Good Intentions vs Intentional | The Battle Rages

Lots of reasons to quit in life.

Many will quit reading this before they even start. Quitting is just too easy.

Most of us have good intentions, though. That’s a small start. The problem is, that’s a small start (not finish).

Good intentions never wrote a best-seller, never became an A-list blogger, never painted Sugaring Off. Good intentions don’t lose weight, run marathons, double incomes. They just don’t.

Good intentions are passed on the side of the road by the successful. They are passed by the ‘intentional’ folks. The on-purpose folks.

These cats make up a very small percentage of the population. Maybe 5%.

You know them well. You read their books, listen to their music, visit their blogs. You see them (on the news) running the Boston Marathon, wearing a dress three sizes smaller, taking month-long vacations. You see them living intentional, on-purpose lives.

It’s easy to make excuses as to why they’re doing it, and you’re not: “As soon as…then I will finish, start, such and such.” That voice in your head isn’t your friend. It’s resistance. It’s good intentions. It’s going through the motions.

Here’s the rub:

It isn’t that far to go from good intentions to intentional. There are stories galore about people who lived and are living intentional lives. Many don’t start that way. Read about them. I dedicated a section in my eBook to them. They are no different from you. You are one decision (choice) away from being intentional.

If you decide that today is that day for you, it just may be your name and story that I’m including in my next book. That is my hope.

Here’s the rub part 2:

You know the difference between good intentions and intentional. We all do. We get to choose which one will define us.

I applaud you if you’re still reading. That’s intentional. That’s on-purpose. That’s a choice. Keep going.

And…

Live it LOUD!

This guest post was written by Rob Adelphia. He blogs at Today Has Power.com(or net). He has written several eBooks. His latest is How to Get Anything Out of Life … And More! It delivers practical steps to anyone seeking to live their life intentionally.

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Deb Augur

Hi Rob and Melanie,

Nice to “meet” you Rob. Great post. I love the way you pulled the word and phrase together and then apart! LOL. Such truth, too.

I didn’t realize it was a guest post until I saw it was kinda long… Melanie is Queen of short posts! However, I adore her and figured she was on a mission to get her point across even if it was longer than usual. Then I saw it was from you, Rob, and I said, Aha! I knew it. Which made me smile.

Okay, I’m getting carried away. Loved the post and very happy to have learned about you.

And big hugs to you, Mel. I’ve been kind of out of touch for about a month and wanted to stop by so you wouldn’t forget about me. LOL. Cya!
- Rob
  
  Hey Deb,
  Excellent to meet you.
  
  Melanie doesn’t need as many words as I do to express a point 🙂
  
  Glad you enjoyed.
  - Deb Augur
    
    LOL… and I seem to need more words than the two of you put together, Rob! I’m definitely more of a “long post” type. Hopefully my few readers don’t mind too much. 😉
    - Rob
      
      Not so fast Deb,
      I have some 2k word posts.
      I submitted one to Ezines and had to break it into a 4-parter 🙂 🙂
      - Deb Augur
        
        Haha! I can relate. Good to know I’m in good company!
      - Melanie Kissell
        
        I think they have support groups for that sort of thing, Rob. LOL!
    - Melanie Kissell
      
      I’ll tell you a secret, Deb …
      
      I “intentionally” asked Rob to craft a “short” post for me.
      
      So I had to giggle when you commented this one is longer than what I usually produce. Given Rob’s writing style, this little post was a drop in the bucket! 🙂
      - Rob
        
        I had a good chuckle about that myself!
        
        When in Rome…
        
        Imagine if Deb and I wrote a piece together. 🙂 🙂
      - Melanie Kissell
        
        Please don’t do that, okay?! Please don’t even THINK about doing that!
        
        If you and Deb crafted a post together …
        
        I’d have to set aside half a day to read it. I love you guys, but I don’t have that kind of time. 🙂
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Forget about you, Deb?! No Way. You’re divinely unforgettable! 😉
  
  I am SO jazzed you stopped by and had a chance to meet Rob and I hope the two of you will stay in touch.
  
