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Setting Your Intention

I realized recently that I'm guilty of something that I'll bet plagues you also -- sometimes, I don't know why I'm actually doing something. I think I've gotten better over the years, but there are still times where I very much feel like I'm going through the motions. As often happens, I was listening to a podcast episode on a recent drive that shed some light on this topic. One simple practice can solve all these problems (at least most of the time).

As it turns out, learning to set a clear intention in your life is important for maintaining control over your actions and decisions. This process can look different for everyone, but the basics are the same. It starts by deciding what you want to accomplish in life. What do you want to be known for? This doesn't mean what accolades you want to attain, but more what type of person you wish to be. Do you want to have an impact? Do you want to serve others? Do you want to bring life-changing technology to the world?

This process is deeply rooted in defining your identity. Who are you, truly, outside of "what you do" for work? What matters to you? What is important in your life? Learning to answer these questions will help fuel your practice of setting intentions properly.

An intention is a direction; it helps act as a guiding light behind the actions we take and the decisions we make. If you know that you want to change the world with your thoughts, ideas, and inventions, finding yourself working a dead-end job is a death sentence for that dream. Being intentional about your decisions will force you to seek other opportunities or create your own.

Properly-set intentions make it easier to get uncomfortable and face our fears. Change is hard, but oftentimes it is not changing that causes more problems in the long run. Intention is an antidote to regret. It helps us waste less time. Intention can help us say "no" more often when faced with opportunities that don't align with the future we want.

Start small by setting an intention for each day when you wake up. What do you want to accomplish? What decisions must you face today? Check in at the end of the day and see how things went. Were you successful? If not, what got in your way? Even this small reflection will help you live days that are more fulfilling.

Once you start to build some momentum, set a weekly or monthly intention. How can your daily actions lead to the result you seek? How should you better align your hours each day to fuel progress towards the end goal?

Lastly, reflect on who you want to be and start to set some long-term intentions. Every decision should be consciously aligned with this intention. The things you spend time doing will either get you closer or further to the end goal. If you can be more intentional about your actions, you can guarantee forward progress over time.

Life is hard and there will be several bumps along the road. Those who can be more intentional about their goals and decisions are able to recover from these bumps faster, and ensure that they are not driven off course by life's unpredictable events. So reflect on how you're spending your days. Make sure that your actions are in alignment with your goals. Oftentimes, our unhappiness and anxiety comes from figuratively "drifting at sea" and acting in misalignment with our identity. Being more intentional can right the ship, reduce stress, and lead to a more fulfilling life.

Hit List

The best things I've encountered this week:

What I'm reading: The Cocktail Codex​

My mom has been a bartender my entire life, and I find the art of mixology to be fascinating. I love having a well-made cocktail in a nice bar with some jazz music in the background. For me it's one of life's simple pleasures. This book makes a great coffee table addition for anyone with similar interests.

What I'm listening to: Ed Mylett on On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I saw a clip from this episode floating around social media and laughed at Ed's concept of "working 3 days in 1 day." That said, I gave it a listen and the episode quickly made my "greatest of all time" podcast list. There are so many good moments in this episode that relate to setting intentions, but another moment that hit me was Ed describing our "emotional homes" and how to readjust them.

What I'm also listening to: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson (audiobook)

For anyone who subscribes to Spotify Premium, they offer several audiobooks as part of the membership. I love listening to biographies as audiobooks, and this one is a great listen regardless of your personal feelings about Elon. He's led an interesting life, and many misconceptions about him are dashed in the opening chapters.

Screenshot of the Week:

Quote of the Week:

"Intention can be a weed or a seed.”- Jay Shetty

Let's work together

When you're ready, here are a few ways I can help you:

1. Check out the latest episodes of my podcast 🎙
2. ​Apply for 1-on-1 coaching 🏆
3. Purchase my goal-setting course 🚦