Action Versus Intention: Which One Tips the Scales?

I had a session with a client who complained about the inability to complete a task. Any task that needed focus was achieved in the beginning, which means that the initial phases of a project were attainable. However, the moment the project reaches the midpoint and things start to get a little more complex, he abandons the project altogether. The reason was that the motivation to start the project was high in the beginning, but flickered as he reached the thick of it all.

My client’s problem got me thinking, isn’t this a common habit among so many people? Starting something but not quite finishing it was a common problem every time they planned to pursue a goal.

So, action was taken and then was not – like a magic trick that makes the rabbit disappear.

My client’s real problem was his intention. His intention to initiate a project was evident but the intensity of his intention was not high enough.

What really fires you up? What truly drives your ambitions? The intensity of that intention needs to surface from your core. Without intensifying your intentions, the action you partake in does not have an effect.

Why Intention Matters

Consider a simple example of applying for a job. The base reality is that we all need to earn a living, and so, a job becomes necessary. However, any company that hires you wants to know your intentions for joining their company. So, interview candidates come prepared with answers like wanting to grow their skills, grow with the company, tap their true potential, etc. Have you ever heard a candidate saying that they’re in it for the salary? If you have, have you ever found them landing the job? Rarely, if not entirely unacceptable.

Our Intention is everything Nothing happens on this planet Without it  ~Jim Carrey

Let’s consider another example, a slightly different life situation. Often, young adults who are partaking in an arranged marriage, meet prospective partners. They intend to find the right match, but why? The reason is so that they can spend their lives together in a more comfortable and peaceful environment. At the same time, many people will be found saying that they want to get married because they are at the right age, it’s what their parents want for them, and marriage is a part of life.

Looking at these two scenarios, one can see the loophole. The reason for choosing to do anything should justify the intention of pursuing an action.

Nothing happens robotically in our lives as we are divine beings having a human experience. On the contrary, if it did then AI would replace us entirely in our jobs and finding a life partner.

The base reasons always exist like working to earn a living like walking to stay fit like breathing to stay alive but the intensity of our intention becomes the foundation to fuel the fire within and it continues to flow above and beyond base reasons.

Therefore, the reason to get a job, get married, or any other crucial aspect of life should be driven by a true intention. But, is intention enough by itself?

Identifying and Fuelling Intentions

How does one identify their true intention for any action? Does it come naturally? Ideally, it should, but it doesn’t always occur in the same manner throughout every situation.

At the same time, whatever the intention may be, if it is intensified, it does not travel with us all the way through the finish line. Just like how my client found it difficult to complete his projects, the intensity of his intentions was not enough to drive his actions.

You can identify your intentions by recognizing whether they connect and flow naturally with you. Anything that seems forced or not part of your intentions, the result also is not an outcome that will make you happy. Taking the same example of acquiring a job. If you are simply doing it for the money, which is understandable, you are not focusing on the other attributes of your job. This can include communication, handling clients, tackling work issues, and so on. You start to feel trapped, which then leads you to search for another job.

Similarly, if a person is getting married because it’s what their parents wanted then the purpose is lost. Is this individual going to be happy, and will it lead to marital contentment in a way? One can only imagine the outcome of such a life that was driven by the intention of another person.

Therefore, it is important to introspect on your intentions. Understand where they come from and what drives them. How can you identify your true intention? At Krescon Coaches, I can help guide you through this process. My clients have required guided sessions to help them channel their time, energy, and effort in the right direction. For this, they must determine their intentions beforehand. We can then sift through the base reasons and find the core of one’s intention.

Many times, clients have confessed that the only situations in which they’ve completed projects is when their backs were against the wall. This means that when having no option or without a plan B, you have to make it or break it. This drives the intensity of their intentions, which leads me to the understanding that creating an immense force within is what helps one complete projects and achieve goals.

Identifying your True Intention can give rise to Clear Action

While you develop the intensity of your intentions, your actions gain the clarity required to execute them. In doing so, your finite or limited resources of time, energy, and effort become an effective investment because you have clarity of action. This in turn takes you towards attaining peace and contentment as you achieve your goals. When it comes to tipping the scales, intention holds a heavier side than action, and its intensity possesses an even greater impact. So, focusing on action does not get you anywhere, rather intensifying your intentions can clear your path to a more achievable outcome.