Category Archives: intention

“Anything we are doing, we can do better.”

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“Anything we are doing, we can do better.”

—Google’s Operating Assumption

mage from Unsplash by Markus Winkler

Each year for the past decade I have reviewed the book, Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler. One of its many exercises is to list all the roles you currently play in your personal and professional communities. The exercise then challenges you to determine your intentions for each role in the year ahead.

Taking time to examine our efforts and progress in the previous year shines a spotlight on our capacity, willingness, and promise to do and be better.

EXERCISE:

Given this year is well underway, how can and will you “spring” forward with greater intention, focus, and effort to improve in at least one area of your choosing?

“Think of your life as a story not yet written.”

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“Think of your life as a story not yet written.”

—Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening

Image from Unsplash by Tim Arterbury

How would you describe yourself? What is your personality, your temperament? What are your signature strengths?

What does your recent DISC or Meyers Briggs assessment say about you? How cemented are the stories you have about yourself?

What if you closed all the chapters of the book of your life and started fresh?

What if you took out a new journal or blank book and began writing the story of your life going forward?

Imagine the opportunities and possibilities of your life and how you will make them real throughout 2021.

EXERCISE:

Consider the idea of writing your story about tomorrow— and then living it. As you make this practice a habit, you can advance your efforts to weeks, months, and years.

What stories might you tell with your intentions and actions to live this way from this point forward?

 

“You are under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously.”

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“You are under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously.”

—Richard Feynman, 20th Century American theoretical physicist

Image from Unsplash by Inês Ferreira

Richard Feynman was considered one of the most influential physicists of our time. If a team of mankind’s most brilliant thinkers were put together to invent time travel, he would surely have been one of the leaders.

Many of us find ourselves looking back to pre-COVID times, wishfully hoping to gain back what was lost. In today’s quote, Feynman challenges each of us to play the cards we are dealt, and perhaps more importantly, take it upon ourselves to evolve and grow, to create ourselves and our world moment-by-moment.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you be more intentional in your personal growth efforts?

Where could you be a year from now if you “kicked up” your self-creation efforts, beginning today?

Feel free to reply to this post regarding the promises you make to yourself and others.

“Setting your intentions is like drawing an arrow…”

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“Setting your intentions is like drawing an arrow from the quiver of your heart.”

—Bruce Black, American writer, teacher, and poetry judge

Image from Unsplash by Bianca Berg

The modern expression, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions” is a proverb first published in the mid 1800s in Henry G. Bohn’s Handbook of Proverbs. An alternative form is, “Hell is full of good meanings, but Heaven is full of good works.”

In 2004, Dr. Wayne Dyer published The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way, which is one of my personal favorites.

EXERCISE:

What are your intentions for 2020?

How many heart-based efforts do you intend to realize, personally and professionally?

How may arrows will you let fly?

“If you can’t be a pencil to write anyone’s happiness, then try to be a nice eraser to remove their sadness.”

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“If you can’t be a pencil to write anyone’s happiness, then try to be a nice eraser to remove their sadness.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Copper and Wild

When was the last time you tried to cheer someone up? When was the last time your friends and family tried to pencil a bit of happiness into your world?

Although well intentioned, many of these efforts don’t do the trick and can sometimes backfire, leaving others feeling worse. In such cases, perhaps a “less is more” approach can act as an eraser to lighten the burden.

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom could your simple presence, care, and a loving shoulder to lean on be the way to support those experiencing sadness or loss?

“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”

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“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”

—Mark Twain, pen name of Samuel Clemens

Image from Unsplash by Fikri Rasyid

Consider your life as a roll of bathroom tissue.

When you are born you have 1,000 sheets to use. As the days, weeks, months and years pass, you begin to notice the roll is spinning faster. Perhaps you are now closer to the end of the roll than the beginning.

Consider the idea that rather than fretting that some or even many of those sheets have been wasted or lost, you still have the opportunity to make each moment of every day something to joyfully enjoy and celebrate.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you be far more intentional about making the most of each precious and beautiful day ahead?

“If the pieces do not fit into your puzzle… try a different picture.”

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“If the pieces do not fit into your puzzle… try a different picture.”

—Cass van Krah, British Artist

Image of a mandala puzzle

Image from Unsplash by Sheldon Nunes

What do you wish to change about your life? Look around your personal and professional worlds to see where things just don’t fit together as you would like.

For a fair percentage of my coaching clients, the focus is often on their current vocational efforts. They feel their current reality and path lack the passion and purpose they desire.

Working on a “Plan B,” in which their strengths, unique abilities, interests, and of course, core values, can be fully expressed has become their quest.

EXERCISE:

What personal and professional transitions do you wish to make in the next year or two? How can you share this intention with friends, family, mentors, and perhaps a coach, to help you create a new picture for your life?

Intent reveals desire

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“Intent reveals desire. Action reveals commitment.”

—Steve Marboli, American Behavioral Scientist

Image of Intention + Action = Achievement meme

Intention plus action: they are a formidable pair. Together, they have been associated with extraordinary achievements that have moved the world. Take a look around at past, current, and some of the upcoming quantum leaps we are capable of, and try not to be amazed.

On the other hand, when these two qualities stand alone or are completely missing, progress seems to limp along, stop, or even regress.

EXERCISE:

Where would summoning your most desired intentions and most committed actions help you realize even more of what you wish to achieve in your personal and professional life?

It’s the second act that has the happy ending

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“It’s the second act that has the happy ending.”

—Lisa Alter Mark

Image of Cinderella and the prince

Image from Disney-wikia

Fairytales, blockbuster movies, memorable sporting events, and of course, award-winning Broadway shows almost always involve a happy ending, leaving the audience uplifted and smiling.

Most of these events take us on a ride that includes challenges, obstacles, and drama, moving us through what is often called The Hero’s Journey.

Where are you in the story of your life?

How are you, as the hero of your journey, writing your own happy ending?

EXERCISE:

Consider reading Wayne Dyer’s books, The Power of Intention and/or Manifest your Destiny to make your own second act extraordinarily happy.

Live today so your memories will reward you tomorrow

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“Live today so your memories will reward you tomorrow.”

—Author Unknown


Among all the capabilities of our smart phones, perhaps no other application provides more value and long-term enjoyment than the camera. If charged, the phones are always ready to capture life’s wonderful and memorable moments.

Recently, my wife’s phone was broken. It appeared to have lost all of her priceless photographs, including the weddings of both our children, multiple bucket-list vacations, and literally thousands of life events that have made our life so precious.

I’ve never seen her so upset. The stress compelled her to seek out a store called You Break I Fix to save her treasures. Happily, after some technological wizardry and a hefty fee, they saved the moments and days of our lives, to reward our tomorrows for years to come.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you live even more intentionally, to experience and capture more of the precious and priceless moment of your life?