You sit down to figure out what you want next.
And almost immediately, you start thinking about what needs to change.
You need to get back into a routine. Be more consistent. Figure out what you're doing with work. Get healthier. Be more present at home. Finally do the thing you've been putting off.
There's something about deciding what's next that makes us immediately start building a better version of ourselves.
I do it too.
I start with the destination.
Where do I want to go?
What do I want to accomplish?
What needs to be different?
All useful questions.
Except I've learned there's another question I need to ask first:
Where am I actually starting from?
That sounds ridiculously obvious.
If you were driving somewhere, you'd need your current location before the GPS could give you directions.
But in our own lives, we skip that part all the time.
We make plans for the energy we wish we had instead of the energy we actually have.
We build routines for a schedule that doesn't exist.
We choose goals because they made sense six months ago without checking whether we still want them.
We tell ourselves we need to be more disciplined when what we're actually dealing with is a season that changed underneath us.
Then the plan doesn't work and we assume we failed the plan.
What if the directions were wrong because we entered the wrong starting point?
That's what reconnecting with myself has started to mean to me.
It isn't always some deep search for Who am I really?
Sometimes it's much more practical.
What's true right now?
What feels heavy?
What's working?
What's clearly not working anymore?
What do I keep trying to force because I think I should want it?
What do I miss?
What do I need?
Those answers aren't necessarily convenient.
That's probably why jumping straight to goals can be more appealing.
Goals let me focus on Future Shannon.
She's fantastic, by the way.
Very organized.
Current Shannon may have laundry on the chair.
But I can't build a life for Future Shannon while ignoring the woman who's supposed to get her there.
That's where intention starts to mean something different.
An intention isn't just deciding where I want to go.
It's choosing a direction that actually makes sense from where I'm standing.
And sometimes getting honest about where I'm standing changes the destination.
I may realize I don't need a harder workout plan. I need one I can actually sustain.
I may realize the opportunity I've been trying to force doesn't fit what I want anymore.
I may realize I keep saying I need better time management when the bigger issue is that I've said yes to too much.
I may even realize I'm doing better than I thought and don't need to overhaul anything.
Imagine that.
There is something grounding about letting reality be reality before trying to improve it.
Faith gives me room for that too.
I don't have to present God with the polished version of where I am before asking Him where to go.
I can start here.
Confused.
Tired.
Excited.
Unsure.
Ready.
Completely over it.
Whatever is true.
God already knows the coordinates.
I might as well admit them too.
So before the next plan, the new routine or the big decision, spend a little time with your current location.
No fixing it yet.
No five-step strategy.
Just get your bearings.
You can't choose a direction that fits your life if you're planning from a version of your life that isn't actually happening.
Start with what's true.
Then decide where you want to go.
Want to keep going with this conversation?
🎧 Listen to Episode 35: How to Pause, Gain Clarity, and Set Intentions Effectively →