When I was growing up I remember hearing that effort is what you have to do to be successful; and if you are going to do something – do it well. Sure, that makes sense. As I grew older I threw myself into my work and my family and called it life. If I just worked really hard and put in the effort then everything would be great. Boy was I wrong!
You are probably thinking, “What is Eve talking about? Everything takes effort.” And you are right. But where does it end and what do our efforts really translate into? And most importantly, how satisfied are we with our efforts? Is it getting us to where we want to be? Is it leading us to our (im)possible future?
I suggest that for most of us the answer is NO. We see our efforts as simply exertions or putting energy out. Most often we expend that energy simply because we have to in order to meet our day-to-day demands. We do it mindlessly. I want to flip that idea on its head.
What if we look at our efforts in a new light? I think about effort as being made up of two things – intent + consistency. One without the other is just going through the motions. Let’s take a deeper look.
Intent is what we choose as the purpose of our actions. The clearer and more explicit we make our intent the greater the awareness we can bring to our efforts. I ask myself, is my intent aligned with my values? Is it safe and does it have value for me? Does it line up with my overall goal in life? If intent underpins any effort I choose to put out, the likelihood of generating meaning and enjoying what I am doing will be far greater. Intent must be tied to my larger purpose.
Consistency is taking the action through to its final destination. We don’t do it hurriedly or just to get to the end. Consistency means approaching our effort as a process. I see consistency as a commitment to being aware of what I am doing at any given point in the process. And, here is the most important piece; it is a commitment to my overall goal in life. It is an ongoing marriage between the big picture and the details of my life. Persevering and wholeheartedly staying with the effort will ultimately give me satisfaction and get me where I want to go.
We can have what we desire. It takes commitment and work. If we approach our efforts with intent + consistency the fruits of our labour will be more meaningful and more likely to get us to our possible future!
Are you creating intent in what you choose to put energy into?
Are you consistent in the energy you are putting out?