intention and dedicate a few moments of focus to it.

To set an intention for your day,

1. Figure out what you stand for. It can be tempting to dive right into intention-setting without a lot of thought. However, taking a little time up front to understand your unique perspective in the world will go a long way to helping your intention resonate. It’s important here that you try not to compare yourself to others, but focus on bettering yourself against yourself. Good daily intentions set your focus around your personal values and as such are inspirational and motivating for you. First, however, you have to know what you value most and what you want to get out of life.
2. Decide when and how you will routinely set your intention. Mornings—the sooner after you wake up the better—are preferable for many as this helps set the tone for your day. Also consider whether you will write your intention down, muse on it to kick off your day, share it with a friend, or something else.
3. Clarify your intention. Now that you have an idea of what you want to center your focus on and know how you want to make it part of your daily life, decide what your intention actually is. Intentions can be short sentences or simply words that embody where you want your focus to be, such as “Live fully,” “show compassion,” “speak confidently,” or simply “Peaceful” or “Tenacious.” These words should embody for you something specific, some set of behaviors, so that when you state your intention, you understand what achieving your day’s intention would look like. Try to keep intentions positive. “Build community” is better than “Stop being shy.”
4. Set your intention. Declare. Write. Speak. Internalize. The day’s intention should be something that you come back to often in your thoughts and that can help guide your decisions and behavior throughout the day.

If you are struggling to get started on setting your intentions, Mindful Minutes has a helpful post that can help you get inspired.

Remaining Accountable to Your Intentions

It can be easy to go through the motions when it comes to little daily routines. It’s one thing to set your intention daily, but how do you live it?

As it turns out, intention-setting—like goal-setting—benefits greatly from feedback. This doesn’t necessarily have to be feedback from others; usually it’s a feedback loop you construct for yourself. Some people build an intention check into their evening routine: “Did I make progress on today’s intention?” This follow-through helps to hone your intentions and improve their quality over time.

Similarly, some people use associations to remind themselves of their intention throughout the day. For example, maybe you associate the intention “Confidence” with the color red. You can wear a red pin or red tie to help you stay mindful every time you look in the mirror or simply note confidence anytime you see the color red. Such mini check-ins will remind you to exude your intention while also forcing you to think about how well you’ve followed your intention until that point. It can also give you a sort of marker to track how often your thinking comes back to your intention throughout the day.

Do you set daily intentions? How did you get into it and how do you make it work for you?

Is It Flier or Flyer?

• A flyer can be one of several things: a pamphlet, something that flies, or a device you’d use to twist yarn.
• Flier is a also an accepted spelling of the word.
• Keep in mind, though, that the guidelines for the usage of flyer and flier vary from one style guide to another.

A flyer, a circular, a leaflet, a pamphlet, a handbill—so many words for one simple thing. A piece of paper with words and images printed on it that gets handed out on a street. Or, in modern times, even sent by email.

But while we’re sure we know what a flyer is, there is some confusion about how exactly to spell it. Is it “flyer,” or is it “flier?” Or is it that the different versions are used for different meanings? “Flyer” can also refer to a flying person or animal, for example. The answer to all of these questions is yes. “Flier” is an acceptable way to spell the word, as is “flyer.” According to some sources, the spellings are different according to the meaning of the word.

Flyer Meanings

When you say the word flyer, you could be talking about a couple of things. You might be referring to a pamphlet, a sheet of paper with words or pictures on it that is used for advertising, propaganda, or spreading information. This is the kind of flyer that’s mentioned in the following sentence:

Mia was handing out a flyer to promote her band’s first gig.

A flyer can also be a person, an animal, or an object that flies. If you often find yourself at the airport, waiting to board your flight, you might want to look into your preferred company’s frequent flyer program. And, in case you didn’t know, some birds are not good flyers, but the bar-tailed godwit certainly is:

The bar-tailed godwit is an excellent flyer; it can fly the entire length of the Pacific ocean.

Finally, a flyer is also a device used for twisting yarn. So if you’re into making your own yarn, a yarn flyer is something you should have:

Kevin bought a traditional double drive yarn flyer.

How to Spell Flyer

A lot of the confusion about the correct way to spell “flyer” comes not only from the fact that there is no standard way of doing it but also from the fact that different style manuals seem to prefer different spellings. The Elements of Style and the Chicago Manual of Style do not address the issue. Those in favor of “flier” include the Daily Telegraph, the Associated Press, and the American Heritage College Dictionary. Fans of “flyer” include the Guardian, Fowler’s Modern English Usage, and the Oxford Dictionaries website. In theGregg Reference Manual, a flier is a pilot and a flyer is an advertising brochure. Garner’s Modern English Usage identifies “flier” as standard in the United States and “flyer” as the British form. Style manuals and dictionaries don’t necessarily have to concur on all issues. In this case, the disagreement means that you get to choose how you spell “flyer.” Unless you’re obliged to follow a particular style manual, that is. Or you’re writing copy for an airline—it seems they strongly prefer to use flyer.

Examples: Flyer and Flyer in a Sentence

Speed flyers run or ski down slopes and then use special parachutes designed to let them fly fast and close to the ground. —CBS News

The question now appears to hinge on whether Mr Hanson is responsible for the election flyer, which was authorised by Mr Clode as campaign director. —The Canberra Times

Want to share your frequent flier miles with a friend or a family member? It may cost you. —The New York Times

Karsten remembers getting hit with a wave of sadness in the hospital after delivering her daughter, Annika, but she dismissed it and tucked away the flier from the social worker with the MOMS number. —The Chicago Tribune

Do You Use a Comma Before “So”?

