Do you want to succeed in life? Do you want to achieve your goals and dreams?
Most people will say yes and want to succeed. Most people also want to make a difference in the world. That’s human nature.
Young people want to make their lives count. They have good intentions. They want to get good grades, do well in school, get their homework and projects done by the due date, they want to make good friends, have a clean room, be organized.
And we all want to succeed. So, let me ask you another this question:
Are good intentions enough to succeed in life?
Of course the anwser is a big and resounding NO! Why?
Because action is the starting point of any transformation.
The destination is not as important as the journey itself. What we do determines where we go and who we become.
John Maxwell, the number one leadership teacher and speaker in USA, tells us:
“The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.
Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary much in their abilities – they vary in their choices, supported by their actions to reach their potential. And we must do something if we are to achieve our dreams.”
Sometimes we have to change our actions to get the results we want, but one thing is certain, good intentions without actions are just dreams, and those dreams will always remain dreams. When we act, even if we fail, we learn something.
If we don’t act, we destroy our chances of achieving that dream. But by starting now and taking the first step, which is usually the hardest, with each step we get closer to realizing that dream, even if we fail in the middle of the road and have to adjust, get back up and try again. As long as we are moving and as long as we are taking action, we can get closer to achieving our dreams.
So we have to start, even if we are afraid, if we are not sure, even if we feel alone and don’t want to do anything, action creates the motivation we need to pursue our goals.
I have always loved painting on canvas and creating beautiful works of art. I’ve done a few, but I’ve never been trained professionally. My intention was to create art but my actions did not support my beautiful intention and although I painted and created a few pieces, with my talent I could have done more, much more.
This intention and dream has always remained with me and has never left me. Every time I think about it, I become sad that I didn’t pursue it and take action.
There is a huge difference between intention and action. And one thing is for sure, the longer we wait to do something we want to do now, the less motivated we will feel to do it. as time passes, our intention decreases.
Most people hope that good intentions will be enough to achieve success. But there is a world of difference between good intentions and intentional living.
If we only have good intentions, but we don’t act with intentionality, we are likely to become more frustrated. Our desire for positive change may increase, but the lack of results will leave us frustrated.
What is your experience? Have you ever had a good intention that you didn’t pursue?
The Center for Youth Leadership 