There’s a part of being consistent that will take more than just a mindset shift, which is definitely hard in and of itself. Not only do you have to make the shift from just saying you’ll do something, you’ve also got to decide that what you agree to will be done so with intentionality.
When it comes to being intentional, you’ve got to really think it through. You have to be the one to decide if this thing you’re committing to is important at all, especially right now in this moment.
Let’s take for instance the opportunity to start a new project that looks fun. It’s tempting to get caught up in the newness of a project that you can see all the benefits in the long run and the endorphins that will come from starting something new.
I know all too well about that feeling so don’t think you’re alone in that.
The fact is that if you’re being intentional though, you have to truly think through how and why this project is important.
Does it fit your goals for the future?
Do you have the time to give it the attention it will deserve and if you do, are you going to push other things to the side to make room for it?
And what happens to those projects when you do?
These are all questions to ask yourself if you’re going to be intentional about making a decision.
My wife had a conversation with me awhile back when I was talking about a new project I wanted to start. As we talked, we were walking down our driveway by a tree that grows wild and never gets trimmed.
She told me to look at the tree and imagine the things I’m doing in my life as each of the branches. Then to see the big branches as the important things, the things that matter to our family, our life and goals. And to look at the little ones, the sprouts as the new ideas I have because we know I have a thousand new ideas almost daily.
She then said to cut off all the small ones that don’t matter and just clutter up the nice beautiful tree that could be. Focus on the larger branches and the trunk, making sure what I’m doing is supporting those and not just pulling then down toward the ground where they waste energy.
I have found this analogy very true for my life and I think you can relate as well. As an entrepreneur with all the ideas, it’s easy to get caught up in the fun of something new. And it’s equally easy to get pulled away from the things that matter in our business and personal lives.
This is exactly why I put the focus of being intentional into all my decisions now.
Yes of course I mess up as we all do, but now that I have a plan for my day, goals that I track and accountability built in a variety of ways, I’m less likely to stray off course and do things that just aren’t quite important at the time.
My ask for you is to look at your life like that tree and see what branches need to be trimmed. See where you aren’t being intentional and where you aren’t focused on what matters.
Trim the stuff that needs to be burned and focus on the things that will move you toward your goals.