Contact me

 

 

Being Intentional

conscious leadership Jun 30, 2023
Photo by chris liu on Unsplash

Being Intentional is about awareness and choice. When you're thinking, you're aware that your thoughts are occurring. If your mind wanders, it's because you allow it to.

 

Being Intentional

Being intentional means that you are aware of your choices. When you set an intention something happens inside. If you feel into your body, you notice something happening, there is an internal response, a sense of alignment, stillness and balance. This subtle shift leads to a mindset shift and a forward-moving action. Even if it is not immediate, the decision is made and you now embody a knowing of what you desire which impacts your behavior.

Intention arises from the depth of our being, representing our underlying needs, desires, values, beliefs and goals. It captures the essence of our thoughts, the distilled meaning, rather than the literal meaning.

When we lack intention, our mind runs continuously like a random AI Chat generator, generating outputs with no meaning or purpose. Being intentional is a shift where you acknowledge the power of your inner technology and you start using it consciously.

 

Focus and attention

By setting intentions and consistently directing your thoughts on what you want to achieve you align your actions, and your behavior shifts in a way that brings you closer to your goals. It is like a shift in perspective, where you even subconsciously seek out opportunity and possibility to fulfill your goal.

Shifts in perspective can be very powerful, I believe that how we see our world is basically what determines our experience of the world. When you start looking for confirmation in those small steps that bring you closer to your goal, you increase your level of knowing that you will get there. This reinforces the belief that your intention will be realized. Again a sutbtle shift happens, that leads to another mindset shift and a forward-moving action.

By focusing your attention on the process of progressing towards your goal, and acknowledging the importance of small steps, you develop an inner confidence that this is what will lead your intention to become a reality.

 

Intention on the level of "being" and "doing"

We can set intentions for everything in our lives, I like to separate intentions set on the level of "being" and on the level of "doing" and I practice being intentional in my mind. For example, I intend to be active today, and I also intend to go for a walk.

Being intentional is a practice of alignment of heart, mind and action. It requires that you slow down, connect and listen to yourself.

 

Strategies for Cultivating intention 

If you want to cultivate intention in your life, these are some strategies that you can try;

  • Practice mindfulness: Notice your thoughts, emotions and actions throughout your day. Whenever you notice your mind wandering, bring them back to your intentions.
  • Write down your intentions: Writing down your intentions will help you to clarify what it is that you want and to stay aligned with it, focus on what you want to experience and feel and who you want to be.
  • Create a daily ritual: A ritual is an action with an intention and there is always a purpose behind a ritual. It can be as simple as giving yourself a few minutes before getting out of bed in the morning to set your intentions for the day.

 

Community 

If you have an interest in this topic and want to discuss this further, join my free community and participate in monthly meetups by signing up here.

 

Sign up for my newsletter!

Your guide to a culture of conscious leadership and living as cornerstones for success.

When you register to receive e-mail from me you also accept my Privacy Policy