Why There's A Fuss About Being Intentional

Bringing all your attention along pays off

Photo by David Hofmann on Unsplash

“Glutes are for extension. To make you stand upright and tall.”

You’d think I’d have known that.

But here’s my exercise physiologist, who looks about 25 but has a 15-year-old son, telling me. Reminding me what my body parts are for.

“Be intentional in all your moves.

Feel your muscles engage to get the most out of the exercise.

If you walk, mix it up. Endurance some days. High intensity other days. No strolling.”

Got it!

Writing with intention

Of course, my exercise physiologist’s job isn’t to help me write.

So I can’t expect her to suggest I chill and activate my default mode network brain.

To daydream and wander when I walk.

No headphones. No phone. No pressure.

Even though many writers swear by this. Me too.

The freewheeling helps you notice more and incubate new ideachicks.

But it’s when you’re back at your desk that intention kicks in.

When preparing to write and becoming clear on who you’re writing for.

And what they’ll gain from reading your work.

Or what they’ll feel through your words.

Because you’re usually going for a certain result.

To entertain? To inform? To educate?

To inspire? To provoke? To make them chuckle?

To challenge them to action and make changes in their lives.

And you’re choosing the right word to hammer the point home.

Or to soften the blow.

Intention matters for writers.

Intention is kindness in motion for your reader.

It gives clarity, saves their time, and creates impact.

Being fully there at dinnertime

In another context, most of us adults know intention matters when we eat.

It's not a newsflash that stuffing our faces watching TV won’t lead to reaching long-term health goals.

So we try to avoid reaching for another round of dark chocolate when the movie gets intense.

And wait to sample the new soup recipe before adding extra salt.

To not eat like a toddler with no brakes at all.

To turn food into nourishment rather than see it as express fuel on-the-go.

It’s intention again.

Conscious choice, being present, and one focus at a time.

Paying attention at work

Unless you work for yourself, you don’t have a lot of choice about where your attention goes.

The boss is watching, and you have a delegated schedule of tasks.

But being present and giving it your all promises satisfaction at the end of the day.

And if you run your own days, ask yourself whether your current focus is serving your stated goals.

Is it a planned priority or an easy task to move off an unorganised to-do list?

Step back before beginning a new task and reflect with intention.

Because, as Lewis Carroll said,

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."

This is top of mind for me because a friend recently helped me out with this.

She asked me to explain what I was trying to achieve. And whether I had created an outline of the steps. And what transformation I was hoping to create.

These pointed questions clarified which shore I was heading for with my work.

And led me to change my bearings to make sure I arrived there.

Learning for a reason

And, lastly, as a writer, being intentional about learning and its application matters.

Making sure that what I take in becomes practical.

Because when I reflect on my schooling, I see that the goal of learning was to pass the test. Passing was the measure of success.

Forget practical application. Or, whether a few months after learning something, I still retained it.

Luckily, that was then.

Now, actionable advice draws me in.

Whether it’s a radio interview. A podcast. A book. A post.

A random observation on a walk.

I ask myself,

• How does this relate to that?

• What’s the context here?

• What’s the action to take from this?

I’m actively seeking context rather than mindlessly consuming.

I want to know how I can use this rather than remember it.

Writing regularly turned on this brain switch of intention.

Takeaways

All of these examples, whether exercising, eating, working, or learning, remind us to live intentionally.

As Greg McKeown in his book “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” describes it, “living by design, not by default.”

This topic is worth reading up on if you want to create a satisfying life and avoid getting lost in hustle, shiny object syndrome, or hapless busyness-for-its-own-sake.

Books I recommend exploring:

Ryan Holliday: “Stillness is the Key” on being present and slowing down.

Annie Lamott: ‘Bird by Bird" on patient intentional writing.

Tara Brach: “Radical Acceptance” on intentional life and creative work.

Cal Newport: “Deep Work” on creating a distraction-free environment to create meaningful work.

Design the life you want by paying attention.