  You’re both good eggs! 🙂
  
  Love ya,
  Melanie
Cristian Balau

Hello Rob! You wrote a very motivational article here, thanks!
The bottom line is you should never quite in achieving your goals and should always stay focused no matter how temped you get to just quit and take the easy road.
- Rob
  
  Hey Cristian,
  
  Indeed.
  We must look to Coolidge for the authoritative quote on persistence:
  
  Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
  Calvin Coolidge
  An attitude like this assures victory. Edison and the filament come to mind.
  
  Live it LOUD!
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Hi Christian,
  
  I’ll back up Rob’s thoughts with every fiber of my being!
  
  Many of us, at one time or another, have tried to find the address to “Easy Street”. I checked the map. It’s NOT there.
  
  “Action” trumps “good intentions” any day of the week!
  
  Thanks for stopping by,
  Melanie
Diana Simon

Hi Melanie – Thanks for sharing Rob with us as I have never visited his blog before. It sure was a powerful message and one I can relate too!

Rob – I have had many good intentions in the past and when I jumped into blogging what was different was that I stated an intention. It wasn’t about trying and let’s see what happens but more a “going to do it”.

It really has made a difference because it’s going at it 100% rather than half-heartedly. There have been challenging times and it was the intention that has helped me overcome these periods.

Thanks for a great post!
Diana
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Hi Diana!
  
  I’m happy you enjoyed meeting Rob and be sure to stop over at “Today Has Power” whenever you can.
  
  You’ve touched on something very, very important with these words …
  
  ” … I stated an intention.”
  
  It’s really kind of strange (and kind of magical, too) what happens when you “announce” your intentions … even if you tell just one person. Suddenly your intentions come to life and they feel so much more “real” and reachable.
  
  Thanks for the visit today!
  Melanie
  xoxo
  - Rob
    
    Hey Diana and Melanie,
    
    Spot on!
    
    What can we accomplish by emulating this idea:
    
    “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these courageous couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus.
    
    It awaits us.
    
    Thanks Diana, and…
    Live it LOUD!
    - Melanie Kissell
      
      Boy, those couriers sure had a firmness of purpose, didn’t they?!
Jen Puckett

Living intentionally! LOVE it! It’s the only way to live! Thanks for the great post! A little pick me up as I get to going on some work!
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Jen! I love the new photo — beautiful. I hardly recognized you at first glance.
  
  I have a feeling Rob has a lot of “pick-me-ups” in store for his fans, friends,and followers. 🙂
  - Rob
    
    Hey Jen,
    
    Didn’t see the other picture but I agree with Melanie:) I seem to agree with her a lot.
    
    I hope it picks you up and carries you forward through your intentional work and beyond.
    
    Live it LOUD!
    - Melanie Kissell
      
      Truth is, Rob …
      
      I really NEED you to agree with me since, most often, my children DON’T! But I’ll refrain from telling that story till a later date. 🙂
Hajra

Hey Rob,

Are you like everywhere? 😉

Your book is awesome as is your blog…hope it gets the attention and love it deserves!

Right now, I can say that intentions have potential, but and only if you act on them…. 🙂
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Thank you for swinging by, Hajra!
  
  I’m with you …
  I hope Rob’s book and his wonderful blog get lots and lots of love. 🙂
  - Rob
    
    Hey Hajra,
    
    Looking forward to being on your site next Friday!!
    Thanks for the friendly smile:)
    
    So true about intentions. We must be intentional about our intentions.
    We will be glad we were.
    
    Live it LOUD!
    - Melanie Kissell
      
      Looking forward to your post on Hajra Kvetches, Rob!
      
      I had tons of fun writing a humorous piece for Hajra a few weeks ago about what I’m thankful for. And the little stinker … she published it on my birthday! 🙂
      - Hajra
        
        Yes, I am such a darling 😉
Daphne Bousquet, CMP

Thanks for sharing Rob’s post with us, Melanie. Like Janette, I too was reminded of that old saying about the road to hell. It also sounds like Yoda

“Try? There is no try. Do or do not” And that is also the difference between having intentions and being intentional.

Great post, Rob, and thank you for getting us to confront the battle in all of us.
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Hi Daphne!
  
  Sounds like maybe some of us have traveled that “road to hell”. 😉
  
  I was more than happy when Rob agreed to do a guest post for me and I couldn’t be more pleased with the topic! You’re right. It’s one of those (BIG important) issues in life that does create a battle within us … and one we need to be determined to win!
  
