This one’s intentional.

It’s been just over 12 months since I announced that I would eventually step down from my position with the Boston Symphony.

Today, just three short weeks remain before my time in this role is finally, fully complete. It has felt like a verrry long goodbye. (This extended “swan song” has been a blessing — and at times it’s felt a little long for comfort.)

There’s certainly been lots of time to think.

If you’ve followed my writings along the way you’ve witnessed me doing my best to set my intention at all sorts of different moments. Well before I made that announcement I had already spent quite a bit of time thinking about how I wanted to show up during this year — personally and professionally — and what kind of experiences I wanted to have.

All year long I’ve worked to orient myself to those intentions.

My goal has been to be present, to slow down, and to be able to allow for the fullness of this experience — in all its “both/and” emotional richness. And to complete my time in this role with excellence.

Have I succeeded? Mostly. Not always, not exactly as I might have imagined, but mostly yes.

This whole concept — setting intentions — isn’t something I’ve always done. I’ve had to be encouraged by coaches and other wise mentors who have asked really good questions, slowing me down to think about what kind of experiences I wanted to help create in my life.

By now, intention setting has become a powerful tool I turn to often.

These days I set an intention before a hard conversation. I set one before visiting family. Sometimes I set an intention before walking into work, or before going to a birthday party, or before a day off.

These intentions are by no means guarantees — they’re more like a North Star, orienting me and helping me stay (mostly) on course.

It’s really easy to move through our days semi-unconsciously, maybe just wishing/hoping things will go okay, or that the planets will align and we’ll finally have the experience we want. Or —  just not thinking about things at all until they’re in the rear view mirror.

But we have more power than that. We have the power of our intention. Here’s how it works:

CREATE. 

Slow down to decide how you want to show up, what values you want to embody, what actions you do and don’t want to take. Imagine it, visualize it, use all your senses. It can be valuable to write it out.

PAUSE. 

Before moving into whatever experience you’re about to have, take a few minutes — often just a few slow breaths will do —  and remind yourself of that intention. Return to this step anytime you start to feel disoriented or unmoored.

BE PRESENT. 

This isn’t about manifesting some sort of “perfect” experience. It’s an orientation, not a pass/fail test. Try not to get preoccupied when things don’t go as you imagined — there is no “correct” way for things to unfold. Simply the act of setting an intention will have an impact.

This sounds so simple, and yet this valuable tool is highly underutilized throughout our lives — and especially in the workplace. 

Don’t underestimate the power of 2-3 slow breaths paired with a clear intention.

Intrigued? Give it a try! Slow down and set an intention before your next meeting, or challenging conversation, or high-stakes board presentation. (And let me know how it goes!)

PS— Russ Harris’s book “The Happiness Trap” does a deep dive into values and how they can help orient us in our daily lives. If you’re curious, here’s his Values Square worksheet.  It will help you look more closely at whether and how your own personal values are showing up in different areas of your life.