Intent & Habit
I'm still alive and this blog hasn't quite sunk into the depths of the internet, wasting away without any updates. I've actually intended to write for the past few months (in which I hadn't), but habit takes over.
Funny how that works.
Life has changed a lot. The lazy days of summer gave way to another rigorous school year (as they always do), but this year is different from the rest. Senior year. Our focus begins to shift out of high school and into the future. College applications pile up, counselors frequently visit with all the students, and we're given one last primer on the in's and out's of college before we apply to, accept, and attend a college. With all this, our intentions grow. In life we all intend mostly good things- for ourselves and others. I intend to go to a nice college with a grand scholarship. I intend to get A's in all my classes. I intend to spend more time with my family, etc. It often seems that we are spread so thin among all our pursuits that nothing gets accomplished anywhere.
Our intents transform into a mountain of to-do lists and responsibilities citing what we should do and how we should do it. Our main goals become lost in the sea of tasks before us, and, naturally, habit takes over. Our school work becomes too much to bear and grades slip. Our college essays remain unreviewed and unwritten. Our relationships take on the role of extra burdens and get pushed aside. Everything seems to fall apart, and why? for what? Is our situation really that dire?
One of the most oft-quoted verses in the Book of Mormon is Moroni 10:4. Before he seals up the records of the book, Moroni counsels us to pray with "real intent" to know whether the book is true. He does not instruct us to casually think about the matter, or even tweet about it. The only way to know lies in real intent.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary (because dictionary.com wouldn't sound scholarly enough) defines intent as "a usually clearly formulated or planned intention."Let's think about this. Intent is "clearly formulated or planned." Well apparently it "usually" is. Real intent requires us to allow our intentions to overcome our habits by clearly planning them. When we divide these pursuits into specific smaller goals and determine why we want to achieve the task, the insurmountable destination becomes easily conquerable. We cannot expect to achieve all of our goals if we revert from this plan, and allow habit to take over. Real intent breaks our less-than-desirable habits. We now longer need to wallow in our problems and failures, because everything seems to be working a bit better.
This year is tough. For the next few months, our most used words will most likely be college, application, and scholarship. But just remember your intent. Remember that "you are making better progress than you realize" (Richard G. Scott). So much lays in store for all of us (cliché, but true) and our worries of high school are just the beginning. We will have many more trials, but I truly know things work out if you have and pursue real intent towards the right things.
Enjoy the year, and check back often on the blog because I intend to post soon. And feel free to call me out if that intent doesn't work out...
Funny how that works.
Life has changed a lot. The lazy days of summer gave way to another rigorous school year (as they always do), but this year is different from the rest. Senior year. Our focus begins to shift out of high school and into the future. College applications pile up, counselors frequently visit with all the students, and we're given one last primer on the in's and out's of college before we apply to, accept, and attend a college. With all this, our intentions grow. In life we all intend mostly good things- for ourselves and others. I intend to go to a nice college with a grand scholarship. I intend to get A's in all my classes. I intend to spend more time with my family, etc. It often seems that we are spread so thin among all our pursuits that nothing gets accomplished anywhere.
Our intents transform into a mountain of to-do lists and responsibilities citing what we should do and how we should do it. Our main goals become lost in the sea of tasks before us, and, naturally, habit takes over. Our school work becomes too much to bear and grades slip. Our college essays remain unreviewed and unwritten. Our relationships take on the role of extra burdens and get pushed aside. Everything seems to fall apart, and why? for what? Is our situation really that dire?
One of the most oft-quoted verses in the Book of Mormon is Moroni 10:4. Before he seals up the records of the book, Moroni counsels us to pray with "real intent" to know whether the book is true. He does not instruct us to casually think about the matter, or even tweet about it. The only way to know lies in real intent.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary (because dictionary.com wouldn't sound scholarly enough) defines intent as "a usually clearly formulated or planned intention."Let's think about this. Intent is "clearly formulated or planned." Well apparently it "usually" is. Real intent requires us to allow our intentions to overcome our habits by clearly planning them. When we divide these pursuits into specific smaller goals and determine why we want to achieve the task, the insurmountable destination becomes easily conquerable. We cannot expect to achieve all of our goals if we revert from this plan, and allow habit to take over. Real intent breaks our less-than-desirable habits. We now longer need to wallow in our problems and failures, because everything seems to be working a bit better.
This year is tough. For the next few months, our most used words will most likely be college, application, and scholarship. But just remember your intent. Remember that "you are making better progress than you realize" (Richard G. Scott). So much lays in store for all of us (cliché, but true) and our worries of high school are just the beginning. We will have many more trials, but I truly know things work out if you have and pursue real intent towards the right things.
Enjoy the year, and check back often on the blog because I intend to post soon. And feel free to call me out if that intent doesn't work out...
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