  Thanks for coming by today,
  Melanie
  - Rob
    
    Hey Daphne and Melanie,
    
    @Melanie,
    Is it me, or are your readers above average? What I really appreciate is no excuse making. Let’s just get it done. Let’s be intentional. I smell some best-sellers coming out of this special group. And, of course, there’s a reason they’re here. 🙂
    
    @Daphne,
    The battle really is in each of us daily. It will never end. We must be intentional in fighting one step at a time. Victory (success) is guaranteed if we will do this.
    
    Live it LOUD!
    - Melanie Kissell
      
      I know what you mean about my readers, Rob — they rock! 🙂
Yvonne A Jones

Melanie, Thanks for introducing Rob, and reading his first post I know I’ll want to visit his blog. I think it’s really sad when you read statistics like the one above that only a small percentage of people really follow up, follow through and make their intentions a reality.

It caused me to pause and reflect which side of the fence I’m on. Yes, I’m, doing…but am I working enough on those intentions and making them a reality? Am I being truly intentional?

Following that self-analysis I can truly say I am very intentional about certain aspects of my life, especially my spiritual and family side. I’m fairly intentional about my business…but there are areas to work on.

Excellent, thoughtful, and motivational post, Rob.
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Your candor and total transparency is refreshing and much appreciated, Yvonne — thank you!
  
  You and I are definitely sitting on that same part of the “intentional” spectrum. I have some areas to work on, as well.
  
  I would have to say Rob reached his goal with this wise and beautiful post in nudging people to “pause and reflect”.
  
  Grateful to you for “intentionally” taking precious time out of your busy day to stop by and meet Rob! 😉
  
  Melanie
  xoxo
- Rob
  
  Hey Yvonne,
  
  The battle rages in all of us. That’s how we know just how important it is.
  Complacency can grab a good hold and not let go. Even worse, we may fool ourselves into thinking we’re fine.
  Self-reflection and being honest with ourselves is a big piece to the puzzle.
  
  Thanks so much.
  
  Live it LOUD!
  - Melanie Kissell
    
    This speaks volumes, Rob … really LOUD volumes …
    
    ” … we may fool ourselves into thinking we’re fine.”
    
    I think they call that DENIAL. 🙂
    
    Thanks for coming over and replying to comments — you’re a champ!
    
    Melanie
Janette Fuller

This is an very inspiring post. It is great to meet you, Rob.
There is an old saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This could mean that people do bad things even though they had good intentions. It could also mean that good intentions may not result in a good outcome because of inaction due to procrastination or laziness.
You have to take ACTION to have good results…we need more backbone and less wishbone.
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Oooh, Janette — I love it!
  
  ” … we need more backbone and less wishbone.” 🙂
  
  Thank you for being here today, sharing your spot on insights, and finding inspiration in Rob’s guest post.
  
  Hugs,
  Melanie
- Rob
  
  Hey Janette,
  
  Backbone is right!
  
  Sticktoitiveness.
  
  Thanks for wonderful and intentional input.
  - Melanie Kissell
    
    Hey Rob,
    
    “Sticktoitiveness” combined with a little sprinkling of “stubbornness” and a dash of “spine” …
    
    And you’ll be cookin’ up a scrumptious plate full of “intentional”! 😉
Peggy Baron

Loved it Rob!
But I can’t stick around to chat because I’m off to be BOLDLY intentional! 🙂

Thanks,
Peggy
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Hey Peggy!
  
  Way to go! I’m sure Rob won’t mind that you had to GO so quickly. LOL 😉
  
  Thanks for the visit today,
  Melanie
- Rob
  
  Thanks Peggy,
  
  That is the greatest result possible!
  Enjoy.
  
  Live it LOUD!
Lynn Brown

Well you fooled me Melanie because it certainly sounded like you until I got to the end. So please know Rob that you have a wonderful writing style and an amazing analogy. But have to say my very dear ebiz friend and biz associated takes a close second.

So many people need to read and truly understand your insight. You either have it or you don’t or won’t. Excuses creates procrastination and certainly will reduce any chance of true intention. Thank you Rob for really spelling it out here.
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Hi Lynn,
  
  Had ya fooled, did I? LOL! Good to know. Now I’ll just have to ask Rob to start writing ghost posts for me. 😉
  
  I couldn’t agree with you more when you shared …
  
  ” Excuses create procrastination.” And sometimes good intentions are mistaken as excuses.
  
