I’m currently on a mini-retreat to think about and plan around the goals I have for my life and business. In my reading this past week I came across a distinction I am incorporating into my annual planning process.
The premise I read was pretty simple on the surface:
When working on our goals or missions in life,
intention creates expansion and attention creates limitation.
Putting our attention on goals places expectations on the outcome. Usually there is only one option which, once completed, can we say the goal was accomplished.
Having intentions about a goal allows for observations of the many ways a goal can be accomplished.
For example, if I set a goal to buy a certain make and model of a red sports car, I’ve locked myself into one option. My attention is on attaining that one option, blinding me to other options that exist.
When we want something, it’s not the thing itself we desire, but the feeling we believe having or accomplishing the thing will give us.
What are the feelings I desire from owning a red sports car?
By answering that question, I identify what I believe owning a red sports car will do for me.
Knowing what I want to feel, I can then identify the countless other options I could choose from which could provide the same feelings.
In my business, I can set a revenue goal and work backwards to identify what it will take to meet the goal.
But what are the feelings I believe meeting the revenue goal will provide?
That answer may allow me to see that it’s not a specific number I need, but a feeling of freedom from being financially independent. I may still have a number in mind, but I open my mind and awareness to all the various ways I can fulfill my intentions.
I’ve always set goals and worked towards them. I’ve also always felt I was just chasing the next goal.
So as I spend this weekend planning, the process is more focused on what I intend my life and business to look like. What are the feelings I want in each area of my life? What are the advantages I want my business to provide?
I trust my intuition and in an abundant universe to bring options into my awareness that I may choose from in order to fulfill my intentions. And I trust those options will be better and more aligned with what I want than what I could have imagined via rigid goal setting techniques.
I’m not sitting around waiting on the universe to drop things into my lap. I’m still taking action, but it’s aligned action based on clarity around my intentions.
The old me would cringe at not setting hard numbers, dates, and action steps.
This version of me is past the phase of thinking grinding will make my life better.
Freedom is having more options to choose from, so I choose freedom. And the best way to access more options in every area of my life is to focus on intentions.
What are your intentions for each area of your life?
Until next week,
