The Art of Intentionality in Your Life

Let’s face it: most people simply meander through life, content with just getting by and letting life happen to them. Take a moment, think about those you know who are in the trades, or even those who are not, and tell me it isn’t true. Better yet, think about all of the people who have left an impression on you – have made you assess your life, what you are doing, where you are going, and how they themselves got to be where they are – and one common theme will begin to emerge.

The Art of Intentionality

Yes, that’s right. Those individuals who have left an indelible imprint on our lives were intentional about doing so. In fact, it is their operating mode, their internal compass, their natural flow that guides them. They are intentional about what they do, why they do it, and seek to make things happen as opposed to things happening to them.

That’s not a bad place to be, right?

 

Intentionality

Without intentionality, you are blown in every direction like these seeds

Let’s start with a simple, working definition and springboard from there. The Oxford online dictionary defines it as “the fact of being deliberate or purposive.”

This is a great definition because I maintain we are either deliberate about things or we are laissez-faire – there really isn’t much in between. The one gives you tremendous potential for growth, success, and a life maximized – the other places you in the river on autopilot, drifting to and fro as life merely happens to you.

For my part, Intentionality is at the core of just about everything here – so much so that here at The Wealthy Ironworker, it is referred to as The Art of Intentionality.

***A caveat before going further: This article discusses The Art of Intentionality in your life – or, if you prefer, all of the various facets of your life it applies. As part of The Leadership Series, there is another article in the works – Leadership and The Art of Intentionality  – that will cover traits and a specific leadership direction. This distinction can be made due to the importance of intentionality; it is absolutely vital***

 

Little did I know that learning the Art of Intentionality would transform my life and how I approached it. Moreover, I was more than just a little surprised to discover John Maxwell had a law – The Law of Intentionality – explaining its importance to millions who read his books. I discovered this fact AFTER I wrote The 4 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader – which, if you haven’t read that yet, jump over and take a look – it has the power to change the way you lead.

Moreover, 2024 is the year we explore leadership, too; take the time to read the foundation and how I’ll build on it with future articles.

In any case, it’s nice to see Intentionality getting more time in the light – it’s THAT important.

 

The Art of Intentionality in Action

Use Intentionality and do something

So, now that we have defined intentionality and have even seen how it is touted by the likes of people like John Maxwell, what does intentionality in action look like? What’s more, what areas in our lives can benefit from The Art of Intentionality?

If taken comprehensively, this area could be thousands of words long; after all, no area of our lives couldn’t be augmented by more intentionality. Given this, I want to focus on specific areas that everyone can adopt: personal growth, work, retirement, and relationships. We’ll dive into each of these areas, and I’ll make you a promise here and now: IF you allow The Art of Intentionality to do its work in these areas of your life, you WILL see dividends 10 times over. That’s how confident I am about being intentional about what you do.

Conversely, you lose out on all that growth if you aren’t intentional. Maybe you’re ok with that.

I’m not.

Let’s take a deeper look.

 

The Art of Intentionality and Personal Growth

With intentionality comes new growth

This isn’t first by accident: unless you use The Art of Intentionality in your personal growth, it will not extend to the other areas of your life. Think about it this way: you have to work on yourself before expanding on the other important areas of your life. How can you be intentional at work when you aren’t intentional in your personal growth? The answer is simple: you can’t. Taking this as truth, we want to look at how to use The Art of Intentionality in your personal growth.

First, recognize there is always room for improvement – including yourself; that is the starting point. Because we can always improve, we should be on the lookout for how we can. I wish more people understood this. Far too many think themselves perfect the way they are, which is complacency – the opposite of challenging – and growing. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Personalities (understanding who we are)
• Increasing our knowledge
• Increasing our wisdom
• Read good authors and books
• Being better listeners
• Being better fathers/husbands or mothers/wives
• Being better employees
• Being better citizens

I have maintained here for a while now that if you want to build better tradesmen, you need to build better men. You see, you could be a better tradesman – but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll be a better man. Become a better man, though? You WILL be a better tradesman. (The same applies to you ladies, too).