Should you place a comma before so when it joins two clauses in a sentence? The answer depends on whether the clause introduced by so is an independent or dependent clause. If so begins an independent clause, a comma should precede it, but if it begins a dependent clause, leave it out.

Let’s have a look at how commas are used before so in the middle of a sentence.

Use a Comma with “So” + an Independent Clause

An independent clause is a clause that would convey a complete thought if it were to be set apart as a sentence on its own. In literary terms, it is a clause that can stand on its own two feet. Here is an example of a sentence consisting of two independent clauses.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed a great city, but some of Pompeii’s frescoes were preserved in the ash.

There are two independent clauses here, joined by the coordinating conjunction but. Although it would result in a more stilted writing style, each could stand separately as a sentence and still be correct.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed a great city.

Some of Pompeii’s frescoes were preserved in the ash.

So is one of seven coordinating conjunctions represented by the mnemonic FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet,and so. When these coordinating conjunctions connect two independent clauses, the conjunction is always preceded by a comma.

The grocery store was out of tomatoes, so I borrowed some from my neighbor.

Daniel had the highest score in math in the whole school, so he was made principal for the day.

Simple, right? Not exactly, because one of the seven FANBOYS conjunctions listed above is leading a double life—and it happens to be so.

Don’t Use a Comma with “So” + a Dependent Clause

Socan also be used as a subordinating conjunction to connect an independent clause and a dependent clause. A dependent clause needs an independent clause to form a complete thought.

I ran for shelter when it began to rain.

In this example, when it began to rain could not stand on its own as a complete thought. It leaves the reader asking what happened when it began to rain. After all, it begins with the subordinating conjunction when.

So can also be used as a subordinating conjunction, and when it is used this way, it is not preceded by a comma.

I went to the store so I could buy tomatoes.

Carl studied hard so he could pass the test.

A Quick Trick for Deciding If You Need a Comma before “So”

If you are unsure if you should place a comma before so in the middle of your sentence, try replacing so with “therefore” or “so that.” If your sentence seems to work with a replacement of “therefore” without changing the meaning of the sentence, then so is a coordinating conjunction and should have a comma before it. Let’s revisit one of our examples above.

Daniel had the highest score in math in the whole school, so he was made principal for the day.

Daniel had the highest score in math in the whole school, therefore he was made principal for the day.

The sentence still works, so we know that so is a coordinating conjunction here and is entitled to its comma. So that can be used in a similar way to confirm that so is being used as a subordinating conjunction.

I went to the store so I could buy tomatoes.

I went to the store so that I could buy tomatoes.

Because the substitution works, we know that there should be no comma in the sentence.

#GrammarDay Celebrity Personality Quiz: Is Your Grammar Like a Pop Star or a Comedian?

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Are you curious how all the celebrities did? Learn more about our #GrammarDay MVPs in our recent study.

Do You Write Carmel or Caramel?

Six Bookish Songs to Spread Holiday Cheer

Merry LitMas!

Just kidding, we’re only on the sixth day of LitMas, so we haven’t finished giving you gifts of well-read knowledge yet. Today, we’re departing from booklists and reading tips for something you can tap your toes to. That’s right, we’ve created a playlist of tunes inspired by famous works of literature. And we have to admit, we love the creativity behind all of these bookish songs.

1 Christmas at Hogwarts by Harry and the Potters

We’re starting with a classic literary band, Harry and the Potters! Although it was hard to choose just one song from their Christmas-in-the-wizarding-world-themed album, this short but sweet number rose to the top. Fun fact: if their name wasn’t enough to suggest a literary connection, this powerhouse group once played at the New York Public Library! Absolutely magical.

2 Narnia by Steve Hackett

What’s more festive than The Chronicles of Narnia? This lovely ode to C. S. Lewis’s fantasy masterpiece is certain to set you in a bright and cheery mood, even if it describes eternal winter and lost children.

3 The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Leonard Nimoy

You read that right, Leonard Nimoy once recorded a two-minute-21-second ballad about the merits and trials of Bilbo Baggins. We don’t think we need to say much more here, since this is obviously an instant nerd classic.

4 Atticus by The Noisettes

Harper Lee’s passing this year was a tragedy for the literary world. Luckily, some great artists have commemorated her work, so remembering her can be as easy as listening to a track. This tribute from The Noisettes is light, sweet, and beautiful, just like the novel it references.

5 Gold by Imagine Dragons

Ok, we have to admit that this entry is slightly stretching the definition of literary. Imagine Dragons based this track loosely on the Midas myth, without referencing any one author or work. But hey, what’s the holiday season without a little fun?

6 Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush

Although the reference may be obvious, this song probably captures the emotions of its reference work better than any other on this list. Kate Bush has been listed as an influence for a number of current artists, and this hit shows what a powerhouse she is.

If you’d like to listen to more literary jams, we made a Spotify playlist with a few of our favorite bookish tunes. Did we forget any of your favorites?

Not-So-Sweet Game 5: Background Noise Nuisances vs. Should’ve Spoken IRL

In the battle for the worst call habits, we’ve had some solid contenders. Our followers overwhelmingly agreed that background noise and calling instead of chatting in person are two of the worst. Do you agree? Vote for the absolute worst below.

Background Noise Nuisances

We’ve all joined a call where the other participants sounded like they were either in an echo chamber, a wind tunnel, or the middle of Times Square. Nobody likes those calls, and nobody likes distracting background noise.

When You Should’ve Spoken IRL

Or, in an attempt to save time and energy on the team, you condense an update on a project to an email then zip it off to the stakeholders. A few hours later you’ve got an inbox full of questions and at least one very confused engineer. You’ve drastically underestimated the complexity of the update; you should have spoken in real life.