July Intentions: Choose What Carries You Forward
July intentions can be more powerful than New Year’s resolutions.
Summer has arrived. The days are longer, our routines loosen, and life invites us outdoors – to cottages, patios, vacations, and spontaneous adventures. Yet as much as we look forward to July, we know how quickly it passes.
That is why I love using this month for setting intentions.
Not goals.
Not another item on the to-do list.
An intention.
A feeling. A value. A way of being that quietly shapes how you experience the months ahead.
Because while goals focus on what you achieve, living with intention focuses on what you embody.
And the intention you choose in July has the power to carry you all the way into winter.
Why July Intentions Matter More Than Goals
There is nothing wrong with goals.
But goals often live in the future.
Intentions live in the present.
You can achieve a goal and still feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or unfulfilled. But an intention influences your everyday choices – how you spend your time, where you place your energy, and how you show up for yourself and others.
Intentional living is less about accomplishing more and more about aligning with what matters most.
That’s why July feels like such a natural checkpoint.
We’re halfway through the year.
We have enough distance to reflect on what’s working and enough time to create meaningful change.
Instead of asking:
“What do I want to achieve?”
Ask:
“How do I want to feel?”
“What do I want to experience more of?”
“What intention would serve me for the rest of this year?”
Living With Intention Through the Second Half of the Year
This year, my answer came quickly.
Connection.
Connection through laughter.
Connection with the people I love.
Connection with people I meet for the very first time.
Connection with myself.
Connection to my clients and audiences.
In a world that often rewards productivity over presence, choosing connection feels like a radical act.
It means putting the phone down and looking someone in the eyes, asking one more question, saying yes to the coffee, the walk, or the dinner invitation.
It means being fully present instead of mentally rehearsing what comes next.
Connection: The Intention I’m Choosing This Summer
The beautiful thing about connection is that it multiplies.
A genuine conversation can change someone’s day.
Brief moments of laughter can soften stress.
A shared experience can become a memory that carries you through difficult seasons.
And perhaps most importantly, connection reminds us that we were never meant to do life alone.
Research from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley shows that meaningful social connection is one of the strongest predictors of happiness, wellbeing, and resilience.
Likewise, Harvard Business Review has written extensively about how authentic relationships contribute to both personal fulfillment and professional success.
Connection isn’t a luxury. It helps regulate our nervous system.
It’s a fundamental human need.
And perhaps that is why, of all the July intentions I could choose, this one feels the most important.
Connection Is Our Human Advantage
As a keynote speaker, executive coach, and emotional healer, I’ve worked with leaders and teams across industries for more than two decades.
The challenges may look different on the surface.
One organization is navigating rapid growth.
Another is experiencing burnout.
A leader is struggling with confidence.
A team is trying to rebuild trust.
But underneath many of these challenges is the same human need:
Connection.
The need to feel seen.
To feel safe enough to speak honestly.
To know that our ideas matter.
To believe we belong.
This is why connection isn’t just a personal intention.
It’s our human advantage.
In a world where technology can automate tasks, summarize information, and produce ideas in seconds, the skills that matter most are becoming increasingly human.
Empathy.
Emotional intelligence.
Trust.
Authentic communication.
The ability to create environments where people feel connected to their work and to one another.
These are the qualities that elevate teams, strengthen cultures, and inspire people to do their best work.
And yet, so many workplaces are struggling.
People are overwhelmed.
Meetings are transactional.
Communication is rushed.
We spend our days connected by devices while feeling disconnected from ourselves and each other.
That is why connection matters now more than ever.
Not as a soft skill.
Not as a nice-to-have.
But as a strategic advantage.
The Human Advantage at Work
In my keynote, The Human Advantage: Leading with Wellbeing, Belief and Impact, I often ask audiences a simple question:
What if the future of work isn’t about becoming more machine-like…
What if it’s about becoming more human?
The leaders who create lasting impact are not necessarily the ones with the most answers.
They are the ones who create trust.
Who regulate their emotions before reacting.
Who communicate with intention.
Who help people feel valued, supported, and connected.
Because when people feel connected, they don’t just perform better.
They collaborate more freely.
They innovate more courageously.
They navigate challenges with greater resilience.
And they bring more of themselves to the work that matters.
Connection isn’t a distraction from performance.
It is the foundation of it.
Which is why my intention this July isn’t simply to connect more.
It’s to pay attention to the moments of connection that are already available to me – and to create more of them wherever I go.
At home.
In my community.
On stages.
And in the workplace.
Because the future belongs to those who remember what makes us human.
How to Set July Intentions That Last Into Winter
As July unfolds, I invite you to pause for a moment and ask yourself:
What intention do you want to carry into the second half of the year?
Is it:
- Courage?
- Peace?
- Joy?
- Adventure?
- Health?
- Connection?
There is no right answer.
Only the quiet knowing of what you need most right now.
Choose it intentionally.
Nurture it daily.
Let it guide how you show up – not just this month, but through autumn, winter, and beyond.
Because the life we create isn’t shaped only by the goals we achieve.
It’s shaped by the intentions we choose to live.
A Simple Exercise for Intentional Living
Take two minutes today and complete this sentence:
From now until winter, I want to experience more __________.
Write down one small action you can take this week that aligns with that intention.
Remember:
Small choices, repeated consistently, become the story of our lives.
What story do you want to tell by the end of this year?
If you’re looking for more inspiration on leadership, wellbeing, and creating lasting change, explore our other articles and resources at The Positive Change.
Because positive change doesn’t happen all at once.
It happens one intentional moment at a time.
With love,
Julie 💚
Links:
“Greater Good Science Center” to: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu
“Harvard Business Review” to: https://hbr.org