It is a very common practice at the beginning of each year for individuals to create a To Do list to be accomplished within the course of that particular year.
And what is most interesting is at the time, these lists are well-intentioned. I have arrived at a place in my own life where I realize there is a big difference between intentions and being intentional. Why is it that so many people write down a list and yet give up on these intentions in only a few weeks?
To me, intentions are based on the externals of life—the unexpected, the change which wasn’t planned, the weather, or a change in finances or relationships. You can hear a person clearly state, “Well, I meant well. However, now I must wait until ‘this situation’ clears up before I move forward.” People who create such an intention are stopped and stuck in the illusion of waiting. An intentional person—as opposed to someone who just creates a list of intentions—draws energetically from an internal and not an external source. An intentionally spirited person draws from an internal wellspring and listens to inner guidance with the ability to focus on the commitment made and prioritize the demands involved in completing a task or promise made to oneself.
