You Must Move With Intention.

Like anything else in life, things don’t happen just because.

I didn’t realize or acknowledge what it meant to be intentional until I made the decision to be intentional about confronting the things I wasn’t happy about.

I don’t think most of us realize that for things to work out or go according to plan (as closely as possible), we have to make the effort to plan things out, to think things through — that’s intentionality.

Most people think success in any way, shape, or form just happens because people get lucky.

But they don’t realize the intentional effort that’s been going on behind the scenes for years and years.

I thought this way, too, until I embarked on my own journey to try to make money online.

And what a journey it’s been.

I’ve been humbled on many occasions.

Around the time I started writing on Medium, I also invested in an affiliate marketing course.

I thought I had found the holy grail of making money online, but if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Although I’m sure the course’s creators had the best intentions, the reality is that a course like this doesn’t help a person evolve and grow their mindset.

And that’s, first and foremost, what we need to do to be able to sustain any kind of success.

Medium also humbled me.

I made a little bit of money on the first blog I published (62 cents, I think), and I thought I was off to the races to make the big bucks.

But after writing on this platform for over two years (almost three at this point), I’ve learned lesson after lesson about the things I can and can’t control and pivoting and adjusting to unexpected changes.

It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Thanks to all these experiences, ‘let downs,’ and ‘disappointments,’ I’ve learned to become more disciplined and determined.

I knew if I had the success I wish for now, I wouldn’t be able to sustain it.

I’ve been humbled, and I know I will keep being humbled and learning more lessons that, over time, will help me maintain the success I’m pursuing.

We need to be more intentional than we realize.

I thought I was being intentional with my efforts to try to make money online when I started writing on this platform.

I thought I was making much more of an effort in other areas of my life, but now I realize I didn’t start to make a genuine effort to change my life until recently.

We need to examine the routines we’ve fallen into and determine if they are truly moving us in the direction we want.

Lately, I have this feeling of not being sure or not wanting to waste time on things that I know will not move me forward.

At the same time, I do acknowledge that I need rest and time off to recharge my batteries.

I’m looking at how I tend to spend my time when I’m off or don’t have anything scheduled, and I’m realizing there’s probably a better way to spend it.

I just haven’t figured out what to do about it yet.

The point is, this right here, questioning why you’re doing what you’re doing, most of us don’t think twice about it.

And until we do that, we’ll keep moving like sheep, not sure if what we’re doing is actually taking us in the direction we want to go.

Figure out where you want to go in the first place.

This right here is another thing I see people struggle with.

I struggled with it for a while, hence why I had an identity crisis about five years ago.

I didn’t know who I was, where I wanted to go, what I stood for, what I wanted for my career, relationships, finances, etc.

I wasn’t intentional about getting to know myself and what mattered to me, so I let myself be guided by what the world said I should pursue, but eventually, I hit a dead end because I didn’t feel fulfilled in any way, shape, or form.

To be intentional, you need to know what you’re being intentional about in the first place.

I have a much clearer idea now.

I know I want to make enough money to not worry about most price tags.

I know I want to be able to travel and see the world.

I know I want to be able to help my family if they have any financial hardships.

I know I want to work for myself and control how I spend my time.

I know I want to help others get inspired and work toward accomplishing their goals.

I believe writing on Medium will help me get there.

I believe vlogging on YouTube will help me get there.

Throughout this journey of figuring out who I am, what matters to me, and what I want, I’ve learned what to be intentional about, and right now, most of my energy is focused on these two.

I’m excited about what the future holds, and I will share everything I learn along this journey to hopefully help you on yours.

If you’d like to reach me directly, leave a comment; I always respond to all of them.

I wish you all the best and for you to start moving more intentionally so you can get closer and closer to reaching your goals.