There is a Florence Nightingale quote I particularly like. She said:
“Everything in life comes down to your true intention”
I think that is pretty accurate. Even in business. When you clearly set your intention, and it is connected to your big picture, it will impact everything you do. From the positive goals you set to the challenges and obstacles you will face along the path to success. You will find your great vision and purpose will become a fundamental part of your day to day activities.
Communication is profoundly affected when we know our intention, or even when we don’t. How often have you listened, or read something and thought to yourself, ‘what’s the point?’ obviously, the other person was not clear with their intention. When we have clarity about what it is we want to convey to others, we can then monitor that communication to make sure our objective is being achieved.
Far too often we get caught up in the minutiae of business that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The leader within us tends to take a back seat to the manager who is running the to-do list and madly trying to tick things off.
Simply by taking a few minutes to step back and consider your intention, for everything you are doing, you will find clarity around what is going on and how well it serves you.
Too often we lose so much time in mundane tasks that we can delegate, or even those that we shouldn’t be doing at all. They are the bright shiny objects that grab our attention and steer it away from our goals, we end up way off track.
When you begin your day, do you set aside a little time for your to-do list? Do you plan out your day and prioritise the tasks? If you don’t, you may like to have a quick read of this article. On the other hand, if that is a part of your morning routine, take the time to look over each of the items and ask yourself what the intention is. What goal do you have for each individual item on the list? What is the objective of any scheduled meeting?
It’s interesting how setting your intention can completely change the tone of a meeting. It can set things on the right track before you even start. If you begin by letting the other people know what it is you want to cover, and what it is you would like to achieve, everybody gets on the same page. It’s very easy to begin by saying “My intention for this meeting is…. Does that sit well with you?”
When you don’t voice your objective, there is an increased chance that you will get caught up in the intention of others. They will then set the tone and outcome of the meeting to suit their intention, and you may find yourself carried along by their agenda.
It’s important to know your intention and speak up.
