You’ve heard E=mc² and 1+1 = 2.  Well, now there’s A+I=P.  On this episode you’ll hear why this matters to much to you and your success.

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On This Episode

Rhythm of Life – I Tricked Myself
Random Riffs – Traveling to an Alternate Universe
Feature Segment – The Secret Success Formula A + I = P

Today’s Quote

However glorious an action in itself, it ought not to pass for great if it be not the effect of wisdom and intention.  –Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Rhythm of Life –  I Tricked Myself

As you’re going to hear in the Feature Segment today, I’ve been working to connect mind, body, heart more fully.  When I was sick and trying to figure out what I could eat that would give me the best energy, my Naturopathic Doctor suggested I pick up the food in the grocery store and see how my body responded to it.

I tried that with limited success.  Today I tried something similar –self-muscle testing.  Listen to hear how it went and what I learned from the attempt.  And you might try this yourself!

Random Riffs – Traveling to an Alternate Universe

Did you ever see the TV series StarGate?  One episode featured a tear in the wormhole that landed the team in an alternate universe.  That’s how I felt when I went with my friend Ruth to rent a harp.

When we got to their house, it felt like another world.  There were harps everywhere.  Beautiful instruments of all sizes and shapes.

I knew harps existed.  I’ve seen them played at orchestra concerts.  But I knew absolutely nothing about harps.  And harps are right in the center of their world.

The diversity in our world is amazing.  People with all kinds of interests and specialties.  Alternate universes.  Just ask some probing questions, and can find out all kinds of interesting stuff about people, what they’re interested in.  What they do.  Their version of the universe.

Why not try an alternate universe on for size?  I’m going to.  See you out there!

Feature Segment – A+I = P

If you’ve been listening to this podcast for a while, you know I’ve been working to gain flexibility and connect with my own body.  I remember my Naturopathic Doctor saying that she hears people say, “Listen to what your body is saying.”  And that most don’t know how to hear; it’s not easy to do.  I didn’t understand her then; I do now.

There are so many confusing signals…and causes.  And then there’s the fact that I spent so much  time in my head and ignored my body.  Not until it cried out and collapsed did I listen.

Anyway, I was struggling though an exercise the other day, and it just didn’t feel right.  I realized I was trying to “do” the exercise, and hadn’t set a clear intention for it.  I didn’t really think about the point.  I just did it.  Defaulted to action.

I realized the only way this exercise was going to provide the benefit I wanted was if I set an intention for it.  Made sure I fully understood the purpose for this exercise.  I stopped there and then and set that intention.  Then I tried the exercise again.

It didn’t go noticeably better.  I did pay more attention to the directions I was giving to myself than the outcome, which is a good thing.  The rest I have to believe is happening because I set the intention to do so.

By the way, if you want to follow my journey, I’ve started posting videos about it on YouTube.  Here’s the link.  Why not subscribe today?

I learned three important lessons from my exercise experience, which I want to share with you.  Lessons you can apply to what you're trying to accomplish.

1. Enjoy the process

We’ve talked about this before, but I can’t stress it enough.  Anything that matters doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes countless hours of coaching, preparation, practice.  Deep practice.

Do what you do for a goal, yes.  And also for the love of the thing.  This is true for your profession, to be a successful leader, and to have a great family.  There is no magic potion that gives you instant results.

Vision, though important, isn’t always enough.  Tell yourself, “I’m a person who does ________.”

2. Action Without intention = Aimless.

I know.  It feels like accomplishment, but without a clear purpose or “why” it may not be.  Manager Tools talks about this all the time on their podcast.  There are activities we can do to trick ourselves into thinking we’re productive, but those actions don’t provide real value to the company.

The same was true of my exercise.  I had an intention, but it wasn’t clear.

It’s Important to be clear on your intention for anything that’s important to you.  Even sometimes what seems not-so-important.

NOTE:  You can’t do it for everything, or it can get exhausting.

One thing that’s great about setting an intention is that you’re not locked in to one method or outcome.  It’s a vision that allows room for change – as many times as you need – while still being headed somewhere.

Action without intention is aimless.  Action with intention is powerful.

3. Intention Without Action = Delusional

On one hand, it definitely helps to set an intention.  Speaking your vision aloud, writing it down, greatly increases the likelihood of happening.

Daniel Coyle in one of my favorite little books – Little Book of Talent – praises the benefits of visualization.  Here’s the thing though.  Successful athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs don’t just envision.  They also work like crazy to achieve.  The more you do the thing, the more vivid and detailed your visualization becomes.  Visualization stems from experience at doing the real work.

Daniel Coyle also talks about frequency of action, as did my friend Sam Bennet in her book “Get it Done”.  Check out Episodes 039 and 040 to hear what she had to say.  In a nutshell, consistent small actions do more that infrequent long periods of activity.  It’s true for pretty much everything.

Action is important.  Even small actions.  Intention without action is delusional.  Intention with action is powerful.

You may be predisposed to one or other.  Me?  I definitely err on the side of action.  The challenge for me is to set clear intentions before starting to work.  You may be the opposite.  You may have all kinds of intentions and then not quite get going.  You’ve got the challenge of getting started.  Either way, there’s something we can learn to take the right action at the right time.

Before you leave this page, think of a situation where you haven’t seen success you’re looking for.  Now…

1. Have you been acting without intention? If so, what intention would you like to set for this situation?  How could that change how you feel?  What different actions could you take that you haven’t tried?
2. Have you been setting intentions without taking any action? If so, what actions would you like to take?  How much time will you commit daily to take these actions?  How will you hold yourself accountable for these actions until they become part of your routine?

Want Help?

If you’d like help clarifying your intention or developing a plan of action, I can help.  Groovemaker Coaching has a few openings for those who want to live with both intention and action and who have a project they’d like to accomplish.  Click this link to check it out.

You don’t have to commit for a year.  The length can vary depending on your project.  Check it out today.  I’d love to talk with you about your dream project.

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

Action without intention is aimless.
Intention without action is delusional.
Action and intention together are powerful.
A + I = P

What do you want to accomplish that hasn't happened thus far?  After listening to this episode, what do you think will lead to success?  Leave a comment.