The Power of An Intentional Mindset

Intention is a powerful concept. An intentional mindset is one that is determined and focused on a particular outcome. The ability to complete a goal, to achieve, or to become first starts with intention. A decision. When you desire to overcome, or to grow, or to elevate, even in the best of circumstances, progress first begins in the mind, with an intention to do so. A decision is step one in the process of moving from here to there, wherever “here” and “there” may be.

We have arrived at the last few months of 2024. The end of any year is a time to reflect on the months that have passed, and to assess where you wanted to be compared to where you were the year before. You may be pleased with your progress or you may feel a bit of pressure because you haven’t quite yet hit the mark in terms of the vision you had for the current year. As you move forward into the remainder of the year and beyond, it’s important to be intentional (yes, I’m going to use that word a lot!) about everything: what you want, why you want it, what’s kept/is keeping you from getting it, etc. An intentional mindset is what will put you firmly on the track to where you are trying to go.

The Self-Awareness Part

I landed on self-awareness a few years ago as a key factor in whether any of us is able to overcome flaws or deficiencies, or to achieve goals. I can’t overstate how important it is for you to know as much about yourself as possible to determine any adjustments you need to make. If you don’t know your tendencies, or the ways in which you are working against yourself, how are you able to course correct? Think of an athlete. In order to make it to the top of his or her sport, an athlete is constantly assessing their form and their technique to ensure that he or she isn’t doing anything subconsciously to sabotage their efforts to perform at maximum capacity.

It’s important when you’re working toward any goal, or trying to grow or improve, to “gird yourself,” as the Bible says, which means to prepare yourself for something difficult or challenging. If you are “of a certain age” you may be familiar with a girdle which women wore as an undergarment to provide support and shaping. A girdle was basically Spanx in previous terms. LOL Think of intention as your girdle/Spanx. It is the mindset tool that keeps you committed to the task of whatever it is that you’re working toward. The power in intention is that it moves you beyond just a thought, or even a desire. It puts boundaries in place and reminds you when necessary of the end goal you’re trying to reach. Intention gives you the wherewithal to move from desire into action. It puts you on the path to achievement because, figuratively speaking, it keeps you from moving too far to the left or the right when things get hard. So often, you never move beyond a concept in your mind because the intentional mindset is lacking that results in real action. It’s important to know that no idea becomes a reality without the necessary commitment to close the gap between seed and actual fruit. That’s actually an excellent comparison so let’s talk about what it takes to grow a piece of fruit. You decide which one based on what you like the most or think of first. Whatever comes to mind – it doesn’t really matter.

From Seed to Fruit

I’ve thought many times about growing some of my own veggies. Whether for convenience, as a money saver (because these grocery store prices???), or to have fresh toxin and chemical-free produce, starting my own veggie garden has been a thought. In order for me to move toward the act of actually growing, let’s say my own tomatoes – because I LOVE tomatoes! – there are specific things I would need to do. First, I have to commit to doing it. Setting my intention on that end goal will move me beyond just pondering to activating a process that will help me start my garden. I may first have to do some research to find out how to grow tomatoes. What kind of soil will I need? What’s the ideal environment for tomato growing? Do they need a lot of sun or is too much sun going to sabotage my success? Once I’ve asked all the information-gathering questions, it’s time to buy the products I’ll need: the pots, the soil, the fertilizer, etc., so I can create the proper conditions for growth. That’s taking action! Action that aligns with my desired outcome. An intentional mindset is a committed one. If homegrown fruit is your goal, it is finding out what it’s going to take to plant, nurture and grow, and then making a plan to make it happen. An intentional mindset is figuring out what you want and then taking the steps necessary to make it to your desired outcome. That includes putting the guardrails in place to keep you from going off track when your initial efforts fail. Remember those girdles I talked about? They keep you in place, locking you into your goal and preventing you from giving up.

Finish Intentionally

As you move into the rest of 2024, I encourage you to adopt an intentional mindset about everything that concerns you. It’s the only way to truly guarantee your chances of accomplishing, achieving, BECOMING all that you have talked, dreamed and cried about — some of you (us!) for years! I will dive deeply into this topic to help you figure out what it’s going to take for you to finally get on the right path toward (you insert the goal) and then to work on implementation. We’ll explore your habits, your choices, your expectations and anything else that I believe it will take to help you set yourself up for success moving into next year and beyond. It’s way past time for you to stop just wishing and hoping, Friend, and for the struggle to BECOME to be over. Don’t worry about finishing strong for the rest of the year. Finish intentionally.