Weโve all heard how crucial it is to set intentions, goals and targets. Powerful goals electrify us. Clear intentions energize and pull us forward.
Without a clearcut intention, weโre reactive and donโt get around to doing the important things when we want them done. Instead, we spend our time fighting random fires.
Without clear intentions, anything might happen. And usually does.
Literally, intentions are like the steering wheel on your car. Their whole purpose is to give you control over where youโre going. But when setting intentions or goals, keep in mind that if you canโt measure it, you canโt manage it.
Now, itโs good to have intentions at more than one level. When we get up into the more conceptual intentions, such as โI will contribute to the wellbeing of those around me,โ these become like a mission statement.
But then, be sure you move on to decide specifically how you will go about implementing your mission in your daily life. Specifics are essential. How โ specifically โ will you put your mission into action today? What will you actually DO about your highest intentions? Itโs important to set intentions for yourself because this is where the rubber meets the road. Just say โIโm going to do this and this.โ It should be nothing big and overpowering. Just some stuff youโre meaning to do or achieve short-term. Be sure to write them down on paper. When you list them out, you can clearly look over your results afterward and check yourself. At the end of today or this time next week, did you do what you said youโd do? Expressed like that, itโs clear that weโre building a kind of internal integrity check within ourselves.
When youโre first starting to build this new intention-setting skill (habit), itโs important not to pile on too much. Sure, itโs easy to get all excited about turning over a new leaf, but itโs essential that you start where you are NOW, not where you think you SHOULD be. There are things that, from experience, you already know you can do. Set your intentions to do those things (plus perhaps a little bit more) and achieve them. Then, when youโre comfortable doing what you say youโll do, then you can begin to stretch your intention muscles a little more. But as in any new regimin, begin easy. Begin with what you can actually do. And only after you get comfortable with the intention-setting process should you start going for real growth. Patience โ taking small, measured steps โ is more than a virtue here. Itโs the key to keeping yourself moving forward. (Notice I said patience, not procrastination.) Attempt too much too soon, and the end result will be another round of demotivation and discouragement.
Instead, go about this logically and gradually: keep your eye on the level you want to reach next year, and let todayโs effort take you 1/365th of the way there. Do this, and youโll see real, measurable progress as well as achievements youโll truly be proud of.
Itโs all pretty simple stuff, really. Just training yourself to keep your word to yourself.