Having every intention to do something is a wonderful notion, but it doesn’t get things done. In fact, it barely acts as a catalyst any longer. That’s because the world has opened up more and more over the past few years, and there is so much more that we would like to do that the matter of intention is compromised by the lack of attention we can give any one thing.
Essentially, we’re swamped.
It’s been said that there is a certain power behind having intent. In fact, Dr. wayne Dyer wrote a book called The Power of Intention that speaks to that. Dyer describers intention as follows:
“Intention is not something you do, but rather a force that exists in the universe as an invisible field of energy- a power that can carry us. It’s the difference between motivation and inspiration. Motivation is when you get hold of an idea and don’t let go of it until you make it a reality. Inspiration is the reverse- when an idea gets hold of you and you feel compelled to let that impulse or energy carry you along. You get to a point where you realize that you’re no longer in charge, that there’s a driving force inside you that can’t be stopped. Look at the great athletes, musicians, artists, and writers. They all tap into a source.”
All of this is true, but because our “source” is impeded by so much information being thrown our way – or sought out by us – that we can’t get to it as readily as we’d like. This causes delay in most cases, doubt in some and abandonment in others. Intention is noble, but it is not heroic.
Execution, on the other hand, involves the grand idea of “shipping” your creations. When it is coupled with intention, you not only create really great work – you deliver it. You unleash it for all to see, and that execution serves to feed intention once more, which you then couple with execution again. And the cycle continues.
But there’s a problem when you execute without intention. Your creations aren’t focussed when delivered. You put them everywhere, hoping for them to catch fire somewhere. You spend more time executing – and monitoring what you’ve executed – than you do working on the next thing that you intend to do. You can’t move on as quickly because you want to make sure your execution worked, and that it worked everywhere. Intention to execute is as empty as executing without intention: the passion just isn’t there. There’s less of a “care factor” put into the process. And because of that, the value of what you’ve executed is diminished.
This all comes to back to lifehacking (believe it or not). To lifehack so that you can speed up the mundane and be able to focus on the more fulfilling aspects of your life is wise. To lifehack to speed up everything isn’t. There’s an important distinction to be made here, and it’s a very personal one. There’s no right answer; everyone’s threshold is different. But you must recognize that there is one.
I’m not suggesting that intention isn’t worthwhile – it definitely is. It is, as Dyer explains, “a power that can carry us” toward what we really want to do and who we really want to be. But without the power of execution, intention can only carry us so far.
Which isn’t very far at all.
(Photo credit: Woman on Top of Mountain via Shutterstock)
