Stop right now and ask yourself what goal do you need to stop intending to do and start doing?

Action always beats intention.

Why is the word “intend” normally followed by an excuse or a reason as some people like to say? I intended to go back to school, but… I intended to go visit, but..

Those who accomplish greatness resist the urge to give into intention and its evil cousin excuses. Achievements demand action. Actions will always surpass intentions. Intentions are an enemy of success and stand in between you and your goal. No more, no less. One thing I have always been known for is my ability to execute. It drives me absolutely crazy to hear people talk about what they intend to do. I always think don’t intend to do – just do. Life happens and things will always come up. You must determine that you will accomplish whatever you intend to do, whatever it is that you set your mind to achieve.

There is no stopping you if you decide to take action, even if it is a small step. Consistent action yields progress and trumps intention every single day of the week. Become a person of action and not intention or willful thoughts. Become disciplined enough to get back on track if you somehow find yourself off course because life got in the way. Decide you will substitute the words I intended for I did.

I remember going through a pretty rough period in life. I was laid off among other things. For about a week, I just could not shake the fact that I was back in the job market. I was frustrated and agitated that all the minorities were impacted. I could not believe that in the 21st century with our first African-American president we were still dealing with such overt racism. I determined that I could not and would not allow this situation to go unnoticed. Because I am committed to making a positive impact on humanity, I took action to remedy the situation and make things better for those coming after me. It was as if I could not rest, until I did something. During that time period, there were other things that I needed to work on simultaneously. When I looked up a few weeks later, I found there were somethings that I wanted to do (intended to do), but I hadn’t done. I was so disappointed in myself. I buckled down, drafted a plan, and began to take massive action to bridge the gap between what I intended to do and what should have been accomplished by that time period to get back on track. Although I was working on a worthy cause, I still had no excuse for not achieving the other goals I had set.

Question: What did you intend to do that you need to go back and just do? Remove the obstacles and get it done. Remember, people are attracted to people of action and execution, not those of intention. Who are you?