For my part, we NEED better personal growth. What you do with it – and how you achieve it – has as many variables as people, but pursue it you should.

Maybe you start out by setting a goal of reading a few books this year (A goal for 2024 here at The Wealthy Ironworker, too)? Perhaps you set a goal to be a better listener – or it could be that you want to understand yourself more. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t want to be a better father/husband (or mother/wife). And everyone I know should strive to be better today than they were yesterday.

Whatever it is, you must intentionally set that/those goal(s) and actually begin. Too many of us are paralyzed by overanalyzing; better for us to just begin somewhere and adjust accordingly.

 

The Art of Intentionality and Your Physical Health

Physical well-being is often ignored by many when they aren’t intentional about it

Whew – if there was ever a time when we could use a heaping dose of intentionality, it’s here. So many of us are in need of this, myself included. It’s one of the reasons I’ve set up a 2024 goal on the podcast, tracking my own venture into greater personal health. I know I need to make a change. Therefore, it’s on us to take the time, make some changes, act on them, and see some tremendous changes take place.

Think about it for a second: most people who are unhealthy – which is a lot of people, if we’re honest – need a heaping dose of this. And, I cannot stress this enough, need to also understand this isn’t a quick fix, either.

If you weigh more than you should, need to become more physically active, looking to build muscle or cardiovascular health, want to increase your stamina, energy, or anything related here, hopefully, you realize you didn’t get to the point you’re at overnight; it was a slow and steady decline.

Likewise, reversing years of neglect isn’t an overnight process, either; it WILL take time, effort, an understanding that you are embarking on a lifestyle change and NOT a diet, a willingness to acknowledge all this – and, dare I say, a heaping dose of intentionality.

On the surface, that seems like a lot. Perhaps it is. You know how you eat an elephant, though? One bite at a time. Yeah, that’s right. We get paralyzed at the enormity of it all, but break it down into actionable pieces and watch as things begin to change for you.

So, if this applies to you – and for many of my brothers and sisters in the trades, it does – then no time like the present to start changing your physical health and future.

***IF you are one of the MANY who have substance abuse issues, whether it’s alcohol, drugs, or prescription pills, and you are desperate for change – or at least can acknowledge you need to – please reach out to SOMEONE. People would rather take a phone call than attend your funeral***

 

The Art of Intentionality and Mental Health

A lot of focus has been on mental health recently – and for good reason

Another area that is often swept under the rug is mental health. If you don’t know someone who has committed suicide – I’ll bet you know someone who does. Make no mistake: this is an epidemic.

Did you know the construction industry has the second-highest suicide rate out of ALL industries?? According to this website – the suicide rate is 53.3 per 100,000. The national average sits at 12.93 per 100,000. That’s 4 times greater than the national average.

What’s more, for every suicide, there are 25 attempts. Veterans are 50% more likely to commit suicide than the general population – I’ve seen and heard people using the figure 22 a day. It’s been said women attempt suicide more than men – but men are 3.5 times more likely to succeed in their attempts. And, the industry is overwhelmingly male. You can find more information here, or here, or here, or here – seriously – it’s being discussed everywhere.

The problem I have is that is where many of us stop – at discussion. Seldom do we decide to actually do something. Few are the individuals, companies, and institutions that seek to implement something, attempting to address this systemic and crippling problem.

***Bechtel is reported to have committed 7 million dollars to combat suicide. It’s refreshing to see a company do more than talk.***

And this is in the face of dwindling numbers of people in this “legacy” industry – a whole other topic I don’t have time to get into in this article. Instead, I touch on this in a podcast episode entitled “How The Trades Got To This Point,” and you can listen here or watch it here. I plan to have some additional podcasts about this, too – that’s how prevalent the conversation should be but is amazingly ignored.

