Moving our intentionality discussion further, think about this - intentionality without purpose is essentially misdirection. As discussed in the previous post (read Part 2 of this series), a farmer can take care of their land to the best of their ability, but without planting a seed, nothing will grow. If the farmer’s end goal is to harvest crops, they should not only plant the seeds, but they need to plant the right kind of seeds. I can’t expect to reap corn when I plant strawberries. It may be a fun surprise, but it wouldn’t align with my end goals and expectations.
Define your why
I love this saying, which I’ve heard on the Dave Ramsey network many times: “If your why doesn’t make you cry, find a different why.” The saying is fairly simple but has much depth that can be explored.
The first line pulls at the passion strings. If your core values and beliefs do not embed the reason you are proceeding with an action or decision, the end result will likely reflect it. The second line realizes this and highlights that there are options to explore. Find a different WHY. Our core values define what we believe and seed our WHY. Thus, our core values and why are our actions or intentions aligned and need to align with our goals. I like looking at this from a motivational perspective, specifically intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.
What Motivates You?
Our motivation and goals change as we progress in our years, careers, and life journey. Early in my career, I wanted to find the most logical (potentially fastest) way to make six figures, and my focus was 100% on that goal. As I aged, I found that making money was great, but there are more important values I have in my life. So, I split my focus into 50% monetary growth and 50% value/fulfillment. Not to say I’m old, but now, I’m significantly more focused on fulfillment than monetary gain.
In one of my previous roles at a large hospital enterprise, one project I worked on was optimizing operations within a specific department. One task that was assigned by senior leadership was to increase patient visits without increasing our resource/headcount. As we dug through it, one of our solutions was to find various motivation factors for clinical staff. Pizza party, anyone? Maybe a team bonding outing at Top Golf? Sure, but we found that we would hit a roadblock quickly. We hit a roadblock even when we offered additional financial incentives, so more work = more pay. It became apparent that these extrinsic motivators only go so far. They build momentum for a very short period, then fall back to where it was beforehand. So then what?
Our focus shifted. We shifted to intrinsic motivation. What motivated our team? We found clearly that some found those other motivators ‘lame’ or a ‘waste of time’ or, more importantly, non-value add. So, how do we then focus on the intrinsic motivators? Luckily for me, this was healthcare. In healthcare, the majority of clinicians/staff are there because they want to give back and help improve the lives of those who come to their clinic/office/hospital. We focused on improving the interactions with patients, specifically improving time with patients and improving patient outcomes. This resonated most with the providers; our patient satisfaction scores went through the roof. It also accomplished our task not only in the short term but longitudinally as well.
Any why, Any How
Friedrich Nietzsche said, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any How.” As discussed in this post, intentionality begins with understanding your core values, motivation, and goals. Intentionality is the strategic or tactical action to get to those goals. Though I would love to have a great infographic that shows this progress, from my research, I’ve found that this pathway is almost never linear. The weaves and turns that come on our path continue to value or devalue our current goals. Our motivations change, life goals change, and focused intentionality changes. We’ll discuss the emotional components of intentionality in the next post. I hope you’re following along on the journey!
If you are on a financial journey and have questions about end goals, be sure to discuss these with your financial advisor. These goals can range from creating an emergency fund, paying off debt, or saving for retirement. Our team at Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers is there to help you through any part of the journey.
Intentionality Series: Part 3
October 21, 2024
Summit Puri
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