Have you ever felt as if you were a hamster on a wheel, running through your days doing a lot of things but never really accomplishing anything? Or maybe you simply feel stuck, as if you don’t know what to do or focus on and as if the things you’re doing lack meaning or purpose?
What if I told you that there was one thing you could do every single day that would turn all of your efforts into purpose-driven and fulfilling actions that drive your life forward in the direction of your dreams?
It’s a simple tool, and it’s one that some of the highest-performing leaders of our time use daily. Oprah Winfrey has been doing it for years. It’s also backed by the science of the brain. It’s a simple question that can turn even the most mundane meeting into a highly productive (and even enjoyable) affair, or align a day of errands into a journey of fulfillment.
You simply answer this one question:
What’s my intention?
An intention is a goal or vision that drives your beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It can be stated in terms of any physical, emotional, mental or spiritual area of your life.
Setting intentions is more than just a spiritual principle – it is actually backed by scientific evidence. Our brains are hard-wired to look for evidence that supports efficiency. The Recticular Activating System (RAC) in our brain uses input from four of our five senses to filter information coming in for the most efficient processing. This makes it possible to do things such as sifting out extraneous noises or unimportant sights on the side of the road while we drive so we can complete the function of driving. The RAC performs a powerful function, and we can hack into it and use it to our advantage simply by setting an intention.
In a business setting, setting intentions can keep everyone in the room on the same wavelength and ensure that the most important objective is met. Meetings take up a lot of valuable time and often involve many people. It’s imperative to make the most of each meeting, and it can ultimately result in more profit for the business, not to mention increased satisfaction for the team members involved, when there is a clear intention that everyone is aware of from the start. Less time is wasted talking in circles, and more inspired action can ensue.
Instead of starting a meeting with a general agreement that the group is going “to review reports,” a meeting can take on a completely different direction with an simple intention such as, “Determine ways to increase client retention and satisfaction.” While the subject may be the same – the group may still review reports – the intention helps set the tone and maximize results. The entire atmosphere of the meeting can go from one of obligation and boredom to creativity and innovation.
At home, setting intentions can guide the direction of the day and help align even rote tasks into something meaningful. Take, for instance, a routine trip to the grocery store. Without an intention it’s easy to get bogged down by grumpy fellow shoppers and the price of spinach. With a simple intention the entire experience can be transformed. For example, I may set off with the intention to “Purchase fresh produce and delicious snacks to nourish my family.” In that light, the greenest grapes and the shiniest strawberries are not simply things to add to my grocery bill – they are just a part of my mission to nourish my children, and it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to complete the task.
As you go through your day, remember this simple rule.
Before you do anything, always ask: “What’s my intention?”
Use this tool to start your day, to begin a meeting, to write your To-Do list, to organize your day, or to fill the gap of silence when you start to feel stuck and overwhelmed. You can tap into the power of your RAC and the inner voice of wisdom inside of you to make the most out of every single thing you do.
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