How to Map Your Core Desires

Have you heard of “Core Desire Mapping”? 

This is the single most powerful intention-setting technique I use to get clarity for my future. 

I want my intentions to be so powerful that I see immediate results in my life. In the past I’ve set goals, made affirmations, and declared New Years Resolutions, all without seeing measurable changes.

I don’t have time for techniques that don’t work!

That’s why I’m passionate about mapping my Core Desires. I’ve been doing this exercise for the past few years whenever I need greater clarity about my life. Not only does this exercise give you immediate feedback, it helps you create a vision that is powerful enough to withstand the unexpected curveballs life throws. 

Core Desire Mapping helps you define on the overall feeling that is most important to you.

The process is really simple: basically you just pick 3-5. words that best represent the experience you want in your daily life. The first time I heard about this exercise I was like “That’s so vague- how can a handful of words have any impact?” But trust me- if you only do one intention setting exercise this year- make it this one. 

Examples of Core Desire Words:

Exhilaration, Abundance, Love, Inspiration, Satisfaction, Authenticity, Beauty, Connection, Spirituality, Acclaim, Receiving, Giving, Adventure, Creativity, Growth, Expansion, Rest, Rejuvenation, Respect, Safety, Infinite, Security, Soulful, Mystical, Powerful, Service, Truth, Joy, Bliss, Harmony, Peace, Balance, Energy, Alignment, Intimacy, Passionate, Sexy, Devotion, Flow, Accepting, Allowing, Shining, Clarity, Delight, Ecstasy, Seen, Healed, Vibrant, (and so many more!).

Core Desires are the emotions behind our deepest longings and biggest dreams.

Every time we feel an emotion, our brain fires corresponding pathways within its neurological network. The more powerful the emotion, the more our brain solidifies that particular pathway. By focusing on your Core Desires, you are literally training your brain to experience a specific emotion that aligns with the future reality you want to create. If you want to go deeper into the science behind this, Dr. Deepak Chopra, and Dr. Joe Dispenza both have done amazing research on the topic. Mapping out your Core Desires harnesses the energy of your brain’s neurological pathways, and applies it to your goals. 

Any positive emotional state can be a Core Desire.

It’s easy to find long lists of Core Desires on the internet, or you can come up with your own. For example: “connection,” “love,” “abundance” and “balance” are all great examples. “Core Desires” are also sometimes called “Core Values.” Regardless of what you call them, the process of identifying your Core Values/Desires/Words is the same. 

(Side note: I like calling them “desires” not “values” because the word Desire has potency. Desire is pregnant with longing and romance. Somehow, the term “values” feels a little conservative and puritan to me, but essentially the are the same thing.  Author Danielle LaPorte coined the term “Core Desires,” and wrote a book about different techniques for working with them in your life.) 

The first step is to look at a list of Core Desire words, and write down 10-15 that resonate with you.

From that initial selection, narrow it down even further into 3-5 words. I recommend going with just 3 (or less), if possible. By narrowing down your words, you’re forced to connect to the ones you feel most strongly about. You will also notice that some of your Core Desires are related to each other, or possibly derived from a single root desire. Once you have your words clearly defined, sit with them for a moment and really feel each one. 

What does it feel like, to be a person who is full of that word? 

How does that person act? 

What choices do they make? 

What doesn’t that person do? 

How would it feel every day, to wake up and embody that word? 

You gotta feel it, really FEEL the words, in order for this to work.

Once you’ve created a vision of a life in alignment with your Core Desires, I recommend writing them down somewhere you can see them every day. Maybe make a vision board or art piece about them and keep it in your studio space. Every time you look at those words, feel their essence and try to embody them, no matter what is going on in your life. 

This practice has been truly magical for me.

By changing my inner brain state over the past few years, I’ve attracted a new external reality that matches. Once you know your words, you can work with them for a long time, maybe a year or two. You may also find that after some time, a word no longer has power for you. This could be because you’ve successfully embodied that desire in your life. Or, it could be because you’ve outgrown that desire. It’s healthy to change up these words as your life evolves. However, the beauty of this practice is that when done correctly, you walk away with a defined set of values that can guide you through hard decisions and life changes for a long time.

This combination of definition and flexibility is what make Core Desire Mapping a powerful exercise to do at any point in your life.