Becoming more intentional with your thoughts can help you achieve more of what you want. But how can you do that in the work setting? Here are a few ways to improve your mindset at work and turn your intentions into reality.
Focus Your Intentions
The first step is to decide what you’re striving for. At work, that might be a more creative role or increased responsibility or a better work-life balance, just to name a few. The more you can clarify what you truly want, the easier it will be to achieve it.
Choose a Barometer
You’re not likely to suddenly land your dream job without going through some intervening steps. So how can you determine if you’re on the right track, or whether a particular opportunity will get you closer to your goal? It depends on exactly what your goal is. For example, if you want more responsibility, evaluate new opportunities based on decision-making power or how many people will report to you. If you want work-life balance, consider the expectations around time off, as well as flexibility.
Follow Your Intentions
Setting intentions is one thing. But there are plenty of shiny opportunities (and good reasons to take them) that can shift you off course. Once you’ve decided what you want, keep it at the forefront of your decisions and don’t let yourself get distracted. For example, if family time is your priority, you might turn down a new project that would require significant overtime. On the other hand, such a project might be perfect if your goal is increased responsibility.
Keep Adjusting
Your intentions will be tested endlessly, and many times they’ll run headlong into other values such as people-pleasing or feeling needed. When this happens, you’ll need to make a decision. Do you want to do what’s best for your stated intentions, or do you want to prioritize something else in that moment? The answer may vary depending on the specific situation. Since you probably need to work, you may also need to temporarily back-burner your intentions to get through specific situations. And that’s okay! As long as your intentions guide the big picture, you will still get there, even if you sometimes need to set a different short-term priority.
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