Your Intentions v. Being Intentional

Good Intentions

You’re out with friends for a Sunday brunch, your monthly meetup to see what everyone is up to. You love to bounce ideas off them and get their opinions. “I’m working on a new business proposition,” you say excitedly. One of your friends looks across the table, “Oh, yeah! You’ve mentioned that before. How’s it going?” “Fine,” you reply. “Yeah, it’s going good.” You let the conversation migrate to someone else. In truth, you haven’t moved forward on your idea since you last met for brunch.

How many times in your life have you said, “I intended to do _____, but then I didn’t?” Or do you ever tell your friends, “I’m thinking about doing _____,” but then you never do that thing?

I know I’m guilty. There have been things I’ve intended to do, but then I didn’t follow through for whatever reason. But the intention still lingered, and I would find myself telling a friend over lunch, “I’m still thinking about . . . .” You get the picture. I had an intention, but I wasn’t being intentional.

Intention is your potential to do something. You intend to do it. Intentional is how you go about doing something. It is done on purpose or deliberately.

One has the potential for action, while the other is actively happening.

Moving the Needle

Stop talking about what you intend to do, and start being intentional. We’ve talked about it ad nauseum, but choose one thing that you can do every day. One habit that moves you closer toward your target. 

As entrepreneur Myron Golden says, “If it [whatever you are doing] doesn’t move the needle toward your outcome, then it is a distraction.” 

Intentions are distractions, while being intentional moves the needle.

I’ll give you a personal example that you may relate to. I love to learn. I will binge watch videos of my favorite business people talking about specific things they do to build their income, leads, client list, etc. My intention is to gather up all this useful information and implement it in my business practices.

This appears to be progress, but it is a hindrance and block. There is no way I can implement everything I’m learning at the rate I’m learning it. It’s TMI, and it’s overwhelming. I may intend to use that information in the future, but right now it’s not moving the needle. 

This is where I lean on my principles. Learn, Act, Act, Act. Learn a little, implement a lot. Try, tweak, make it your own. Then, learn a little more. This lays the groundwork for intentional progress.

Intentional Words

Last week your homework was to just not give up. Keep moving forward. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, right? Again, the goal doesn’t matter. If you’re trying to wake up at 5AM and you only did it once last week, fine. Do it twice next week. Then, three the week after. Or set your phone across the room with your alarm volume full blast. Just keep showing up. If you’re looking for a new job, then apply to jobs every single day, network, knock on doors.

Last week’s call of action aligns with this week’s message. I want you to change what you say to people. Whenever you hear yourself saying something along the lines of, “I plan to . . .” or “What I’m going to do is . . .” - stop. Only talk in absolutes. If you are currently not doing something, don’t talk about it as if it’s in the works. 

“I intend to start waking up at 5AM.” v. “I am intentionally waking up at 5AM each morning.”

Words matter. What we say out loud or internally becomes embedded in our thinking loop. Don’t forget that 95% of your daily thoughts are repeated, and 80% of those thoughts are negative. 

Do not embed potential action in your head. It creates the illusion of action, because it could happen. It’s a comfortable lie you tell yourself. I speak from experience. Once you start catching yourself in the tales of what you intend to do, redirect your behavior to be more intentional.

Retrain Your Brain

How can you start a habit of speaking in absolutes rather than in intentions? So glad you asked!

Build that self-awareness muscle. When you find yourself talking about what you plan to do, internally ask yourself if you are making any immediate progress. If you plan on waking up earlier in the mornings, are you currently moving your awake time back in increments? Or do you keep telling yourself you should wake earlier without any action to back it up?

Put things into action immediately. Any of my coaching clients will tell you, I end each coaching call with the same questions: What is your next immediate step? When are you going to start - today or tomorrow? Those are the only two choices they get. 

Make these sentence stems a daily part of your language:

I am intentionally/I am mindfully/I am purposefully . . . (waking up at 5AM, increasing the number of leads I contact each day, creating content daily, applying to jobs, making more product, etc.).

As an educator, I always said that the unrealized potential of a student is the greatest frustration of a teacher. Don’t allow the potential that resides inside you to remain untapped.

Do You Need Help Tapping Into Your Potential?

Are you struggling to meet your goals and wish you had support? Have you ever considered working with a coach? You may not know what a coach does.

One-on-One Coaching:

• You and I develop an individualized plan targeting your specific goals

• You receive individualized support from me

• Answers to your specific questions

• Guidance on your specific issues and blocks

• Accessibility to me outside coaching sessions for added support (individual texts and emails to check in)

• Your plan leads to learning how your personal growth is in your control

Are you ready to take action but are at a loss on what step to take next? 

I can teach you how to get started and accelerate your growth by using repeatable methods. Need the tools? I’ve got them. The goal is always to make you independent. I should be working myself out of a job. Once you take off, you may want to have a session from time to time, especially if you are scaling your goals. A good coach teaches you how to stand on your own two feet. Contact me today. Are you ready to CONNECT?