Leadership, Culture, Impact | Active Choices, Inc. | Anese Cavanaugh | The IEP Method®

How to reboot when intentions fall apart.

Written by Anese Cavanaugh | July 11, 2019

 

This week has been devoted to intention. I've written about the what, the why, and the how. Now, how about when despite best intentions, it all falls apart?

You're clear on what you wanted to create, your heart was in it, you worked your intention from a "being" and "doing" standpoint, used your 5 Steps (on the IEP Sheet) to make it even stronger, and then... meh. Fizzle. Nada.

Now what?

Reboot.

First, celebrate: the fact that you even knew you had an intention and that it didn't go to plan is a win. It's awareness.

Awareness = power. No awareness = struggle.

So celebrate that.

Second, reflect: there are many reasons an intention may fall apart...

  • sometimes it's just not meant to be
  • you're ahead of your time in your intention and the situation/person/company is not ready for it
  • there's something better that's to happen and the wisdom of the Universe knows more than you do
  • you might not have really wanted it (at least for the right reasons)
  • you lost connection to it (and therefore focus and heart)
  • there's a better way forward, and you can do it even better on round 2 (or 3 or 4...)

And now, get back up.

Breathe. Reboot. Get curious. Learn. Rework as needed. And get back in there.

Check in with the following queries:

  1. Is my intention clear?
  2. Is it service-focused or ego-focused?
  3. Do I really want it?
  4. Did I give it my best?
  5. Did I stay connected and present to it?
  6. What can I learn from it not happening how I planned?
  7. What's the gift of it not happening?
  8. What can I tweak or change to create my intended outcome and impact moving forward?
  9. Who can I ask for help?
  10. And any other wisdom that whispers to you in this process...

On the other side of these questions, you're likely to find new insight. These insights may show you to let it go, that you didn't really want it, that it was a great experiment that you didn't get what you thought you would have gotten out of it, or how to do it even better and richer in this next round.

Either way, you learn. You grow. You win.

Get back in there and do some good.

Back tomorrow to talk about "getting comfortable with your discomfort." Yum.

X/Anese