Invent it - create it - design it!

As we move through our lives, are we aligning with "designed" or "default" intentions? Probably a bit of both. "Designed intention" is an umbrella term for our goals, commitments and aspirations. We get our designed intentions through a conscious process that is usually fueled by inspiration. When we are excited about something or drawn to a particular field, task or goal, this creates an energy that makes us want to design an intention. Once the intentions are designed, actions can be identified that align with those intentions. Each action is like a car, with the designed intention as the fuel.

De-fault intentions are those ideas and thoughts that fuel some of our actions but do not stem from our stated goals and aspirations. These are the unconscious or subconscious thoughts, likes, dislikes and fears that cause us to take actions that move us further away from our goals. De-fault intentions may arise from childhood belief systems or from the human desire for immediate gratification. We have all had the experience of taking actions again and again that we KNOW do not serve us - these are probably default intentions.

So as we roll down the freeway of life, it seems to me that if we can stay on the "designed intention" map and avoid the detours caused by de-fault intentions, we probably have a good chance of getting where we are going - eventually! The problem is that those default intentions are tricky. Like Wylie Coyote trying to get the Road Runner off track, our default intentions can be very persuasive.

So how the heck do we outsmart the default intentions? Well, default intention only takes over when there is no designed intention in place. Because designed intention is created from inspiration and energy, it is very powerful and can knock our default intentions off the map.

There are lots of solutions and the good news is that we don't have to be perfect. The best objective is to have most, but certainly not all, of our actions be in line with our designed intentions.

Here are some ways to stay on track and get where you want to go:

1. Write down your designed intention (more details are better)
2. Write down the 3 de-fault intentions that will most likely try to trip you up (I'm not good enough, it will
never work, I've failed in the past, I'd rather eat a box of donuts - you get the idea, right?)
3. Look at your to-do list each day and ask yourself "am I taking at least 3 actions toward my designed intention?" If you are not, you may want to re-prioritize.

Remember, you can always have a fresh start. If February was full of default intentions, who cares? March is a brand new opportunity. We are human and we will move between these intentions throughout our lives.