Be More Intentional With Your Attention
Intention is more important than attention.
Think about the TV show we binge, the posts, stories, and reals on Social Media that suck our attention.
Yet very rarely do we intentionally do this.
Our attention is captured in so many different and powerful ways, nowadays, every day, at every moment. Intentionality is becoming a very rare phenomenon.
Why is this a problem?

Because intention is what gives us an aim, what gives us traction to achieve our goals, and, more importantly, it’s what allows us to live our purpose.
Think about mindsets. We can define mindsets as habits our mind creates based on previous experiences.
If the mental habits we are creating are feeding our reactivity and don't allow space for intentionality, we are leaving a lot on the table.
Do you ever arrive at the end of a day wondering where the time went?

Even if you have a practice of gratefulness that creates a space to verbalize or write down something you were thankful for the day, did you catch yourself thinking, what did I do today? What am I truly grateful for? I know I did a lot today, but I almost can't remember where the time went and what I did.
When our attention is hijacked unintentionally, we feel hazy, the day is a blur.
Yes, we did a lot.
Yes, we focused on many things we didn’t intend to focus on.
Intentional, intention, intend. These words usually imply directing one's attention with a plan or purpose. And, so often, our attention can be captured without a plan or purpose.
It's like the outside world determines what you are paying attention to. We are just reacting to it.
If we learn to be more intentional, we regain the power of placing our attention on achieving our goals, ambitions, and aspirations. We live on purpose. We can be more proactive and choose more meaning-creating activities. We can cultivate mind habits—mindsets—that can allow us to be more in the flow, nurtured by positive emotions, and build better relationships with others.
How do we go about cultivating intentionality in our day to day?

To be intentional, we have to be able to press the pause button to choose what to do next.
And this is particularly difficult when circumstances are tough.
Yet, we can learn to press this pause button and respond to life's challenges without reacting, without falling into old habits.
In order to do this, we need to strengthen our mental fitness.
Think: If we are physically fit, we can climb several flights of stairs without losing our breath and arrive at whatever floor we need to go to with enough energy to do what we need to do and even enjoy the process.
If we strengthen our mental fitness, we can handle life's challenges without getting overwhelmed or immersed in negativity so easily. Even when we fall into negative emotions—what will undoubtedly happen—we can recover faster and be more resilient.
We can start by paying detailed attention to something as simple as washing our hands or focusing our attention on the sensations of breathing.
You can intentionally focus your attention in one breath, even keeping your eyes fully open and aware of your surroundings.
Just give it a try.
You can be more intentional with your attention.
Be sure to check out the MINDSET ZONE® podcast episode here!