Many people believe that success just happens; it’s the good fortune of some and elusive of others.
The most successful people know the truth: Consistent action creates consistent results.
And it can’t just be any action. Intention is where it all begins.
Success takes intention, clarity, and commitment to proactively creating and practicing the habits that help you stay aligned with your goals.
Without intention, your work is unguided and unfocused.
You may find that you’re exhausted at the end of the day, but have no real results to show for all your busy-ness. This happens because most people spend their time and energy reacting to things, and much less time proactively creating their experiences.
One of the most powerful habits I have built is setting aside focused time to gain clarity about what I choose to do, and setting deliberate intentions to drive my actions.
Creating a new habit isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you’re like me, you probably have many roles and responsibilities pulling you in different directions every day.
Being proactive means you are committed to doing what is easy NOT to do.
It’s easy NOT to exercise, eat healthy, meditate, or practicing expressing gratitude. Building habits that support success take effort but are well worth the energy.
Below are some coaching tips to help you start working with intention so you can harness the amazing power of CREATING—not REACTING—for yourself!
1. Create a practice.
Habits don’t usually come naturally; they take practice. To create a habit you have to commit to an action and perform it consistently (same day every week).
You may have heard that it takes 21 days to build a habit. New research actually shows that it takes longer and includes three phases (honeymoon, fight through, and second nature).
Take heart, though, with focused commitment and action you will soon get to a point where the action comes easily and naturally. The key is to stick with it when it’s hard!
2. Get quiet and focused.
Create a Sunday planning practice to gear up for the week ahead. True to its name, this exercise is meant to be performed on Sunday so that you can “hit the ground running” on Monday with a clear action plan.
Set aside 30 minutes of quiet time to reflect and thoroughly outline your actions. Always make sure to:
- Celebrate accomplishments from the previous week (even small wins feel great!)
- List your top 3 priorities for the upcoming week
- Note the one thing you absolutely have to get done (because life happens and you can’t always do all three)
3. Set clear intentions aligned with your purpose.
When you do something with purpose and intent there is greater meaning behind your action. Think about why you’re doing each thing. What purpose does the activity serve? How will it help you reach your larger goals?
4. Choose a focus word.
This theme word will guide your actions for the week and acts as a reminder of who you choose to be or how you want to approach your work.
As I look over my past few weeks’ notes in my own practice, I chose words like Centered, Resilient, Abundance, Steadfast, and Creative. Have fun with this and choose something that inspires you!
5. Make your goals visible.
Hang your notes on your bulletin board or place somewhere else that you can see them every day. When you find yourself feeling distracted, refer to your sheet to realign your actions.
CREATING and REACTING have the same letters, but afford vastly different results. What habits or activities could you implement to help drive your focus, productivity, or success?
If you’re interested in ramping up your energy and productivity, schedule a Complimentary Discovery Call with me today!
You can also download my free e-book, “The Rule-Breaker’s Guide to Managing Your Energy at Work” to learn how to LOVE what you do every day!