At any rate, there are a lot of variables in all this, but at the head of it all is a desperate need for us to embrace intentionality to actually DO SOMETHING. What does that something look like? What will it take to do something rather than simply tip our hats and acknowledge the problem? Moreover, I suspect there are several variables at work many of us do not even consider when analyzing this puzzle.

Several people have asked me to talk about this issue, and I plan to at some point in the future – likely a multi-episode series I’ve already begun to flesh out. In the meantime, little snippets of articles will have to do.

For my part, I think this is a monumental task and one that takes people, companies, and entire industries to begin to tackle. Does your company have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)? Do people know who to talk to? Is there an environment fostered to encourage any of this?

In a moment of reflection, let’s go beyond this and enter into what your pay and compensation look like. Are you, a company, paying your employees well? What about compensation? You may say you are, but who is that according to: you, the industry, or your employees?

Before you go to the old “we offer industry competitive wages” platitude, think for a moment whether you are happy with our current trends – AND what the future holds. If you are, the next decade will find you (that is, your company) fighting for its very survival.

Let’s be honest with ourselves and understand that inadequate pay and compensation, along with unrealistic or overbearing schedules, cause an immense amount of stress – and that’s often in an employer’s wheelhouse, to affect.

Ultimately, it is a complex issue that deserves far more than lip service; it should elicit the best of us to figure out why our fellow human beings are checking out of this life and how we can help – even at a cost to us.

Be intentional about this – and let’s change lives and destinies, shall we?

 

The Art of Intentionality and Work

Work harder – or work with intentionality?

So few people really take the time to be intentional with work. I don’t just mean the actual work – there’s also the why, how they can do it better/more efficiently, expand, and yes – even how it makes them look. The ones who do, however, are the ones who give more, pay attention more, seek to invest in what you’re doing, and do not just go the extra mile; instead, think of their efforts compounding because they are more aware.

For most, coming to work is simply for a paycheck. The surprising rise of the term “quiet quitting” is meant to point to the growing number of disengaged employees. It’s disingenuous, though, because it misses the mark by A LOT. 

It REALLY highlights people who perform work at the level they are compensated for – no more, no less. You see, scores of people have gone above and beyond without recognition, compensation, or acknowledgment. As a result, people are scaling back their efforts to merely match what they are compensated for.

This highlights a problem, to be sure – but it has been misattributed, most recently with even the use of the term “quiet quitting.” Instead, I suggest we use a more appropriate term – say, low appreciation fatigue? How about adequate compensation adjustment? Or maybe even respect-effort correction?

I deplore the term “quiet quitting” with a visceral contempt.

The mere talking point of this illustrates there are some who display the Art of Intentionality – but go unrewarded. They see no point in going above and beyond. They are not recognized when they do. Nor are they convinced their efforts are even seen, merely being taken for granted, instead.

For my part, I believe if you want to stand apart from the competition, take the time to reward your employees – you literally do not have a viable company without them.

Yes, you will have – and will always have – those who come to work for a paycheck. But when you do the hard work, research how to invest in your people, and do it, watch as they are intentional about being viable contributors to your brand. If that happens, watch what takes place when those around you begin to partake in the Art of Intentionality.

 

The Art of Intentionality and Retirement

You have to be intentional about saving for retirement

There are scores of people who are not intentional when it comes to saving for retirement. This may not seem like a big deal to many, but consider what Bankrate found: 22% of Americans haven’t contributed to their retirement in the past year (article written in September, 2023), and 29% of Gen Z aren’t saving at all. Moreover, according to this website, almost half of households in 2022 had no savings in retirement accounts! 

Talk about an eye-opener. Oh, and here’s one you’ve likely NEVER heard before: the 401K – that most ubiquitous retirement account and the only one many have – WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE YOUR SOLO ACCOUNT. Consider what Ted Brenna, creator of the 401K, said: “No question. It was never intended to be the primary vehicle for saving for retirement,” Benna reminds people. “All these plans are subject to the ups and downs of the stock market. And it’s very obvious with 401(k)s.” You can find the article, here.

