Week 3: Set Intentions, + Day 1: Journal Brainstorm

Congratulations! In just two weeks you've travelled from your Big Picture, to your month view, to this very week of your life, and you might be a little dizzy! Now you've got a somewhat reasonable plan for the priority things you want to do this week; your ducks are lining up- at least on paper. 

But we all know that best-laid schemes "gang aft agley". The work for the next two weeks is to see that your ideas and schemes gain some weight and don't go ugly; that you find a way to translate your orderly paper plan to real life, and act on it with success. You'll start with setting intentions.

Intentions are simply things you consciously choose to do. Ideally, they are not the things someone else assigns you, and not the things you think you "should" do, but the truly important things that will move your life in the direction you have chosen. When you are intentional with your actions, and choose your path on purpose, you become the leader of your life rather than the follower.

This week you will learn the habit of daily intention-setting. The Intentions Habit has several parts, which we will take one day at a time. 

The process of setting intentions reminds you each day of why you have the priorities you have. It lends weight to your plans, and gifts you with inspiration, motivation, and awareness: You will see more clearly the steps you need to take in your life, and why.

A note about balance:

You will probably need to fit your priorities in around other things going on in your life. But now that you are clear on your priorities, it will be easier to push some other things down the road, or decide to gracefully (or ruthlessly) get out of doing them all-together.

Remember to make your week plan reasonable. If it seems unreasonable on paper, it probably is unreasonable - why sabotage yourself? Maybe you've got too many priorities for a single person to handle, and you need to either simplify or delegate.

You are probably saying "Yeah right - should I simplify my children or my income?" (or my grandchildren, service obligations, elder care, or any other enormous responsibilities that are your priorities, and that you are committed to). But that isn't the impossible scenario it might seem. 

If you had to choose between your income and your children, or some other seemingly impossible choice, which would be the priority? Get real here -  If you don't simplify, and just let yourself get overwhelmed, aren't you choosing by default?

A simpler work schedule and a lower income might be the answer. Or maybe work really is your priority, so then you need to put some careful plans in place to "simplify" the time you get to spend with your children and "delegate" the rest.

Before it comes to that, you can probably find some other priorities and non-priorities that can be adjusted. Finding balance is essential. The week plan will save your life, but only if you use all your skills of discernment and creativity to make it reasonable.

Day 1: Journal Brainstorm

Today we will continue with the journal / brainstorm process, but with an even closer focus. Get out your journal and write "My next week" or some other heading. This exercise has three parts again, so allot 5 -10 minutes for each part:

• Part One - collect information. Thinking about your specific list of priorities for the week, brainstorm some exciting new ideas about them - new paths and new approaches you could take, helpful people you could contact, and at least a few crazy, improbable notions.

• Part 2 - reflect. Write about your dreams and priorities in the next week, and what makes them essential. Think of the strongest, most compelling reasons you want to do them. Focusing on just this week, write about:

-The great things you want to accomplish. 

-How you want to serve people. 

-How you will use your talents. 

-How you will stretch yourself.

-How you will become a person of merit.

-How you will change the world.

List potential challenges- parts you don’t enjoy, things you don’t know how to do, or feel blocked on.

• Part 3 - weigh the possibilities. Take a break for a few minutes. Get a fresh cup of tea or go outside to look at the sky, then come back and read what you wrote. Write a very brief synopsis of the next week of your life.