What intentions are you setting?

A black horse and a brown horse trotting in a green field with trees in the background

If you’re not clear on your intention, that in itself is an intention.

A former colleague, Alan, once headed out to bring the horses in. I could tell by his walk that he didn’t believe they’d come. Sure enough, later he admitted that that was exactly what he’d been thinking.

The horses took off at a gallop.

I went out to help. As I watched them charge up and down the field, my first thought was: “This is going to be tricky.” Then I caught myself as I remembered that was a story.

It wasn’t true. It was made up.

So I changed the story. I told myself the horses would come in easily.

And just like that, something shifted. My body felt more grounded. I felt clearer, more confident, and quietly determined.

As my body shifted, so did the horses.

Kalle, one of my horses, stopped galloping and looked straight at me.

“Come on,” I said. “I need you to come in.”

She walked over, calmly placed her head into the collar, and the rest followed. She didn’t understand the words but she understood the intention.

If you believe a project will be hard, you prime yourself for resistance. You show up tense, hesitant, uncertain and your actions reflect that which creates your outcomes.

But when you set a clear intention, your entire presence changes. Your nonverbal signals align. You act with clarity, purpose, and trust, and people (and animals) respond.

What stories are you telling yourself today?

What intention could you set to create the outcome you actually want?

If you’re going to make up stories about what’s going to happen, make them good ones! Then you’ll create positive outcomes with conscious intention.