Set Your Intention
And we’re back on the Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty train… Choo Choo! Good stuff. Think about intention. What happens when you set an intention?
“The best way to insure you achieve the greatest satisfaction out of life is to behave intentionally.” ― Deborah Day
When did you last set an intention? What was it about? Did you see it through to completion? As a business owner, my intentions are often around what I’d like to accomplish in my business. I want to be intentional about my intention- the WHY behind what I intend to accomplish.
If I intend to grow my business, what is it that I really desire?
Do I desire to make more money? Is it my desire to have more popularity and people that need my skills and expertise? Or do I simply desire the growth and learning that comes from the process of building a business as a entrepreneur?
When you think about the why, you uncover your true motivation behind the intention. Shetty speculates there are four primary motivators for our intentions:
Fear- “I don’t have enough money to give my family what they need, so I better hustle and grow my business.”
Desire- “I can’t wait to take some amazing vacations and buy some great stuff with the money I’ll be making by growing my business.”
Duty- “My family deserves the best, and I want to honor them by giving it to them by growing my business and my income.”
Love- “I love my family and my clients, and my desire is to give them my very best of what I can offer with my business and the benefits they will glean from healthy living, and provision.”
Both fear and desire are non-sustainable motivators. Only duty and love provide the long-term satisfaction that comes from a meaningful life. Meaning gives purpose to our actions.
We have to ask ourselves, repeatedly, and with brutal honesty, “What is the why behind my intention?” Try it. Pick one thing you desire right now. Ask yourself why you want it. Take your time and dig for the honest truth. And it’s doesn’t matter if your intentions are not always ‘noble,’ simply be aware. None of us have completely pure motives all our lives!
Deep satisfaction comes from progress, learning, the journey, the effort, and the process that leads to the achievement.
The following is a short version of a fun story Shetty shared. A woman came up to Pablo Picasso and asked him to draw her portrait. A few minutes later, he finished and handed it to her. Picasso says, “That will be $30,000.00.” She explodes, “How can you charge that? It only took you two minutes?!” His response, “Madame, it took me thirty years.”
Never underestimate the progress and transformation that comes with the process of learning.
When we focus on the process and not just the outcome, you fall in love with your journey. You love your day to day. You can see each step, each move, even the setbacks as part of a grand picture that is transforming you on the inside. When you do what you do with your whole, authentic, focused self, the impact isn’t simply on those you serve. It’s on YOU. When you are driven with intention, you can feel the joy emanating from the process.
Here are nine simple ways to be intentional every day by simplyfiercely:
Be mindful of the media you consume
Choose to be kind
Do something that brings you joy
Ask “why” before you buy
Practice active listening
Make time for self-reflection
Do something you can be proud of
Question your “have to’s”
Prioritize rest and self-care
“Every journey begins with the first step of articulating the intention, and then becoming the intention.” — Bryant McGill
