“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

HAPPY NEW YEAR! At the commencing of a new year, I believe many would prefer to wipe the slate clean of the old and start something fresh and new. We often anticipate a new beginning, acquiring a new perspective, and new goal setting; however, by the time March rolls around, the new beginning has become a monotonous routine, the new perspective has faded, and the intended goal has fallen by the wayside. So, how can you counter this behavior and learn to stick with the goals you’ve set.  The answer is “being intentional.”

Here’s an example: So, you’ve decided to lose the additional 10 pounds that may have crept around your waist during the pandemic and the holidays. How can you be intentional about achieving this weight loss goal? I would say start with setting a realistic, attainable goal of maybe two pounds per month (whatever is attainable for you). If you focus on losing the entire 10 pounds, you may be more apt to quit because it does not seem achievable. Set a designated time to exercise; set your alarm clock or consult with Google or Alexa to remind you of that time. If you cannot go the gym due to the pandemic, YouTube has many exercise videos–Zumba routines, ab workouts, stretching exercises and a plethora of other workout routines. You will also need to cut your caloric intake and by taking the time to meal prep could be tremendously helpful. In order to stay focused, you may have to eliminate some activities such as the time you spend on social media or watching TV. It would be also be a plus to get buy-in and support from family members for encouragement in achieving your envisioned weight loss goal.

In an article titled “Being Intentional: 6 Ways to Be Intentional Every Day,” Mark Pettit offers the following suggestions:

1. Be deliberate with your day. If you are clear as to where you want to spend your time, energy, and focus each day, you are far more likely to achieve the result you want.
2. Be clear on the result you want. Get clarity about the outcome you want through powerful goal setting and understand the importance of achieving the result you want.
3. Be purposeful with your time. We all want to achieve a result in the easiest and simplest way possible. When you have that mindset, you become more intentional about your time.
4. Be considered with your focus. This narrow focus takes the guesswork out of where you should invest your time and focus. There will only be a few areas that you should be focusing on to get that result. Identify those areas and eliminate other activities.
5. Become focused on your goals. The perfect framework for being intentional about what you want is to set powerful goals. Goal setting gives you a plan and path to work towards every day and helps you start your day with intention.
6. Be mindful of your most important relationships. Whether personal relationships, work relationships, or clients, what we practice grows if we give attention to it.

In 2021, I challenge you to set the goal you would like to achieve, whether it be weight loss, more exercise, taking a class, starting a business, saving money, etc. The difference between success and failure could be whether you are focused and intentional in accomplishing your specific goal. So, let’s get started—you’ve got this!

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