Monday Inspiration: Set Good Intentions

Every year the calendar rolls over from December 31^st to January 1^st, and, on the eve of that transition, millions (if not billions) of people just like you and me reset their expectations and standards for the new year.

This will be the year I finally…

This year I’m going to…

By this time next year I will have…

And so on and so forth.

We set goals—some large, some small—that are supposed to carry us to some state of higher or better living. We resolve to get to a place where we are more emotionally, physically, professionally, financially, or spiritually sound.

But how often do we actually deliver on those intentions?

Many of us flounder, and even more of us fail, because we don’t have a formula for intentional execution.

That changes today.

I’m going to share my formula for intentional execution so you stop living in a world of hopeful resolutions on which you never make good and start living in a world of achievements and dreams made real.

Step 1—Take Your intention and make it a goal.

Intentions are invisible, but goals are tangible.

You could argue that you can’t see a goal, but they come with deadlines and quantifiable measures of progress.

You actually can see if you are moving toward your goal—even if you’re only moving forward by inches, you can measure your progress.

So when you settle on your new “intention,” don’t stop there.

In 2017, I’m going to do “X”!

Great. Now list specific steps that detail how you’re going to achieve that goal.

• Every Sunday night I will do “Y” to move closer to “X”
• Six weeks from today, I need to be at “Z” which is ½ way to my goal of “X”

Turn your intention into a goal, and then break that goal into as many digestible or actionable steps as you can.

Take those steps and physically write them on your calendar (get one of those BIG wall calendars, and put it right by the entrance to your bedroom or bathroom—some place you’re sure to see it every day).

Monitor your progress.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you hit your goal by the explicit deadline you set, what matters is that you’re making progress—progress that you can see, feel, and use as motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Step 2—Turn intentions into affirmations.

Take those future-based intentions and bring them into the present by speaking about them differently.

Stop saying you’ll do it or start tomorrow.

Speak in the present as you affirm or declare your intentions:

• I AM a successful entrepreneur, NOT I will be a successful entrepreneur
• I AM a talented writer, NOT I will be a talented writer
• I AM losing weight, NOT I will lose weight

Phrase what you want from your intention in current terms—language that feels alive and full of energy…energy that will change your mindset and keep you pushing forward.

Step 3—Start the party.

Nothing inhibits personal progress like delay.

That’s why step three encourages you to start, and start right away.

Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment to start living your intention, just start living it.

If you want to lose weight, take an action-step today.

• Throw out all the junk food in your pantry
• Go for a 15 minute walk after dinner
• Go to the gym for an hour

It doesn’t matter what the action is, as long as it helps you achieve your goal and starts the momentum.

The longer you wait, the more challenging it becomes to start living your intention.

And action creates the energy for more action.

Here’s the entire intentional execution process;

Take your intention→Transform it into a goal→Break that goal into measurable pieces→Affirm your intention→Take immediate action

Intentions in Action

The longer you let your intentions linger, the less likely it becomes they will become anything more than mere intentions.

And you don’t create intentions for no reason or because you want no change.

You create intentions because you want to better yourself in some capacity. You want to evolve into your higher self.

If you are ready to break-through the intention barrier and into your better self—surrender your excuses and start being brave.

The first step is always the hardest.

What are your good intentions?