Stop being busy. Start being intentional

What’s the one word that sums up your lockdown working life so far? For most of us, Busy seems to be the predominant sentiment. Working from home means we’re working longer hours, feeling the pressure to be “always on.”

Trapped in a Covid-filled world, with Zoom after Zoom validating our mindset of Busy, we slog on through each day, looking back in the evening and seeing we got all the essential tasks done. But were we intentional? That’s the question we need to be asking, not whether we were busy. Busy wears you down; intentionality is what gets you up in the morning with a purpose. It’s all about having a road map to where you want to get to – not just at work, but also in your relationships and all of life. And here’s the bigger question you need to be asking: during the next year, what needs to happen for you to make meaningful progress, both professionally and personally, on your life's intentions?

Lots of people set goals – but how many of us really set benchmarks for what our intentions are in life and work? Intentionality is about marking out concrete steps, not just distant goals. The beauty of true intentionality is that it also requires transparency. Without that, it becomes deceit and will eventually cause havoc in your life. True intentionality makes you unique. It gives you an authenticity that makes you contagious. So take a moment today to step back and ask: what are your intentions for your life? And once you catch that vision, don’t stop there. Ask yourself these questions: How can I create value toward my intention today? How can I craft a future where I succeed? What can I do today to be a better person? Finally, it’s critical that your work self and your personal self be one and the same. Without that kind of authenticity, people will see right through you.

These are exceptional times. For the past year, Busy has been winning over Intentional – or perhaps I should say Busy has extended its lead. But exceptional times also provide exceptional opportunities to rethink the way we’re living. And the only way to break the curse of Busy is through Intentionality.

Peter Novak