I’m not much for New Year’s Resolutions, but I do pick a word or theme for the year. I had one word in mind for 2021 but a different word picked me – “intentional.” My last read in 2020 was Oprah’s “What I Know For Sure” and this passage, which is originally from Gary Zukav’s “A Seat of the Soul,” gripped me:
“Every action, thought and feeling is motivated by an intention, and that intention is a cause that exists as one with an effect. If we participate in the cause, it is not possible for us not to participate in the effect. In this most profound way, we are held responsible for our every action, thought, and feeling, which is to say, for our every intention….It is, therefore, wise for us to become aware of the many intentions that inform our experience, to sort out which produce which effects, and to choose our intentions according to the effects that we desire to produce.”
Gary Zukav’s “A Seat of the Soul”
In cliché Oprah fashion, I had an “Aha moment.” I reflected on times when I was incredibly intentional (surprise, surprise – they were some of my happiest moments) and set about finding ways to be more intentional in my current life. Here are some of the preliminary shifts I’ve made in an effort to live my best life.
- Consider The Outcomes. I also read Steven Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” in 2020. I’ll be honest – it wasn’t my favorite read. However, there were some good lessons, including “Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind.” It is setting the goal and working backwards to make it so. I set a total money goal I would like to hit for the year. It’s a stretch, but not unrealistic.
- Quantify. Not only did I put a dollar goal on the year, I broke it out by income stream. I have no problem completing tasks but in the past, I wasn’t necessarily working toward an easily measurable milestone. Well it doesn’t get more measurable than US dollars. Everything got super real and I realized the background work I need to do to reach those goals. I’m looking to shift from busyness to high productivity and better outcomes (See Also Habit 3… maybe I got more from that book than I realized).
- Break It Down. I get overwhelmed very easily, especially when I have a long to-do list without a clear road map. I have begun to break down large tasks into very small but cumulative action items.
For example, it’s not enough to just write “meal prep.” There are several steps to meal prep, including planning a menu, grocery shopping, and cooking. Those are things I would write out SEPARATELY on my calendar.
I am the queen of sitting down with a pocket of free time and not knowing what to do with it. I have started to take an hour on Sunday to not just write a to do list, but decide the steps and WHEN I will do each task. It puts me in autopilot and helps me get so much more done. Breaking everything down this way helps me tremendously in my 9-5. I just have to apply it to my life and business this year. - Urgency. I’ve been a procrastinator as far back as I can remember. I was the kid up until midnight tearfully gluing pictures to a poster board for a project due at the next day. I rarely correctly estimate the amount of time a task will take which leads to procrastination and ultimately overwhelm.
This year I’m acting with urgency. That doesn’t mean attacking everything all at once. Instead it means making small, but important, steps everyday. No more pushing things off until the “right time.” The right time is now. So I’m committing to getting it more done this year. - Zoom Out. I was setting goals month to month before, but without thinking of the bigger picture. As a reminder, I’m keeping the file with my 2021 annual and quarterly goals open. It can be easy to lose sight of the big picture. Now, on Sundays, while I’m planning out the week to come, I refer back to my annual and quarterly goals to make sure my action items for the week are in alignment.
I’ll be sure to check in throughout the year to let you know how it’s going!
Are you setting out more intentional goals? Check out my monthly one sheet template to get on the right track.