In Life, Leadership and Teams, there are a range of core ‘skills’ or attributes that, when cultivated, can make an inordinate difference, can differentiate. Standing solidly among this group, is Intentionality. Master this skill and the doors to a ‘life well lived’ can open wide.
So what is it? Intentionality is fundamentally a mindset, and a particularly powerful one. Look up definitions of the term, and you will find wording such as “directness” and “being deliberate”. With intentionality, as being described here, there is a particular sense of certainty. Goals get reframed. It is not so much about ‘striving towards a goal’. It is as if achievement of the goal is a given, and the questions at hand are ‘when’ and ‘how’. This is commitment at the deepest level.
True intentionality though is not a thing of stress and pressure, quite the opposite. Energy and time are calmly and purposefully directed. There is an ease and assuredness to its nature. With Intentionality, wants and expectations occupy the same mental location, there is no gap in between. Actions are effectively and efficiently directed, and a state of ‘flow’ is established.
Those with intentionality stand out, whether individuals or teams. Around them you can sense it – that quiet inevitability of outcome – if it is possible to achieve, then it will be achieved.
The good news is that intentionality is not solely an attribute of the fortunate. Through training, individuals, Leaders and Teams can build their intentionality. What is needed is clear headspace for intentionality to be cultivated, a clear structure for it to be directed, and a deep rooted clear why to pull you forward.
Clear Headspace
Achieving clear headspace is the challenge of our times. We are subjected to endless sources of distraction, it feels like everyone is looking for our attention. The opportunity offered by technology, if not managed well, can instil wasteful habits in each of us, in what has been coined the “attention economy”[1]. Task lists can appear endless and decision fatigue is the norm.
No wonder, as Forbes reports, overwhelm and stress are so common, and exacting a heavy cost for individuals and companies [2].This is not, to state the obvious, conducive to living and working purposefully.
Decluttering the mind, so you can wisely channel your time and energy – this is what will give you back a say in shaping the life you want, rather than simply ‘getting through the day’.
Developing clear headspace requires a shift in thinking, a change in mindset. It is about placing your attention on the things that matter, not being lulled by distractions, or trapped by emotional reactions. You might say, it is calmness in the storm.
Though this sounds trite, achieving this state of mind starts with taking ownership for it – for your attitude, actions, reactions and habits. You must choose to be the type of person for whom how you show up in the world matters. It requires adopting constructive habits of thinking and behaviour that will sustain you, add to your energy and your focus, rather than waste them.
Getting there is a journey for each of us. But continuous small steps forward are all we need. There may be some existing unhelpful or ‘limiting’ beliefs, held individually or collectively in the case of Teams, to be set aside first. This will take some digging and reflection, that’s just part of how you get there.
“Rule your mind or it will rule you” – Horace
A key practice is to become increasingly aware of your thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Start to notice how certain situations cause you to react, pulling you emotionally and cognitively off track. Simply by noticing, you will begin to have more say in how you react. Journalling is one technique you can employ to aid you on this, there are many others.
Mindfulness is a multiplier here too – helping tune down the impact of distracting thoughts, allowing your attention to placed on what’s useful and important, rather than what’s shiny, or making the loudest noise at that moment in time. There are plenty of apps and online material for getting started on Mindfulness.
And establishing a clear structure, a means of organisation sets you up to maintain, and channel your clarity of mind towards what you want to achieve.
Clear Structure
To get the most out of the day, to achieve the goals you want, and create the lifestyle you desire requires mastering self-organisation [3,4,5]. This is a life skill. It requires some focused effort to get it established, but invest the time in putting the right method in place, and it will reward you each and every new day. There are many excellent books to support you on this, I’ve included a number below [6,7,8]. And a search online will offer plenty of ‘productivity hacks’. Equally, look to others who have already mastered this skill for their insight.
The key point is to make the choice now to develop and hone an approach that works for you. The benefits are too high to ignore. Bring structure not just to managing your days, but also to achieving your goals. “A goal without a plan is just a wish” as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote. Make the goals part of your system, and execute the system. So set aside some quiet time in your diary to start investigating and tailoring your self-organisation approach, and restore power and ease to your days.
In all of this, do not underestimate the importance of your environment – a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind, and vice versa [9]. This applies to both your workplace and your home. Bring clarity not only to your mindset and your self-organisation, but also to your environment. You’ll create a positive, reinforcing feedback loop, a ‘virtuous cycle’.
Clear Why
This is perhaps the deepest and most important aspect of instilling intentionality. This is what will pull you forward when times get tough.. and life, you may have noticed, has a way of testing our resolve.
Take a look at your goals, figure out who you are deep down, determine why you want what you say you want. Align your goals with what you consider important in life. This is intentional choice. Our choices shape our careers and shape our lives. As others have said, you either make life’s choices carelessly or with intention [5,8]. Only intentional choice opens up a path to deep satisfaction and fulfilment, to a life lived fully.
It is the alignment of goals with values that you see in the eyes of those who demonstrate intentionality. There is no doubt or internal debate going on there, there is a clear why underneath what they do and say.
And by adopting a human-to-human approach to how you pursue your goals, the natural support of others will follow.
So develop the clarity of mind and structure that fosters intentionality, and direct it to what authentically matters to you. Make progress step by step. If you do this, adopting a human-to-human approach, then extraordinary things can happen for you, and around you. To be quietly assured that you can achieve what’s important to you in life and career is a state worth pursuing.
These steps clear the runway for intentionality.. for you to thrive in work and life. With intentionality, well directed and wisely executed, you will achieve more, live more, and be more.
— Brian Morrow
References
1 – TechCrunch (2017) The Attention Economy created by Silicon Valley is Bankrupting Us, https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/30/the-attention-economy-created-by-silicon-valley-is-bankrupting-us/?guccounter=1 (Accessed 24th October 2018)
2 – Forbes Magazine (2012) How Stress Is The Business World’s Silent Killer [Online], Available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/05/04/what-is-the-cost-of-stress-how-stress-is-the-business-worlds-silent-killer/#5c5d41a86e06 (Accessed 24th October 2018)
3- Hammerness, Dr. P. , and Moore M. (2011) Organise your mind, Organise your Life, Harvard Health Publications
4 – Harvard Health Letter (2012) Raising your Conscientiousness [Online]. Available at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/raising-your-conscientiousness (Accessed 24th October 2018)
5 – Carroll, R. ‘How to lead an intentional life’, TEDxYale, [Online]. Available at https://amara.org/en/videos/71okSNF8UKXi/en/1813917/ (Accessed 24th October 2018
6 – Allen D., Getting Things Done, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (2001), Penguin Books, New York.
7 – Alcott, G. (2014) How to be a Productivity Ninja, icon Books, London.
8 – Carroll, R. (2018) The Bullet Journal Method, 4th Estate, London.
9 – Psychology Today (2012), Why Mess Causes Stress: 8 Reasons, 8 Remedies [Online]. Available at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201203/why-mess-causes-stress-8-reasons-8-remedies (Accessed 24th October 2018)