The expression ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’ is a misnomer. ‘The road to hell is paved with vagueness and procrastination’ rings closer to the truth.
Without intention, we are definitely bound for hell, especially if your definition of hell is inertia-induced shame and disappointment.
There is a quality to an intention that directs, informs, and infuses our actions and point of focus.
In fact, when held in the service of an actual plan, our intentions are vital to keeping us on the road to achievement by breathing gentle life into our goals.
When life happens and we resist it, we get overwhelmed. Overwhelm is a form of resistance to reality.
As soon as we remember to return to our intention, we discover patience and empathy for ourselves and our overwhelm dissipates.
Overwhelm is the result of dogma, attachment, and rigidity. Overwhelm says: ‘The circumstances must be just so or I cannot create, clean the house, make a commitment….’ and since circumstances rarely cooperate, we are too often overwhelmed by the pursuit of our desires.
Circumstances change, but intentions are immune to circumstances changing. That is because intentions do not have to align with any dogma regarding attaining a goal. They are, in fact, the antidote to overwhelm and gently enable us to return to our goal’s fulfillment.
One thing I tell clients who come to me for creativity coaching is to turn their minds toward their work even when their circumstances won’t allow them to do it. By holding the intention to create in this way, they allow the work to gestate within them rather than becoming preoccupied with not getting to it right away. Then, when they are physically able to pick up the pen or enter the studio, it is much easier to attain a state of flow since they’ve been priming the pump already!
While conventional wisdom dictates that goals must be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-sensitive) goals that deal with our personal evolution don’t have to be as long as our intentions towards ourselves are clear. For example, I want to be pain-free. So I intend to do my physical therapy daily because I want to avoid pain as I get older.
There is barely a SMART goal here. All I need is a little pain to renew my intention and get back to hitting my reps. Neurologically, it is more motivating to avoid pain than to commit to the SMART goal of getting to the gym three times a week.
Please don’t beat yourself up if you have trouble setting SMART goals when it comes to your well-being. Just get clear on what you really want, and what it will take to attain it, and keep returning to your intention to take those actions once you’ve noticed life’s conditions have derailed you.
You can think of your plans as a chariot. Your intentions are the horses. It may work to just ride a horse…
But if you want to build a chariot to get somewhere in 2025?
I’m happy to help!
