Transforming Talk Into Walk: Tactics to Close Your Intention-Action Gap

Anne woke up on 1 January feeling positive and motivated (and just a tad hungover), saying to herself “This is going to be an awesome year!” She’d been thinking about her goals and now it was time to lock in her New Year’s resolutions and start making progress! That positive feeling and motivation lasted all of about…. 8 days. Then the daily distractions of life caught up and her NY’s resolutions were just a memory, like that forgotten abdominozer gathering dust under her bed.

Have you ever wondered why some people can quickly turn their decisions into action while others seem to endlessly procrastinate? It’s a common phenomenon known as the intention-action gap. This is where there’s a disconnect between our intentions and the actions we take, or more commonly, the actions we don’t take. But fear not, for there is a solution to bridge this gap so you can make progress and unlock your full potential.

The Power of Intention: Rocket Fuel For Your Goals

Not having a clear intention is like that gym membership you got but never used. Without a powerful intention, that goal is just a wish. The trouble is that many of us spend more time picking a movie on Netflix than figuring out our highest intentions.

Your intention is more than just a wish or a desire; it’s a purposeful movement towards something meaningful for you. It’s the rocket fuel to propel you towards your goals.
Unfortunately, many people fail to invest any time in identifying their core intention. But by exploring and connecting with the valuable reasons behind your goals, you can ignite the inner motivation needed to propel you forward and navigate any obstacles.

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche.

Susan’s Triathlon: Uncovering Your Inner Motivation

Let’s take the example of Susan, a successful corporate leader who set a goal to complete a triathlon. Initially, she was excited about the challenge, but as time passed, she struggled to take action. Through leadership coaching, Susan discovered that her highest intention was not just about completing the triathlon but about ensuring she was healthy enough to see her daughters grow into adults. This powerful realisation became her driving force, igniting her inner motivation to overcome the obstacle of getting up early for her training and achieving her goal.
“Energy flows where your attention goes, guided by your intention”

The Attention-Intention Gap: Prioritising Your Priorities

It’s easy to get distracted, especially by the urgent but not important things, e mail alerts and social media. When being distracted, what’s happening is we’re allowing our attention to guide our focus, leading to distractions and a lack of progress. To achieve your goals faster and easier it’s essential to take responsibility for your attention, decisions and actions. How?
By aligning your attention with your intentions rather than letting your attention guide your intention. Prioritising your priorities is a game changer in avoiding distracting yourself and creating the time for what truly matters.

Uncovering Those Sneaky Positive Intentions

Have you ever wondered why you choose Netflix and ice-cream over hitting the gym? The answer lies in understanding that we are intelligent creatures, and we only make decisions
that provide some form of benefit. Whether it’s avoiding discomfort or seeking immediate pleasure, we often prioritise these short-term rewards over achieving our long-term goals.

So when you choose to distract yourself rather than working on your important goal, what do you get from that choice? Maybe it’s avoiding the discomfort of doing something outside your comfort zone, or avoiding the hard work, or maybe it’s avoiding the possibility that it might not be perfect and it’s criticised.

Recognising these hidden positive intentions will help you make better choices to move forward and make that 1% growth every day.

Creating a Better Strategy for Success

To bridge the intention-action gap, let’s break it down into four simple steps you can apply starting today. Think of it like following a recipe for success:

1. Identify your core “whys”: Invest the time to delve deep into the reasons behind your goals. Ask ‘what is the most important thing to me about this goal?’. Connect with your highest intentions to ignite your inner motivation fire. Tip: When you do connect with your most valuable why, you will feel it inside of you.

2. Prioritise with purpose: Take ownership of your priorities. Ensure that you are aligning your actions with what truly matters to you, rather than choosing to distract yourself with low-value, low-return tasks. Be the Captain of your ship, not a passenger.

3. Aim for success: Focus on positive outcomes and achieving your goals rather than simply avoiding failure. This shift in mindset can enhance your motivation and sustain your progress.

4. Count your progress: Each small step forward is progress and stepping outside your comfort zone is a win. By acknowledging your progress you build your inner grit.
Don’t take my word for it, try these out for yourself to test the difference they make.

Conclusion: Unlocking Your Leadership Potential

In summary, closing the intention-action gap is essential for effective growth, self-leadership and leading others. By setting clear intentions, identifying your core motivations, and prioritising your goals, you can overcome the obstacles that hinder progress.

Remember, intention without action is meaningless, and action without intention lacks direction. By bridging this gap, you have the power to unlock your full potential. So passing the ball to you, set your intentions, and let your actions speak louder than words.

Kelly Samson is a leadership & high-performing teams coach who empowers ambitious professionals and executives to manage stress, build resilience, improve EQ, and elevate performance.