subject: The Difference Between Goals And Intentions [print this page] If you want to build a successful business and live an happy and successful life - one important this for you is to know the difference between goal and intentions. Have you ever thought about the differences between those two mental processes ? Have you ever seen them as mental processes ?
Goal is a cognitive process. It includes analyzing your current situation - assessing your resources and your capabilities - and planning - deciding on what you want to achieve with those resources and capabilities upon reliable information on those assets of yours, whether they are financial, human, or mental assets.
Furthermore, setting a goal is a very conscious process. Often, you will want to give your goals strength - and write them down, fix deadlines, and announce them to officialize them.
Intentions are an emotion-driven process. When you set up an intention - you dont actually always think about it. Intentions are what you wish. Intentions are an outcome - and do not include a plan to realize that outcome.
Let's take and example - say you want to grab a can of soda in your fridge. If its an intention, you think of getting that can of soda - and drinking it. If it is a goal - then you plan on standing up, walking to the kitchen, opening the fridge, and eventually grabing your drink.
If you want to succeed in life, my advice is : know when to set up goals, and know when to create intentions.
In order to succeed in business, set goals. Plan. Decide and what you are going to do and then get started and achieve what you have planned to do. Set up small goals, and progress step by step. You will find them easier to realize and actually realizing them will mentally reward you and make you feel better - and motivate you to continue !
In order to succeed in life, create intentions. Think about an outcome - dont think right now about how to get there. Think about an outcome that would make you truly happy and placid.
In general, when you think long-term, think of intentions - and when it comes to thinking short-term, then think of goals.
Then - when you have imagined an intention that would truly make you happy - think about how could you make this imagined outcome a reality. Think about the hurdles and how to overcome them. Set up goals. And then - act on it. The most important thing for you will be to get started. You will find doing what follows way easier.
