What’s your intention?
You go to the coffee shop. You order at the counter, grab your latté, and go to work.
You’re at work. You’re sitting at your desk, minding your own business, maybe answering some emails. You have a productive day at work and go home.
You’re on the TTC. You go on your phone, texting some friends, and you get to Kennedy Station. It’s time to get out.
A full day just went by.
What were you intentional about? What was your purpose for this day?
The word intention gets thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean?
Simple. It’s having an objective or intent (haha 😉 ) that you are constantly reminded of achieving. It’s like an ultimate purpose that you need to fill, usually in a short-amount of time.
What do I do with my intention?
Intentions guide your actions. They guide the way you think, speak, act, and also the way you appear to others. To put it simply, it kinda’ acts like a North Star. If you have a particular intention in mind, everything you do should be directed to that intention.
But Christina, there’s SO many things I wanna’ be intentional about. How do I choose the right one?
Simple. Think about where you wanna’ be in the next 10–15 years. Think about the ideal person that you wanna’ be like. Now, think of the path that you need to take in order to get there. Make a list of the things you’ll need to develop or have in order to get there. Boom. Now you know what you need to be intentional about developing, in order to get to your goal.
The first time I heard this concept, I understood it, but I didn’t internalize it. I’d be intentional about the way I act or present myself in a particular space for a few minutes, but then I’d just revert back to my old ways.
At first it can be weird. A lot of us like to just “go with the flow” and just go with whatever is happening around us. It’s a fine way of living our life, but are we really getting anything out of it? Are we really developing ourselves into the people we want to be in 10–15 years by just “going with the flow”?
The real question is, are you growing?
Don’t overthink being intentional. You don’t need to have a reason to brush your teeth or drink water, just do it. Take a look at your future self and what you want to achieve, and be intentional about getting there.
Does Kyle Lowry swim for 10 hours and then go on his phone for 3 hours a day. No, because he’s being intentional about his time.
Do wannabe musicians go and compete on Masterchef. No, because their being intentional about the people they want to learn from.
Why doesn’t Jimmy Fallon change his show name from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to The Morning Show Starring Jimmy Fallon? No, because he’s being intentional about the audience he wants to attract.
I find that it’s super easy to forget what you’re being intentional about. Life happens. Distractions are real. Not being mindful about what your intentions are is common.
The first time I was exposed to this concept was at TKS. It literally changed my whole perspective on how much my everyday actions affects the future Christina.
Something that helps me remember what my intention is before entering a room, is just writing it down or repeating it to myself quietly a few times. Close your eyes. Let it sit with you. Let it sink in and percolate in your brain.
Then, do something immediately with that intention in mind. For example, if it’s to smile more, then as soon as you enter the room, look someone in the eye, and smile. Continue to look at people and smile, and you’ll find yourself starting to do it naturally.
🔑 Don’t only think about being intentional only in some environments. It’s a skill that you need to practise.
🔑 Be mindful about your intentions and act according to them.
🔑 Always have a reason, purpose or goal behind each action or decision you make.
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Thanks for reading. Until next time✌🏽
