Every action starts with an idea followed by the intention to take action upon that idea. Edison may very well have first considered the idea of a steady light source because reading by oil lamp was difficult and unsatisfactory. And, if he intended to create a new light source, he may have surmised it would also be great if the light was available at the flick of a switch. The leap between idea and intention does not guarantee instant success. It took Edison several thousand tries before he successfully came up with the electric light. But success came only after he made the conscious decision to achieve/create something. The power of intention will help lead you to success. When my clients are requesting for career change, they need to understand the power of intention.

You are a powerful, magnificent, wonderful and passionate being. This is your true essence. Yet, most of us see ourselves as less. Why do we spend our days focusing on what we can’t do, who we can’t be, the challenges we won’t overcome and the dreams we won’t achieve? The answer lies in our intentions. Because of its great ability to accomplish amazing results, intention and action must be directed toward results to maximize your results. This is called the power of intention.

When I started my business, Dream Job Coaching, I felt powerful and powerless. The feelings of power occurred when I gained more clarity of my vision for my company, enjoyed the rewards of great friendships, attracted new clients from my target market, collaborated with other creative and bright coaches and organized my office space to be more efficient. I felt on top of the world. I was able to expand my dreams for the future. My power of intention was focused on this manifestation.

After this great beginning, my power of intention became redirected because of my frustration at the lack of freedom I was feeling. As my dream business took off, I had less time to devote to planning new programs and ancillary materials for my business. Once I became focused on the negative feelings, time constraints decreased my freedom. I started paying attention to the negative voices inside me, “I can’t do it. I’m not worthy of attracting all these gifts and I don’t have the power to innovate.” These voices of doubt and fear overcame the great burst of energy that I felt in the previous weeks and my productivity plummeted.

The difference between one week’s doubt and another week’s successes is where I focused my power of intention. I took my attention off my doubts and placed it on how to grow and improve my business. I generated power by taking constructive action steps. In short, I redirected my power of intention. Now, after this tough period of feeling powerful and then powerless, I believe in myself again, my dreams, and my ability to create and manifest all that I am in the world.

Changing the direction of your power of intention can change your feelings and your results. And it can provide powerful momentum when requesting for career change.

You might have the habit of allowing yourself to get caught up in negative feelings. Usually when this happens, your energy is diverted to those negative feelings and away from taking constructive steps, especially the challenging, scary ones, to attain your goals. A coach, friend or any understanding individual can offer you the support to get through the self-doubts and assist you in redirecting your power of intention toward achieving your goals.

Putting the power of intention to work means being focused on what is best for you and having a clear idea of how you’re going to achieve it. Then, once you have an objective and a strategy, take action! Action is the only way to move your desired result from being out there to reality. As one of my clients said about the power of intention, “when one focuses on achieving a particular result, and acknowledges a process leading to an objective, one fuels the process and things get done very quickly.”

Keep taking risks and moving the comfort zone beyond where you are comfortable. Notice the gifts that come your way. One day, you’ll have accomplished your dreams and realized it was the power of intention that moved you there. Henry Miller said, “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade a grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world unto itself.”

Following are eight ways to shift your power of intention to attain what you want. These steps can be used at work and in other spheres of life to achieve your desired results more quickly and easily.

1. Monitor your thoughts.

If you are questioning why you aren’t creating the result you want, look at your thoughts and words, because those express your true intention. Focus on the goal, not the obstacles that may arise.

2. Enlist support.

Stay close to people who believe in you and remind you of who you are in all your power. Find three people today who can remind you of where your attention wants to be directed.

3. Use a coach.

Arrange with someone to work with you weekly to focus yourself on what you most want in your life. Consider hiring a professional coach to help you along your path to what you want. Remember, even the greatest sport professionals have a coach to guide them to new heights.

4. Signup for seminars.

Gaining knowledge that reminds you of what you want in your life is a powerful tool for focusing your power of intention. Review local papers and other useful sources so you can find out what seminars and workshops are being offered and sign up for those aligned to your dreams.

5. Create daily reminders.

Create personal notes that remind you where you most want to put your power of intention and inspire you to action. These notes can be in your home and even your office.

6. Set aside relaxation time.

By slowing down, quieting yourself and allowing your energies to settle, you can reinforce the sense of direction that your life wants to live and receive new inspiration.

7. Make space.

Clean up your office and life so nothing out there limits you from knowing the right intention for your life. Some activities which you might find helpful at work are: organizing your filing system, focusing on only three major projects at a time and completing your to-do list first thing in the morning.

8. Engage in an activity you love.

Think back on your life. What are the things you most enjoyed doing, felt most passionate about? Try to include something you love in your life every day.

Following is a client/coach situation we feel our readers will benefit from:

When providing career counseling for men and women over the years, I’ve noticed an internal tape recording of sorts. This never-ending loop of statements was repeated often.

• I can’t have this.
• This doesn’t exist.
• I’ll never be happy.
• I really don’t deserve this.

It seems to me these are common statements made by many people every day. When I began working with Joel, I realized how much they were trapping me in a certain way of thinking, and a certain way of living and working.

This was a major breakthrough for this client. After she realized how much these thought patterns were trapping her in an unfulfilling way of living and working, she was able to start questioning these beliefs, and replacing them with more success oriented ones.

I’ve found that this is indeed a common occurrence. Many, many people are stuck in a limiting mindset. That mindset is truly trapping them into an unfulfilling life. In a previous article, I talked with you about negative role models and experiences that instill certain beliefs in people. In many cases, these beliefs are never questioned, and these people continue to follow these limiting patterns.

I would like you to begin removing these negative mindsets. Consider the possibilities if you changed the questions and statements. Instead of telling yourself “I don’t have this,” ask yourself “Why CAN’T I have this?” This will be one of the most important questions you will ask yourself if you desire more fulfillment, and it is a question not many people ask.

Changing these questions from negative to positive also changes your perspective to one of saying YES to what you most want. And to say YES is to be open to imagine all the possibilities and dreams you’ve never gone after before. Imagine realizing that this is how it’s supposed to be. This is how you’re supposed to be living and working – actively creating the live you desire and deserve. You are only limited by your own thoughts and desires.

The client quoted above made a commitment to changing her mindset. She began by writing down the question, “Why CAN’T I have this?” and posting it where she would see it often. She also made a list of her limiting beliefs. These included:

• I can’t have the job I want because I’m too young and inexperienced.
• I can’t make more money than my colleagues.
• I can’t enjoy work.
• I can’t do a good job unless I work long hours.

Then she proceeded to write the opposite statement to each belief:

• I can have the job I want. I’m well trained, and talented. Age is not a barrier to my success.
• I can make as much money as I need, and as my performance allows.
• I can be effective and efficient, completing my work in less time, and allowing myself time to enjoy life.

She became skilled at recognizing her limiting thoughts, and at recognizing when she would automatically play them to herself on her ‘internal tape recorder’. She allowed herself to be completely open, and within months, her life changed dramatically, and she found herself more fulfilled than ever. Her fulfillment with her work and her personal lives were now exactly as she had desired.

Whether career counseling for men or woman, you can apply this same technique to your own lives. Ask yourself, “What can I create if I had no barriers?” “How can I remove self-created barriers to my success?” Finding true fulfillment at work or in your personal lives begins with these questions. Start today by giving yourself the gift of half an hour or an hour to ponder these questions, and begin to come up with solutions. Write them down and create your own ‘internal recording’ full of POSITIVE statements.