Jumpstart Your Intentions by Standing Ten Toes Down

Did you sit down this weekend and make a looooong list of intentions for the new year?

Not so fast.

We live in a one-click, instant answer kind of world, but unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean we can say “Hell, yeah!” three times and reach all our goals! But maybe that’s ok.

Think back to the “Hell, yeah” people you’ve known. They were probably long on enthusiasm and charm but maybe short on follow-through. Were they still as fired up 90 days later and getting the results they wanted? Probably not. So, in the January series, Three Steps to Jumpstart Your Intentions, we’ll talk about different ways you can create a firm foundation for your goals.

The first idea will work for any goal you’ve set for 2022: Stand ten toes down. You might think you only need vision or passion to jumpstart your intentions. But what no one tells you about goal setting is that lasting results are built on qualities that may not seem nearly as sexy, like grit, determination, and commitment.

So, here’s the challenge: If you can’t stand ten toes down on an intention, don’t start. Because the hard truth is you probably won’t finish.

Let me tell you how a multi-platinum singer/songwriter learned the value of standing ten does down.

Walker Hayes Balances Agility and Commitment

Walker Hayes looked like he had the Nashville checklist covered. Record deal? Check. Live dates? Check. Songwriters who were eager to work with him? Check. But he still wasn’t getting the breakthrough he needed.

Even Monument Records’ executive Shane McAnally was starting to worry. He said, “He’s made so many friends out there at radio that I think a lot of people really wanted to play him, but they couldn’t figure out where to put him because his songs are so different.”

Then came the track “Fancy Like.”

McAnally was cautiously optimistic. He remembers, “Having gone to radio with Walker so many times and hit wall after wall, I said to our team: ‘This song scares me. And the reason is because if we can’t make this one happen, I don’t know that it’s going to happen.’”

Then the TikTok thing blew up. You know the clip: Where Walker and his daughter dance to “Fancy Like.” When he checked in with his daughter later that day, he was excited to see 6,000 views. Until she corrected him, “Dad, it’s 600,000.”

Fifty million YouTube views, countless TikTok covers, and an Applebee’s commercial later, the song is going strong.

Hayes is still stunned saying, “I wish I could give you the eight steps to how ‘Fancy Like’ happens, but that’s not the nature of this beast. It’s kind of baffling to be part of something and go, ‘Yeah, it happened, but I don’t know the formula.’”

How Soft Skills Can Help You Stand Ten Toes Down

Walker Hayes’ story shows how using soft skills are a natural part of any goal. Did you notice how his journey required being agile, imaginative, and self-confident? Let’s recap:

• Walker was adaptable and creative, partnering with other artists and his record company to try new, different things
• He leaned on grit and poise to keep going
• He believed in himself, even when the formula wasn’t crystal clear

So, here’s your Take Action Challenge of the Week:

1. Take a second look at what you have cooking, and ask yourself the Big Question: “Am I standing ten toes down?” If you’re on the fence, move that goal to another page. Keep it in the parking lot for the moment.
2. Make the Uncomfortable Intention that you’ll try something different when you hit a roadblock instead of doubling down.
3. Support yourself by affirming, “There is a path to success. I’m committed to finding it!”

It may take a minute for your situation to come together. But that doesn’t mean you’ve failed, you should abandon your dream, or start worrying what others might say. Instead, it means that you’re developing your courage and commitment muscles. So, jumpstart your 2022 intentions by standing ten toes down!