I thought about this a lot during the election…, especially in the days right after.
But I didn’t act.
Then, while watching footage of the life of former President Jimmy Carter, I thought about it again. And when I return to something like this, I need to do something about it. So, to commit to it this time, I’m bringing you along for the journey…and I hope you’ll think about it, too!
But first, let's go back to the footage of President Carter’s life. In one clip a friend of his said, “When Jimmy gets to heaven, I am certain he will hear the words ‘Well done thou good and faithful servant’” (Matthew 25:21).
I, too, want to hear those words.
But I know that what I want to hear and what I choose to do don’t always match up. Like all of us, I want to behave, respond, communicate and perform in a certain way, but then _________ happens and I let it get in the way…you can fill in the blank with a million things.
I know, I know E+R=O. I control my response…nothing else. I get it. But I could use a boost in managing my responses at times!
A perfect example happened just this morning. I’m not having my A game this week, yet I have been thinking about this Tip and aligning my values and behaviors. Then two people, within about 2 minutes, didn’t let me merge in situations dictated by other traffic. The first time I shook my head but acted like a rational human being. The second time, no one was saying “well done” as I floored it and said a choice word to my fellow driver. (Whew…just reading back over that has “victim” written all over it 😊)!
So much for my “faithful servant” intentions!
What do I need to commit to that I’ve been putting off since November? I NEED A DAILY INTENTION. A statement I write once a week (day or month, you decide) that reminds me of who I strive to be and what I can control.
In November, my thoughts around my “daily intention” centered on keeping my eyes open for when I needed to stand up for what’s right but keeping my eyes focused on things that fill me up, not those that make me feel itchy inside…yuck! In other words, I needed to get off social media and fill my mind and world with things that help both. I did remove the apps from my phone…so small wins abound!
In reflecting on the life of former President Carter, I immediately thought of expanding my daily intention to include my long-term intentions…which are all based on the actions I take today! If I want to hear “well done good and faithful servant”, what do I need to do today to earn that status?
It’s hard. We know our values. We want to make good choices. We want to give attention to the things and people we love…and yet…
Here’s what I know. The way I start something usually influences my progress. When I start a race fast, I am always much better off than when I start slow and need to push. When I start my day with a win, it tends to lead to more wins that day. I am sure you’ve experienced the same thing.
So my commitment is to start my day with my DAILY INTENTION…which includes my overall intentions…but helps me remember where I want to go so I can guide my daily behaviors, in the next moment or later in the day, to keep me on that path.
Why do I think this will work for me? I didn’t make this up and millions of people do this around the world, but I need a guide. I need reminders. I need to stop and be intentional about what I want and why it matters.
Whether I choose a short mantra or a bit longer daily intentional statement, either will serve as a psychological anchor, grounding me in the present moment and reinforcing positive mental patterns.
My intentional and repeated thoughts and words will shape my neural pathways…and strengthen them! Neuroscience shows this makes them more automatic over time. Doing this daily trains our brain to focus on what matters most and gets us looking for opportunities to make what we want to happen.
And since there are a million things that can fill in that blank above, our attentional control is vital for maintaining focus amidst distractions. Intentional statements help filter out noise and align our mental energy with our priorities. Research in positive psychology shows that intentional focus on affirming and meaningful concepts boosts positive emotions, reduces stress, and builds resilience.
And let’s not forget about my favorite book, Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me and our old nemesis, cognitive dissonance. When our actions don’t align with our values or intentions, we create internal dissonance and conflict! When this happens, we don’t normally act as our best selves. Daily mantras can serve as reminders of who we want to be which sometimes gets lost in the hustle and bustle of the day, reducing dissonance by keeping behaviors aligned with personal goals and values.
What’s the best way to use your daily intention or mantra? Well, since I haven’t started, I can’t give you a perfect prescription, but I can pull information from the research that starts with WRITING IT DOWN!
While repeating our intentions or mantras mentally or aloud is beneficial (you know I love the “talking out loud” stuff), the research underscores the transformative impact of physically writing them down.
Here’s why!
Writing our intentions down by hand engages more of our brain than typing. The motor cortex (controlling hand movement), visual cortex (processing what you see), and cognitive areas (interpreting and organizing thoughts) work together as we put our pen to paper. This multisensory engagement deepens our understanding and strengthens neural connections.
When we write, we’re not just recording information—we’re encoding it in a way that makes it easier to recall later. Studies show that students who take handwritten notes retain information better than those who type.
All of this enhances our ability to process, recall and internalize what we wrote down! It’s solidified in your mind…which helps us remember and gives us a better chance of acting on it throughout the day!
This point is important for me since my brain likes to run at tilt speed 24/7. The physical act of writing SLOWS OUR THINKING! It gives us time to process complex emotions and ideas. Writing can serve as a sort of cognitive unburdening…you’ve heard of the good old brain dump! Putting our thoughts on paper frees up mental space, helping us see situations more clearly and make better decisions.
Why? It creates a bit of distance from our thoughts…and just like talking to ourselves in the second or third person…we can see it outside of ourselves and analyze things more objectively.
Writing something down feels like we are making a promise to ourselves. It transforms an abstract thought into a concrete, actionable statement, increasing your sense of responsibility and commitment.
Simply put, when we write down a goal or intention, we’re more likely to follow through. It’s a declaration of our priorities and values.
Like anything we want to do, we need to make this a simple act. Maybe you need a longer morning daily intention and a short mantra or two to spatter in throughout the day to remind you of your trajectory.
Or maybe you need to do what my good friend and incredible coach, Meadow McWhorter did at their most recent conference tournament where she wrote down on her scouting sheet who she wanted to be, what she wanted to say and how she wanted to act when and if certain circumstances arose. It was a genius idea and a great plan for pressure performance.
No matter what you choose, I know I will be writing my intention down tonight. I’ll try it on for size in the morning.
It’s funny it took me this long to get to this. Because from the 7th grade through my late 20s, I had the same quote about dreams on my mirror. It even included the words “strive to make it happen in everything you do.” And for the next two decades, I had Hebrews 11:1 posted on my computer screen.
Where did my daily intentions go? Who knows, but I know I need them now!
Manage the moments!
Julie
P.S. It’s not too late to start improving your mental game. Let’s build a plan and help your team design their Mental Performance Operating Systems and improve their performance!
Contact me to find out how!
Send me a text at 234-206-0946 or an email at juliej@ssbperformance.com and schedule a call to see how we can enhance your program’s mental approach!
Julie Jones
Mental Performance Coach
SSB Performance
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946