Intention: The antidote for being a pinball in life.
I remember a few years back when I started hearing about the power of intention. At the time, it felt like the newest buzzword. I didn’t really understand what it meant or how it could help me have a better life (and avoid living like a pinball, randomly bouncing around).
Fast forward to today. I’ve learned so much about living with intention (and I’m still learning and practicing!). I now think of it as having a plan for what I want to be, say, and do. It’s actively making choices (at least trying) instead of just reacting to whatever happens. For example, I set an intention to be more patient with my daughter, especially during our busy school mornings. I plan on what I will say to make it a more positive interaction with her and what I will do to make it easier for us to be ready on time. Some days it goes better than others.
In one of Brendon Burchard’s online courses, he shares his version and application of using intention. I found them very helpful, so I wanted to share.
Brendon talks about using intention in three areas of our lives –
- How we want to be (our thoughts and feelings),
- How we want to interact and respond to others,
- How we want to use our time (what we do during our day)
How we want to be and feel – This depends on our personal definition of our best-self. A few examples of what we may want to be could include –
- confident
- patient
- grateful
- bold
- loving
- compassionate
- action-oriented
How we want to interact with others – Planning ahead and choosing in the moment how we want to connect with the various people in our lives including –
- Those we love (Spouse/Partner, Children, Family, Friends)
- Those we lead (Team – those “under us”)
- Those we support (Team – those “above us”)
- Those we serve (Customers)
- Those we meet (New acquaintances)
How we want to use our time – What would we like to –
- Create
- Acquire
- Experience
- Learn
- Maintain/Improve
Applying this to each area of our lives, such as our –
- Health
- Relationships
- Spiritual life
- Professional life
- Finances
If we take the time to think about these areas and realize we have a choice and can make a plan, it gives us power in guiding our lives and designing the kind of life we want to have. Things may not always go as planned, but we have a higher chance of heading in the right direction instead of letting our reactions and circumstances push us around like a pinball. Which areas of your life could use more intention? Make a plan right now.
Tina Hallis, Ph.D., is a positivity speaker, trainer, author, and founder of The Positive Edge, a company dedicated to teaching organizations and individuals the power of positivity to improve the quality of people’s work lives and the quality of company cultures.
