When I was writing my next book, Intentional (out January 6th!), I dug deep into the science of becoming more intentional. To do this, I chatted with many researchers and scientists. But some of the largest lessons came from an unexpected place: Buddhist monks.
Monks might seem like an odd group to turn to, but the truth is otherwise: they essentially spend their lives contemplating and practicing being intentional.
On a whim one day, I asked one of the monks: Where does intention come from? In his response, he mentioned all of the places I had already discovered from the research, including:
- Our biology
- The social environments we occupy
- Conditioning from family and culture
- Our desire to seek pleasure and avoid pain
- Lessons we have learned in the past
But his final source of origin surprised me, because I hadn't encountered it in the science: our self-reflective capacity. I had come across all of the other sources. But our “self-reflective capacity” was new to me. In the book, I write how it is “our ability to look within ourselves to consider the best way to proceed.”
What a beautiful capacity of our mind! And, frankly, this is a capability of our mind we are not connected enough with.
I won't spoil too much of the book here, as I unfold this idea for you in a unique way in there. But I do want to leave you with a question to incubate: how often do you ask questions of your inner world?
Tapping into our self-reflective capacity is critical for becoming more intentional. Often we act—and work—on autopilot mode. But after enough time on autopilot, a certain part of us desires to snap back to things, and choose where to go—and what to do—next. In other words, in a moment of awakening, we become more intentional by deliberately charting our course forward.
By looking inward, we take a second to choose where to go. This “regrouping” is the process through which we become more intentional.
How often do you currently tap into your self-reflective capacity? Do you go on long runs? Do you journal? Do you let your mind wander during workouts? Do you meditate? Do you have a daily or weekly planning ritual?
The options for tapping into this capability of our mind are endless. But we all need a way.
The more expansive your self-reflective capacity, the more intentional you can become.
