Turn Your Intentions Into Projects

In my latest edition of Biz Bits, I talk about how to identify intentions and turn them into reality. Here's how:

Over the holiday season, I spent a few days in a hotel room while I was visiting family out of town.  While in the room I indulged in a little TV watching, something I don’t do at home since I gave up my cable subscription a few years ago.  The commercials, in particular, fascinated me.  And this being a few days before New Years almost every ad had to do with making resolutions.

Give up smoking.  Flatten your stomach.  Eat better food.  Make money from home.  In other words, a slow drip of self-inflected guilt with hopes to get it all fixed by simply dialing an 800 number.

We all know that it takes more than a phone call and three easy payments to change our lives.  Real change takes dedication, commitment and a process to keep us engaged.  Real change doesn’t start with a whim inspired by slick copy and a fast-talking pitchman; it starts with naming your intentions and shifting your mindset to what it is that you really want to change.  
 
But identifying your intentions is only the first step to see them become reality. If you want to see results, turn your intentions into projects. A project aligned with your intentions will give you the framework and structure to move things along. Your project will help you stay connected to your intentions throughout the year so when January 2011 arrives you have something big to celebrate.

In the same way that you approach a creative project and break it down into small manageable steps, apply the same creative principles to your intentions. Here is the simple 10-step process I created and follow:

1. Identify the area you want to change
2. Choose your intention in that area
3. Create a project you can work on addressing this intention
4. Give the project a timeline and a deadline
5. Plan the preparation work before getting started
6. Divide the project into milestone phases
7. Break down each phase into small manageable weekly tasks
8. Add the tasks to your calendar
9. Get an accountability buddy to keep you in check
10. Decide how to celebrate when you've reached each milestone

You can apply this process to any area in your life and business and start seeing movement and change almost immediately. Get out of the habit of setting goals and losing track of them a couple of weeks into the new year. If you're serious about changing something, it all starts with the intentions you set and the way you treat them.
 
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Peleg Top is the co-founder of Marketing Mentor and works with creative agency owners in helping them grow their business, become more profitable and live a balanced life. Biz Bits, his free monthly business tips, will add a dose of inspiration to your business growth efforts. Sign up to get Biz Bits delivered to your inbox today.

Comments

[TurtleBlueBird]

Peleg - thanks to your first post about Intentions, I set 10 for myself and I'm really doing great with them. Thinking about it differently has made all the difference!

Thanks for your 1st article and thanks for this one.