Personal growth

Turn an intention into a next step

Valon Asani · · 2 min read

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To turn intention into action, start by saying clearly what you want and what you can do.

Say what you want. Write it down. Get clear and take action. That is the practical sequence in this post about intentions.

A wish can stay comfortably vague for a long time. Writing it down makes you choose words. What are you actually asking for: a different job, time to create, a stronger relationship, or the courage to begin a project? Those are different intentions, and they need different actions.

Turn intention into action you can review

Start with one sentence: “I want to…” Then add why it matters to you. Check whether the sentence describes your own desire or something you think would impress other people.

Next, identify a step that belongs to you. If you want a more honest conversation, you can prepare what you need to say and invite the other person to talk. You cannot write their response into your plan. If you want to start a project, your first step could be outlining the problem it addresses.

Give the intention a return date

Choose when you will take that step and when you will review it. At the review, ask what happened and what you learned. Adjust the action if it was too large or too unclear.

This is a way of making your direction usable. Writing an intention does not guarantee the outcome, and it does not remove circumstances outside your control. It does give you a place to begin. The useful question is: what will I do with this intention today?

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