Goals vs Intentions: What’s the difference?

Setting intentions is a practice many of us can do more of – on top of just setting goals. 

Today, we are bombarded by productivity gurus teaching us how to: set goals, manage our time, not let any day go to waste, or efficiently make money. These are good pieces of advice, but I believe that some of these productivity gurus get goal setting wrong.

Ok, hear me out. . .

Like learning how to walk

A few years back, I felt like I was living from day to day. Just working for the needs and nothing else. I was hitting my KPIs (key performance indicators) at work, but something just felt off. But, I did not address it and just continued living my life as a mom, a wife, and an employee.

My life then was simple. No: dull. That was until I got into the world of self positivity, the law of attraction, and manifesting energies.

Day by day, I was like a baby learning to walk: amazed with my abilities and just all smiles. And one of the most important lessons I have learned in this lifestyle (which I strongly advocate for) is setting clear intentions.

Why is setting intentions important?

Part of the reason why we humans have overcome the challenges of evolution is that we are visionaries. What used to be elements from science fiction are now actual realities: space exploration, DNA study, even your phone was deemed impossible just a lifetime ago.

Humans never stop dreaming, and the fuel for every dream is intention. The intention is the seed that bears action and, ultimately, success. A few decades ago, Alexander Graham Bell intended for humans to be able to speak with each other in real-time, even between millions of miles. HE worked on the goal founded on his original intention. Not long after, the word “Hello” was officially adopted into the English Dictionary.

Years later, other innovators capitalized on Graham Bell’s intention, and now we have supercomputers in our pockets. Every invention we use today was first set as an intention in someone’s mind.

Setting intentions vs. goals

When laid out smartly (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely), goals are paramount to success.

For example, one goal of mine is to grow my company, Blissful Road, into a thought leader in the industry. And for me to publish a book someday and use that revenue to buy a new house. Is that an easy goal? Certainly not. But is it unrealistic or impossible? I don’t think so.

On the other hand, my intentions have been consistent: provide value to people. This has given me the purpose to continue doing what I need to do.

Simply put, a goal is going out to dinner at a restaurant; an intention is to enjoy the food they serve.

In case of productivity gurus. . .

Remember when I said earlier that the gurus get it wrong? It’s because they are too focused on the what and how. And rarely do they address the why.

This is why a lot of people get burned out. They follow the grind culture, wake up at 4 am every day, and soldier through their tasks.

You see, I believe the biggest factor to burnout is losing sight of the intention. Because when your intentions are clear, it does not matter when you get there because the process itself can be rewarding (I will discuss this shortly).

How to set your intentions

This is why part of my meditation routine in the morning is defining my short- and long-term intentions. These daily intention-setting has got through a lot, and I know it will do the same for you.

There is no template for defining your intentions, but let me share mine to help you come up with yours.

My short term intentions look like this:

• Be joyful and inspire others all throughout the week.
• Do a healthy grocery run to nourish my family and me with good food.
• Listen to an audiobook to learn new things I can apply and share.

My long term intentions look more like this:

• Be a great example to my kid, so they grow up to be joyful.
• Help thousands of people establish happy lifestyles through my brand and my blog.
• Be better a better person than who I was yesterday.

What is Segment Intending?

In the last blog, I talked about the emotional scale as theorized by Abraham-Hicks in their book “Ask, and It is Given .” Another thing they discussed in the book is something called Segment Intending, and it is brilliant.

So what is Segment intending? To quote Abraham: “Segment intending is just about being aware of yourself in your surroundings and what’s coming next. It’s a redefining by you of the intentions that you hold in this second.”

We can divide everything we do in a day into individual tasks, and each task is its own Segment. According to Abraham, we can refocus our intentions every time we start a new task.

Setting Intentions for each Segment

For example, your next goal is to get to work. There will be a parade on your usual way, so you have to take an alternative route, and the trip can be longer than the regular 30-minute commute. Before driving, you can take a moment of silence, close your eyes and imagine an enjoyable car ride. Then, you buckle up and step on the gas with a fresher perspective of the commute.

Then you get to the office. It turns out your cubicle is closed because of a leak from the ceiling. Instead of acting rashly, you take some time to breathe, relax, and refocus your intention to work effectively. You transfer to an empty cubicle with ease, and you maintain your inner peace.

You are on your way home, feeling tired. You thought to yourself, you no longer have the energy to make dinner. So, you decide to drive through your family’s favorite Thai restaurant. Turns out it’s closed today. So, you sit in silence for a few minutes, identify your intentions, and develop a new strategy. “I’ll just have my kids help me make dinner. It can be a good bonding moment for us, too.”

The Northstar

There are always things that can sidetrack us in every task we do. And when we get sidetracked, we lose sight of what our goals are.

When we set our intentions, we set our north stars. Whatever direction we go to, whatever challenge we face, and whatever threat we overcome, we know where the north is. We know what our purpose is, and we will always find our way back to the north no matter what happens.

What about you, beautiful reader?

What’s your Northstar?

What are you intending to impart?

Who are you intending to become?

Have a blissful day!