Intentional Work, LLC

How often do we put things we intend to do at the bottom of the list because more urgent (not necessarily more important) things come up?  We make an intention and don't put structure or set-up any support to help make it happen.

Looking back, looking forward, thinking big. By Sylvia Taylor

Intention is the compass, goals are the map. We need both. Goals help keep us focused and intentions keep us on the right map.

I look back at my 30 Day Challenge: Fit or Fat by 40, and realize that it was about time and choosing to put time in my calendar to be physically active for at least 30 minutes, everyday, 7 days a week. That's a lot to ask, and a challenge for me. I had to keep it a priority, as big a priority as a client meeting. And yet, it was just for me, so I could make the choice to cancel it, since no one would know but me. However, I also made the choice, the commitment, that this was something important to me and I had to give it the time (to put my money where my mouth was).

See how that works? I made the choice to give it time. It's important, so I supported myself to make it happen, by putting it in my calendar and following through.

You know the funny thing? My biggest learning came from intention: I had intended to blog about the experience. I blogged twice.  And that intention, without a structure or support, completely fell through. I ran out of time and it kept getting put on the back burner. But what a gift! Now I know it's something I need to schedule and to create a block of time to get it done.

So, what intention have you had for a while and not done anything about? What intention or goal have you had that didn't get the right structure or support to help make it happen? Start over. Try again.

You can also join me for a 4 week Tele-class (starts next Monday, only 2 spots left) that can help you make big breakthroughs with this kind of stuff. You'll learn a lot about intention, setting inspired goals, creating structure and support to get it all (and more) done. In only 4 weeks. And you'll be able to keep the learning going long after the 4 weeks is over.

The year isn't over yet. Here's to getting more done and following through on our intentions.

The size of success is limited only by the size of your thinking. Thinking big begins with believing big.

~David Schwartz

If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down. ~Mary Pickford, actress

It's Monday, again. Each of us has a new day, a new week (or maybe if it's your birthday, a new year) ahead of us. And at each given moment we can choose to start new. Mary Pickford, an Academy Award winning actress made a big impact on the film industry, and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A woman, a smart woman in the film industry during those time had to be persistent. I'm starting to believe that persistence is really the key to any success.

Think about it. Things only seem impossible until we do them. Man on the moon. Discovering we can break the sound barrier. Gravity. Even learning to tie our shoes when we're little. The really great things, the things we really care about and have passion around aren't always easy. They're hard and when we achieve them, the victory is sweet. The really good goals tend to be hard and we achieve those goals by being persistent.

Of course, it's easier said that done. But that's the definition of persistence isn't it? Continuing to try even when you aren't succeeding. I've recently given clients homework that is was only one tenth of what they thought they should be doing. But I wanted them to gain some confidence and keep the momentum, to learn to be persistent.

Try this - when you feel the most down, the most defeated, the lowest, you do one tiny thing that moves you toward your goal. You'll feel a little better and you'll do another small thing, and that will feel good. Then the next thing you do will be a bit bigger and so on.

Action leads to success. It's the only way. That's the power of persistence.

Where do you need to be persistent? What goal is making you feel low or doesn't feel achievable? What tiny little action can you take to get on the path of persistence?