Did you make some New Years resolutions or set goals for 2005? If so,
you may want to refer to that list just to see how well you are doing.
There is one quarter of the year remaining, so take heart. You can still
do the things that are most important. Then when you review 2005 you can
point to some real progress.
Here are some questions to consider:
- What seemed most pressing back in January?
- What have you accomplished so far?
- Which resolutions and goals have you forgotten completely?
- What seems most pressing to accomplish before the end of the year?
The Wonderful Power of Intention
I have had a great deal of success lately with clients who set intentions
for a period of time: a month, six months, or a year for example. Setting
intentions is far different from setting goals or making New Year's resolutions.
Intentions allow "wiggle" room and strategizing, while resolutions
and goal setting are often static and address negatives.
Here's an example: When I ask a client to set intentions for what her
life will be like in a year, she makes a series of positive statements. "I
intend to be in a job I love; I intend to be earning $65,000; I intend
to have taken that hiking trip to the Rockies with my friend; I intend
to weigh 125 pounds and I will be walking 20 miles per week."
How is that different from resolutions and goals? Well, there's something
about making positive statements that allows us to "live into" the
result. Also, when I work with clients, I require them to be very specific
about what their intentions mean. I might ask, "What job would you
love? Why $65,000, and what needs to be put into place to earn that? What
will be necessary to plan this trip? What needs to change in order to
get you to 125 pounds? How will you budget your time to get in the 20
miles per week?" The results from those answers provide a strategy
for accomplishing the results. The person setting the intentions is able
to live into the result by breaking the dream down into manageable pieces.
Intentions are also appropriate for business owners. Let's say it hasn't
been the kind of year you forecast. You projected $750,000 as a sales
goal, but here you are nearing the end of the third quarter, and your
sales to date are only 45% of that number. You feel frustrated and fearful.
If I were coaching you I would ask you to look at what went into the original
goal. Did you, for example, take a hard look at what resources would be
required to reach that goal? Did you reach that number by factoring in
various economic scenarios and market segments, or was it more of a best
case, if all goes well kind of forecast? Did you break it down into manageable
and realistic pieces? In other words, did you break down the number so
you could realistically live into it.
Dance With What Shows Up
Whether you set intentions for your personal life, your business life
or both, it is important to understand that, unlike resolutions, intentions
become negotiable as you live into them. Furthermore, you learn a great
deal about yourself (or your business) along the way, and to use my favorite
phrase, you learn to dance with what shows up.
Resolutions are binary, either you do them or you don't. If you fail
to achieve a goal or make good on a resolution, you'll probably feel bad
about yourself. If you fail to live into an intention, you have more than
likely learned something about yourself that will allow you to move into
a better intention. At the very least you'll know why an intention didn't
materialize and what is required to make it or something better happen.
The Life You Should Live vs. The Life You Want
So many of us attempt to live the life we feel we should. That is not
the same as living the life we want. The interesting thing is that very
few of us can tell the difference. We have been programmed from a young
age to be whatever we are, or our need to excel drives us beyond our comfort
level, without our realizing it. If we're not careful we go along like
so many square pegs in round holes.
I had a wonderful coach for a little over a year. When our work together
was finished she asked me to tell her what I had learned through our coaching.
To my amazement I heard myself saying, "I've learned a great deal
about what I don't want to do." During our time together she had
taken me at my word and challenged me to live into my intentions. As I
worked through what was required to achieve those intentions, I came to
realize a great deal about my temperament, my energy level, my motivation
and what is required for me to live a contented, peaceful life. Although
I didn't achieve all that I'd stated in my intentions, I am thrilled with
the balance I've found and the good things that have shown up with greater
self-knowledge.
What Intention Do You Want to Live Into By Year End?
Now it's your turn. Pick one important thing that you want to do or
accomplish by the end of the year. Make a positive statement about what
you intend. "By December 31 st I intend to have earned my pilots
license." Now answer these questions:
- What will I need to change in order to make that happen?
- What will that change require?
- How do I go about meeting those requirements?
- What schedule do I need to put into place in order to meet these requirements?
The funny thing about intentions is that they do have a way of coming
true. So when you tell the Universe what you intend, what you are ready
for, then be prepared for what will show up. The converse is also true.
When you think, even subconsciously, or say that you don't want, you will
likely block it. So be careful with what you intend.
Good luck!
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