Benchmark Small Changes and Reinforce with Positive Emotional Energy from Within
The definition of intention is “to be intentional and to have a plan or an aim.” Don’t you just hate when they use the word in the definition to define itself? However, I digress!
Intention may not be motivation—that’s a blog for another day! It is, however, an action born through thought that can help create motivation. I find that the small act of verbalizing, writing, or visualizing your daily intentions increases the likelihood that you’ll actually execute on them.
In James Clear’s Atomic Habits, he outlines how small daily activities can serve as positive disruptors—pulling us away from old habits and helping us launch into new ones. These new habits then reshape our daily routines, and when combined with others, they stack into the positive life outcomes we want.
Many of us, myself included, set ourselves up by planning large goals—or even multiple goals—at once. This often creates an atmosphere ripe for failure and opens the door to negative self-talk that can damage our psyche and reinforce old, limiting narratives.
Intention puts our energy on notice that something is coming. It can be an exciting energy, especially when paired with uplifting self-talk. For me, the act of writing something down and checking it off gives me a shot of dopamine and reinforces the behavior. When done consistently, it sets the tone for my day and helps me feel more accomplished. Enough of these small accomplishments can turn into something much bigger—eventually becoming part of who we are.
We must act on the life we want. Repeatedly doing the action, over and over, helps us align more closely with who we truly are.
So—take a small step. Set an intention, and don’t label it. Get excited about it. Think about doing it. Walk through the steps in your mind, and create the conditions that make it easy to complete. Start small!
Once we practice it in one area of our life, we can expand it into others. Always be sure that when you envision the activity in your mind, you associate it with a smile and other positive emotional cues to reinforce it.
You are in control of your becoming. See yourself through the intentions you set—and walk toward the life you desire.