I believe, you have good intentions. I believe, we all do. If we all have good intentions, why are some more successful than others?
The reason is there is a significant difference in having good intentions and living intentionally.
Having good intentions leaves room for excuses. Your intentions were good when you said you’d mow the lawn. When “something came up” your good intentions went out the window.
When you live intentionally, you find a way. You fix situations. You always have ideas. You take responsibility. When you live intentionally, you find yourself saying, “Here’s something I can do.”
Living intentionally, you make it happen. With good intentions, you wonder what happened.
If you truly want a better life; if you truly want to make your dreams come true; you must live life by design. This means living intentionally. If you only want to hope and wish, and leave life to chance, you can get there with good intentions.
The only way to go from having good intentions to living intentionally is to manage your thinking and shift your thoughts from desires to deeds. You must move from wanting to doing.
As you move to intentional living, your thinking shifts from “Can I do it?” to “How can I do it?” When you are intentional about your life, you know what you want. When you cannot find what you need, you don’t settle. You create what you need, so you can get what you want.
A fitting example of intentional living is when you are in a new romantic relationship. You are very attentive and focused. Your actions are intentional. Everything you do has meaning. You are doing things to attract the other person to you. You focus on their likes and dislikes. You do everything you can to make their day.
Unfortunately, after the courtship is over, many people lose their focus and intentionality. They soon begin waiting for the other person to make their day.
The key to living with intention is remember a time when you were focused and excited. You remember the things you did, the things you avoided, the things you changed and overcame to get what you wanted. You felt alive!
If you’re not feeling the same way today, you’ve shifted from living intentionally to having good intentions.
Every farmer can attest, you cannot reap without sowing. In order to get back to living intentionally, you must get back to giving. Giving will start the receiving process. You do not have to give material things. The key is to give things that will be valued by others.
You can share your knowledge. You can share your experiences, especially your struggles. When you live intentionally, you begin to plan on how you can help others. Your life is like a river, not a reservoir. What you have, and what you have learned, should flow through you to others.
It’s when you begin to intentionally be of service to others that your life takes on significance.
The best way to become intentional is to have a growth plan, a strategy for improving your life, for building your legacy. Everyone leaves a legacy. You choose whether it is by chance or design. You must move your thinking from someday to today. The time to start is now. You cannot make an impact sitting still.
You don’t have to be an expert at anything to start. Every winner started as a beginner. You don’t have to start big. Everything big started small. Every national chain store you can think of started with one location.
Start by focusing on what you have, not what is missing. Intentional living comes from your heart and attitude not your wallet.
Begin with the stories you tell yourself. Your words are powerful. Your words make a difference. What you say to yourself will either encourage you or discourage you. You must emphasize can, will, and do. You must eliminate can’t, won’t, and don’t.
Your inner dialogue affects your belief. You must believe in yourself. You will never be more than how you see yourself. There are lots of successful people that others didn’t believe in, however, there are no successful people that didn’t believe in themselves.
As you begin to live intentionally, having a plan for what you want to achieve, for being of service to others, you will recognize and understand that every day is your time to make a difference. Every day is an opportunity to act. A day to add value to others. A day of significance to add to your legacy.
As you live intentionally, you will begin to anticipate you can and will make a difference. You will see things differently and prepare differently. Your results will change immensely.
Remember, there is greatness within you. You must choose greatness. It won’t develop on its own. I believe in you!
“You can grow old without changing, but you cannot change without growing.”
Take Action Today!
If you would like assistance with living intentionally, I can help you. We can meet by phone, on Zoom, or at a mutually convenient location. Whether you choose me or someone else, a coach will expedite your results.
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I always look forward to your thoughts and replies.
Published by Bryan M. Balch, Results Coach
Helping Individuals and Businesses Achieve Desired Results
#intentionality #purpose #leadership #legacy