Ep 160: Living with Intention
This morning, I was listening to Minute with Maxwell, a daily motivational clip by author and motivational speaker, John Maxwell. The word he was speaking on was “intentional," and he said something that really struck me: "Most people don’t lead their lives, they accept them.”
When Maxwell brought up the idea of leading your life versus accepting it, I began to reflect on times in my life when I wasn’t a very good leader; whether that was personally, professionally, or spiritually, there were times when I simply accepted what I had rather than seeking to improve it. I fell into a routine where I was just going through the motions. I was in a routine of doing what I always do and getting what I’ve always gotten. I was in a place where ‘pretty good’ was adequate.
The thing is–we’re now living in a world where “pretty good” isn’t good enough. If we settle for ‘pretty good,’ we are only limiting ourselves from reaching our full potential.
Wherever I’m at in my life or my training career, I’ve realized that to get better, I need to be intentional about creating a separator. A separator is not necessarily what separates you from someone else–it’s what separates you from the previous version of yourself.
A separator doesn’t have to be a huge change. It can be a small shift in your approach. A separator can be a devotion of time, a commitment to knowledge, or a new way of applying that knowledge. For me, a commitment to consistency has been that separator.
Consistency requires discipline. It requires me to be very disciplined about how I spend my time and energy each day. This goes in line with what Maxwell says about intentionality. He says that the way we grow is by being intentional about our thoughts and actions. “Our growth lies in our ability to transform good intentions into good actions.” To me, being intentional means doing the best I can to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of me. And, that starts with being disciplined and consistent about my thoughts and actions.
“Be Your Best Horsemanship” is brought to you by Silver Lining Herbs, Classic Equine, Martin Saddlery, Better Horses Network, Purina, Healthycoat, CINCH, Starbar, and Clarifly. These brands have been part of the Phil Haugen Horsemanship team for many years, and their products continue to play an integral role in the success of our performance horse training program. To support these brands, visit our Sponsors tab.
