As human beings, it’s natural to want to achieve the desired outcome and progress in our lives. But simply being busy and taking action for action’s sake isn’t enough to get us where we want to be. We must be intentional and purpose-driven in our actions to drive a new result and move forward in life. 

To do this, it means that we will inevitably have to do things we don’t want to do to achieve the results we want. But in doing these things, we will achieve results that others won’t, simply because they aren’t willing to put in the work and effort. The results we want to create in our lives demand hard work and effort, which often means doing things we don’t want to do.

What we want vs. what we don’t want.

It’s essential to identify what we want to do and what we don’t want to do. Many of us are clear on what we don’t want to do, but we are not clear on what we do want to do. 

For instance, someone wants to be healthier and lose weight: 

• They don’t know what they want to do to be healthier and lose weight.
• They do know that they don’t want to go to the gym 6 days a week.

But, just because we identify what we do and don’t want to do, it doesn’t mean we don’t have to actually do things we don’t want to do. To move forward in our goals, we must be willing to do what we don’t want to do.

Act with purpose and intention to achieve desired outcomes. 

We must be clear on our identity, mission, and purpose to move forward with purpose and intention. We are easily tempted to search for the perfect answer or solution. However, what’s more important – the “who” or the “how”? 

While both are important, the “who” – our identity– comes first. You are the only thing that can get the “how” to move forward. If you don’t know who you are and why you do what you do, then you are not intentional and purpose-driven in your actions. We have to have both for us to move forward in the direction we want to go.

How to move forward and achieve results.

As we go about our daily lives, let’s ensure we’re being true to ourselves and taking actions driven by our values and purpose. Let’s not just be busy for the sake of being busy. Let’s be purposeful and intentional in the actions that we take. By doing so, we can move forward and achieve the desired outcome and live a life that is true to who we are.

You are not defined by your actions, but your actions are defined by your character. If you lose your identity, you become part of the chaos and the problem. As soon as you define yourself by the experience you are having, you are no longer in control and are instead controlled by the situation. Intentional, purposeful action is not about perfect action; it’s about action in the progression of excellence. The desired outcome we want in our life demands work and effort.