October 17, 2022

Our greatest developments come from execution with intent. The concept is direct and broad but it opens a wonderful conversation about who we are now, who we want to become in the future, and how to get there. A lot of us confuse execution with goal setting and intent with intention. Execution acts as a catalyst for intent in the present, while goal setting and intention shift the focus to the future.

This relationship is complex, as each term above has its place in how we live our lives. It is important to have goals and intentions, especially good ones. However, we must also understand the processes behind what we are trying to accomplish and the impact that each approach has on timeframes and outcomes. These nuances matter because goals and intentions do not give us direction today. They give us hopes and dreams that we may achieve tomorrow. Execution and intent give us a chance to focus our actions today and with consistency, show us the value of gradual improvement as we keep our goals in mind.

Consider one of the most famous, or in some ways infamous, chefs in the world: Gordon Ramsay. For those unfamiliar, he has earned 17 total Michelin Stars with several restaurants throughout his career. He is well-known for hosting Hell’s Kitchen, a popular cooking show that ran for 21 seasons. If I were to tell myself, “My goal is to become a world famous, Michelin Star Chef,” it would sound nice and even feel good to dream about such an accomplishment. But the process, or the plan, would lack both direction and motivation. Without a plan for execution, telling myself and other people my goal would likely create pressure from the beginning. Goal setting leads to the pursuit of a destination or result and is truly an example of a relatively easy process that can spiral out of control. 

Some believe that certain phrasing of goals increases our chances of achieving them. For example,

“I am going to be a CEO someday.”

“I will hike 10 mountains in 2023 for my New Year’s resolution.”

Even with better phrasing, like the action based, “I am going to…” is futuristic. The confidence behind “I will” or “I am going to” feels good and gets us closer to attempting our goals, but what about the timeframe? When will you start? How will you start? In the chef example, what will you cook and where will you cook it? In less friendly terms, who the hell cares? You need to prove to yourself and others why your goals matter and how you will tackle them.

People generally carry similar goals and intentions. When we commit to a dream or a new challenge, our goal or intent is to win or succeed. As James Clear claims in his book, Atomic Habits, “Every Olympian wants to win a gold medal. Every candidate wants to get the job. And if successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals, then the goal cannot be what differentiates the winners from the losers.” It is not always about competing with other people. Most of the time we are competing with our inner selves. But the outcome is still binary. Did you get to the place you wanted to go? You either beat your inner doubt or you don’t. Execution is a good start. Never forget your intent behind it.

Tips for Executing with Intent and Getting Closer to Your Future Goals

1. “When —> Then”
   1. Create a timeframe for your work. Associate tasks with times. Do not miss your own deadlines.
   2. “When I wake up, then I workout, read, write, eat breakfast, walk, etc…
2. Separate your environments. We all have several.
   1. Use each space for its designation. Your office is used for work. Your living room is for fun, family time, social time. Avoid mixing and matching, odds are you would choose family and fun over work if that’s what you do in your office.
3. One of my favorites: Take Action.
   1. Throw away the plan. Planning time could be used for execution. Execution of what? Trying leads to learning.
   2. Want to write a book? Write a paragraph. Want to start a company? Call a friend and have a conversation about it. Learn. Try. Do. Adapt.
   3. Act before you plan. Learn as much as possible. Organize your results.