Have you already put pen to paper sketching out big goals for a new year? Great!
While you were at it, did you remember to bake in a few uncomfortable intentions? Scripting a picture-perfect goal doesn’t mean much if you don’t simultaneously confront what’s happening behind the scenes. Think of what happens when you’re frustrated, irritated, or tired—you immediately slip into subconscious patterns like being defensive, stubborn, or doubting yourself. And that’s the instant your results begin to unravel—no matter how many green smoothies you’ve had that day or the number of steps you’ve taken!
So, let me give you the good news: Intentions that make you a little uncomfortable—like discovering how to push past adversity, honing your timing so you know when to push forward or stand still, or understanding when to say, “Pass!” to something that seems too good to be true—are worth making because they’re the real game-changers, a takeaway I mention in my book, Light it Up: 7 Skills for Setting Intentions that Work.
Mastering uncomfortable intentions is the moment old fears and insecurities stop being the boss of you. So, in the January series, Four Ways to Conquer Uncomfortable Intentions, we’ll discuss how you can use soft skills to power through uncomfortable intentions and clear the path for a fantastic year!
You could be thinking, 2020 wore me out—I have no idea where to start! So, let’s begin with something easy: Make the first intention on your list pursuing what excites you. Are you still stumped? Then ask yourself what makes you lose track of time. What’s the topic where your friends or family say, “You always talk about that when we get together!” Following that dream should be at the top of your list.
However, there will be a few uncomfortable intentions that pop up before you plan your big move into the corner office or buy that dream house. Let me tell you how Claire made uncomfortable intentions work for her.
Claire was excited to get the New York city offer. New York was #1 on her interview list—not because she wanted to work for a high-powered law firm, but because it was the fashion capital of the US.
As luck would have it, the firm had clients in the fashion business. They immediately hit it off, and soon she was invited to after-hours parties and Fashion Week. She was so enthusiastic that it was natural for them to talk shop. After a while, she started learning tricks of the trade.
Three years later, Claire called her parents to announce her new job for a major clothing label. But it wasn’t in the Legal Department—she had been hired as a designer.
You might hear Claire’s story and want to skip to the end where you land your dream job. However, did you catch all the uncomfortable intentions Claire had to make and how she used the soft skill of adaptability to keep adjusting and thinking on her feet?
Let’s backtrack—Claire had to:
* Grow in a completely different direction, which required learning fresh skills;
* Reach out and find ways to build a new professional network; and
* Be flexible when the right opportunity popped up.
Like Claire, you can also expand something you love. But to get there, at minimum, you’ll have to make the uncomfortable intention to stretch. Here are three ways to start:
Big dreams and uncomfortable intentions go hand in hand. So, push past old fears and “what abouts.” Don’t just nurture your goal—light it up.