It was supposed to be a supplemental account from your employer and Social Security, supplementing pensions.

Yet, here we are today, dealing with the fact that 401k’s are the second largest type of retirement plan – only IRAs have more – and a staggering number of Americans do not have enough retirement savings.

If they have them at all.

Regardless of your retirement plan – unless it is a pension (a defined benefit), – you must be intentional when it comes to saving for retirement. I have NEVER met someone who said they wished they had not saved as much as they did; I’ve met plenty who wished they’d saved more and begun earlier.

Adopt a measure of intentionality so you can be in the former group and not the latter – what do you say?

 

The Art of Intentionality and Relationships

Healthy relationships take a lot of intentionality

Listen, many of us already know that our families are important – well, we like to say we do, anyway. The reality often looks different, though. Someone once quipped, “I don’t listen to what people say – I observe what they do.”

Wise words, indeed.

For my part, I wish more people were VERY intentional about their families: the direction they go, what they do, how they choose to spend time with them, what opportunities you give them – all of this and soooo much more.

You see, the reality is many of us sacrifice our families on the altar of the pursuit of success. We think to ourselves, “If I could just provide that little extra – give them more than what I had” – when, in reality, ALL they want is YOU.

Let me say it louder for those of you in the back: ALL THEY WANT IS YOU – and more time with you.

Next thing you know, you blink, and your kids are grown. You and your spouse have allowed so much of your life to be on autopilot that when the kids are gone, you are living with a stranger.

If that doesn’t sound familiar to you, then count your lucky stars – because after all my time in the game, I’ve heard story after story – and they all sounded remarkably the same.

Listen, the harsh truth is, we make time for what we love, including those we love. It’s why we can hardly wait to engage in our favorite hobby; we are making time for it, and we look for ways to do so, too.

I know it’s tough, I know it’s time and energy-consuming, and I realize it is something you need to navigate thorough. However, let me tell you now: it is worth it. It is worth every struggle, every difficulty, every frustration, and every minute you can spare. Mindbodygreen agrees with me, too.

Be intentional with the ones you love – and reap the benefits.

 

Other Areas in Your Life

Intentionality is for EVERY area of life

What else can I say? What else can I do to make the case you need intentionality in your life – the more, the better? There literally is no area of your life that is unaffected by the Art of Intentionality. It has tremendous potential to affect you and yours.

Think with me for a minute. What would your life look like if you started after reading this to be more intentional in your physical health? If you took just 6 months, planned things out, and stuck to them, you would be a completely different person. Rather you choose the pain of self-discipline now, rather than deal with the pain of regret later. You WILL have pain – better to have the pain of self-discipline with extra energy, confidence, and joy than regret – coupled with no energy, feeling bad for yourself, and an even greater possibility for depression.

What about being intentional on a daily basis – from the moment you get out of bed to the time you lay down? How much more productive, mindful, grounded, and recalibrated would you be?

You already know the answer.

Instead of merely meandering through life daily, lacking focus and purpose, be intentional instead. It has tremendous power for all you would do. There is nothing worth doing that isn’t going to be elevated with intentionality.

 

Conclusion

 

So, as we wrap this article up, I want to ask you a very serious question: What are you waiting for?

Seriously, what is holding you back? Take a look at your life, what you want to achieve, what you think may be keeping you from taking action, and deal with it accordingly.

If it’s setting goals, take the time to read and review the 2022, 2023, and now 2024 goals I’ve written about. Let them help you start establishing and tracking your own progress.

If it deals with the physical – namely, your physical health, join me as I drop bonus podcast episodes periodically detailing my own personal journey. If you tell someone you are going to do something, you have increased your chances of actually doing it greatly; there’s something about accountability that lights a fire underneath us.

So, what are you waiting for?

Remove stumbling blocks, and let’s get at it. 2024 is waiting – and so is change.