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Less than 15 percent of people who set New Year’s resolutions this year still remember what they are. So many people start the year off anew, filled with excitement and drive for change in their life. The intention is made, the direction is set and everything looks good. By the time President’s day comes around, something changes. Suddenly the critical imperatives that we made for the year, no longer stand at the forefront of our minds.
Why is this the case almost 90% of the time?
Life happens. The urgency of ‘now’ swoops in and distracts us away from the original intentions that we believe in so strongly. The intention to help others fulfill their goals and objectives make us give up on our own in a way. Were the original intentions we committed to really, truly worthwhile? I believe so.
We don’t forget our New Year’s resolutions because of a lack of intention. I believe what changes is our attention. Distraction, circumstance, mood, etc. all plays a part in distracting us; this is the root cause of why we drop our goals.
Sometimes this shift of attention is a good thing. I had an intention to live in China at some point of my life. When I was 14 I wrote this goal down in my journal and revisited it when I was 18. For four years I had lost my intention of this goal. Other opportunities became available that seemed more important to me, like finishing school. By writing that goal down in my journal, I was able to come back and review my intentions from before. I realized that I did still want to go to China and started to make plans to do so. I have lived in Shanghai, China for nearly six years.
There our monumental life events that occur that make us change intentions, in a positive way. Nevertheless, we should take time to reflect an review if our attention and intention are aligned with what we really desire. To manifest the desires of our heart, we must continuously check our attention.
The I AM Model helps us do this:
Intention + Attention = Manifestation
A very simple formula that can make a world of difference in our lives. If you’ve found yourself in a place where the results you’re getting are nowhere near what you intended, here are some strategies to help you get back in alignment:
Revisit your intentions/goals/desires.
1. Make a list of the things you want to be, do and have in life. If you already made this list, you’re ahead of the game. Pull it out and review.
2. How do the things you want to be, do and have in life connect to your core values? Which items are really connected to the root of who you are?
Check your attention.
3. Find out where you have been spending most of your time the last few months? It can be helpful to track your time for a week.
4. Is what you’ve been spending time on connected with your intentions?
5. Decide how you want to deal with the things that are not in line with your goals. Easier said than done.
6. What is the next small action you can complete to move toward one of your goals within the next 3 days? This doesn’t mean you need to complete a goal, but you should take a small step to build momentum.
Keep yourself motivated.
Overcoming self is the greatest challenge we face in living an intention driven life. We must continually remind ourselves. To keep yourself motivated, I suggest you take the following three actions:
1. Write down your intended vision on a small card that can fit in your pocket. Carry this around with you and look at it often.
2. Tell supportive friends and family about your goals for the year so they can hold you accountable. Alternatives to this are to make a challenge on stickk.com or setup a blog where you publicly announce your intention and blog your way toward achievement.
3. Define small milestones when you can reward yourself for the progress you’ve made so far. It’s important to create the space and time for celebration in our lives. Without fun, what’s the point?
I share these strategies with hope that you will get exactly what you want out of life and will continue to be and do the extraordinary.
Positive Greetings! When was the last time you were positively intentional and manifested what you desired in the end? Please feel free to share your input by commenting below. Thank you in advance for sharing.
About the Author: Paris Law
Paris Law is an internationally known author, trainer and coach based in Shanghai, China. He focuses on helping small businesses and busy professionals get their learning and marketing systems producing results.
For information on the author, click on the following link: Paris Law.
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