Intent ~ Action ~ Results...

How these words go together and why it might matter to you.
( Part 1 )
by David Bookout

Some of you have been very generous in your description of me lately as "particularly prickly". I can get this way when I'm chewing on a puzzle in which all the pieces don't seem to fit. The feeling started with the recent mass focus on our nation's, and perhaps the world's, financial situation, and the 2008 U.S. race for President. But, it has quickly spread to my observations of many of the things that seem to be going on around me. Around us all actually.

This photo of comedian Steve Martin seemed to be a good metaphor for my prickly-ness. But, I think it also indicative, just like an arrow through the head would be, of much bigger problems to come, one of which I'm sure would be blindness.

Our arrow is our own blindness. Blindness to the lack of connection between the words Intent / Action & Results, and there in lies the problem, because if we are blind we of course can't see.

This post is an offer to restore some vision, some sense of what to accomplish next, for those of you who find yourselves dissatisfied with where you are, and the possibilities you see for the future.

First, "INTENT" is such a great word, popularized in my mind most recently by the 2007 version of the movie The Secret, which focuses on the Law of Attraction, and how this can assist people in accomplishing greatness in their lives.

Now we get to "ACTION", and here is the rub. Nothing ever gets attracted to a couch potato outside of food & beverage stains. You actually have to "do" something to get things in motion. You can't just sit around and daydream about the 10's of millions of dollars your going to get for that next, next thing, and how your going to spend it. Then, once things begin there needs to be some rigor in the action choices you make. Today, tomorrow, next week, next month...

Last, we have "RESULTS", which you want connected back to your intent. <>Intent<>Action<>Results<> Those results need to be measurable, connectable to both intent & action, and not too subject, or irrelevant.

Actions need to be consistent with the intent, and often people confuse the fact that they are in action with effective action related to their intent, so the results that they "want" may NOT be the results that they get.

Part 2 will be an example of how this works, or more to the point, does NOT work amongst the wrong choices.