Recently, I had a situation that really drove home a lesson I've learned (and unfortunately, had to learn more than once). I was talking with a team member who was feeling overwhelmed because they were having trouble with their equipment. From what I could see, this person had the desire, skills, and experience needed to get the project done. The issue wasn’t them—it was the equipment.
I had the best of intentions to help. I promised to either fix the equipment or replace it so they could get their project back on track. But, despite my good intentions, I didn’t write down a reminder.
Guess what happened next? Nothing.
I walked out of that meeting, but on my way back to my desk, I got interrupted three times. By the time I got to my office, that equipment issue was forgotten about, and my intentions didn’t do anything to help my team member succeed.
As Andy Stanley says, "Our direction, not intention, determines our destination."
In life, we all have goals we want to achieve—a loving marriage, a fulfilling career, a thriving family, a healthy lifestyle, or a positive impact on those around us. But just having good intentions isn’t enough.
Unfortunately, I had to learn this lesson, again. Where do your actions need to realign with your intentions this week?