  The bottom line? If you don’t lead your life “intentionally”, your to-do list and your bucket list is just going to get a whole lot longer!
  
  I really love Rob’s message and I’m proud to have him as an online friend and colleague.
  
  Thanks for swinging by — I appreciate you!
  melanie
- Rob
  
  Hey Lynn,
  
  That is quite a compliment (to be in the same league with this young lady here). Thanks.
  Melanie beat me to the punch on, ‘Excuses create procrastination’.
  How true. We can put many obstacles in our own way as a form of Resistance.
  Daily choices must be made to win the battle.
  
  Live it LOUD!
Roberta

Love the distinction. So many people have good intentions but get nothing done. Being intentional though does not always make you popular but you are on purpose and you make a difference and that is what difference makers are about.
Enjoyed the guest and best of luck with the ebook Rob
- Melanie Kissell
  
  Thanks for your input, Roberta, and you’re absolutely right — there IS a big distinction — a gap as large as the Grand Canyon!
  
  Being “on purpose” does make a difference even when you don’t make it to the top of the popularity charts. 🙂
  
  Glad you took this opportunity to meet Rob!
  Melanie
  - Rob
    
    Hey Melanie and Roberta,
    
    First Co-Pres,
    What can I say? I’m humbled and blown away by your generous words. I was a fan before this. Nothing has changed, but I would appreciate an autograph. By the way, I did a post at my place today mentioning an autographed copy of Poke The Box I won. It was intentional.
    
    Roberta,
    I love any variation of the name Robert. I have found it to be linked with geniuses:)
    Re: “…that is what difference makers are about.”
    We are all difference makers, but most are ‘in waiting’.
    Let this post be a call to action for all who are ready.
    No, you don’t have to buy an eBook to make it happen.
    
    You just have to be intentional.
Rob

Hey Melanie!

Thanks so much for offering a wonderful platform for empowering. That was very intentional! You make a difference. Thank you for that.

My goal in writing a blog, eBook (s), and speaking fall under the same umbrella for me: make a small practical impact. We often focus on huge decisions, but pay no attention to the little ones that make up most of our day. It can be as simple as picking up (and eating!) an apple instead of chips, writing instead of watching tv, and reading a book instead of FaceBooking. These are all small choices. But, very intentional.

Live it LOUD!
- Melanie
  
  Rob,
  
  First of all, thank you very much for this powerful and empowering post! I’m so jazzed to have you as my guest author today. 🙂
  
  And I love these words and the meaning behind them …
  
  ” … make a small practical impact.”
  
  No need to move mountains, right?! We don’t need to put that kind of pressure on ourselves.
  
  You oftentimes hear people remark “It’s the “little” things in life that matter.” Well, they’re 100% correct!
  
  You’ve offered up some wonderful examples …
  
  ” … picking up (and eating!) an apple instead of chips, writing instead of watching tv, and reading a book instead of FaceBooking.”
  
  Thanks again for adorning this page with your awesomeness and a valuable lifelong lesson. 🙂
  
  Best of success with your ebook!
  (I don’t think you’re charging enough!!)
  
  Melanie
- Helenee
  
  Well, the Parthenon wasn’t built in a day… 😉
  I totally agree that it’s small steps that lead to exciting places.
  - Melanie Kissell
    
    You’re certainly right about THAT, Helenee!
    
    And not only are the small steps critical, it’s important to take them “intentionally”. 😉
    
    Thanks for the visit!
    Melanie
    - Rob
      
      Awesome point Melanie!
      
      Hey Helenee and Melanie,
      
      I am a huge proponent of what I call ‘momentum stacking’.
      
      Synopsis:
      We try to lose weight and lose 3 pounds. We’re upset because we didn’t lose 15. We have two choices at this juncture.
      
      1) We give up, sink into the couch cushions, and grab the Dorito’s (not an affiliate link:)
      
      2) We celebrate 3 pounds and now realize that we only have 12 pounds to go. We get the bike out the garage and do an extra 20 minutes.
      Two choices, seemingly small, but both VERY VERY intentional.
      Live it LOUD!
      - Melanie Kissell
        
        Thanks, Rob!
        
        And “momentum stacking” sounds like MY kind of sandwich. 😉