Exchange Tactics for Strategy

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January’s already flying by—do you have your 2020 intentions list yet? If you do, let me give you a suggestion: Start over.

Your current list might resemble something like this:

• Drink more water
• Eat more green food
• Smile more
• Complain less
• Go to bed earlier

Those intentions have their benefits, but will they change your life?
When you think about the next round of holiday parties in December, do you want
to say, “Hey! I drank more water this year!” (I think you get the point!) So,
in January, we’ll talk about four ways you can uplevel your intention game in
the series, Turn the Corner.

Exchange Simple Tasks for a Big Vision

Let’s review the intentions above again. Can you guess the common theme?
They’re all tasks. Those tasks can have a cumulative effect, but if you only
accomplish tasks this year, you’re playing a small game.

Instead, exchange simple tasks for a big vision. Challenge yourself to
create strategic goals tailored just for your needs. Goals that will equip you to
handle the hard things that derailed you last year. And goals that will ensure
that you’re not only running your life like a boss, but that you’re acting in a
deep, authentic way as the creative, wise CEO of your life—a
Soul Boss!

Tony Chooses the Big Game

My neighbor Tony recently faced a crossroads about playing the small or big game. An enormous tree fell over after saturating rainfall in one of Seattle’s worst storms in a decade, crashing through his kitchen skylight. But Tony was all smiles when I caught up with him a few days later. He told me, “The truth is that my wife and I have talked about redoing the kitchen for years. Now insurance is going to pay for most of it. We can’t wait to get started!”

Tony’s story is relevant to intentions because it shows how a wide-reaching
perspective can give a completely different outcome. Not just better results—results
that markedly help improve your life. Tony could have gone the task route and
quickly repaired the damage. Instead, their family used the accident as a way
to breathe new life into the home they loved.

Use the Intention Equation

So, how can you turn the corner with your goals? Restart your list and create intentions using the intention equation from my book, Light it Up—7 Skills for Setting Intentions that Work:

Here’s how the intention equation might work in practice:

• This year, I’ll take my problem-solving ideas off the shelf (What) and improve my self-confidence (Why) by speaking up more at work (How).
• This year, I’ll skip the same old petty arguments (What) and maintain my peace of mind (Why) by walking away early (How).
• This year, I’ll support my mental, emotional or physical health (What) because I want to feel my best (Why) through one self-care activity every day (How).

Take the Imagination Challenge

Take some time to get a new vision for 2020. And use the soft skill of
creativity to be as imaginative as possible! Practice using these three ways:

• Make it fast by taking 30 seconds to release limited thinking. Declare, “I choose intentions that make me feel whole, healthy, and energized.”
• Make it deep by taking 30 minutes to dream big. Finish this sentence, “In December, I would love to say I accomplished…”
• Make it real by writing down three strategic intentions.

It’s simple: Big results start with big ideas, so don’t limit yourself
to tasks and tactics. Turn the corner with visionary thinking.