For a majority of my life as an entrepreneur I judged myself on my intentions. I had huge aspirations and ideas, lofty dreams and grand visions. As an entrepreneur and leader it is easy to think that’s enough. Little do we realize that dreams are just goals without deadlines.

In order for us to grow and succeed, our goals must be measurable. The only way we can move past the dream stage is disciplined deadlines and self imposed discipline. I have found that self discipline is the key to productivity and deep, focussed work. Even better, when we focus on meeting the deadlines and holding ourself accountable, great things happen in a short amount of time. We work less, create better work and have more time for life and family.

Whiteboards, journals and walls filled with sticky notes are what we “intend” to do. It isn’t the same as doing. This habit of thinking can become toxic in our craft, our marriage, friendships and parenting. We judge ourself based on intentions. However, our life is based on action and results. Just because you’ve bought a brand new snow board, all the gear and clothing, it doesn’t mean you are a snowboarder. Owning a Harley Davidson t-shirt doesn’t qualify one as a “biker”.

I once met a guy who proclaimed to be an artist. All we did was talk about what he intended to create and what he was going to paint. It was hours of ideas and the marketing behind it. I could appreciate his passion but he was walking close to the cliff without being willing to jump. I asked to see his studio. As I walked into his studio, all I saw was perfectly laid our supplies everywhere. It was like an art store with everything one would need to make the best stuff. However, it sat dormant. This artist judged himself on intentions rather than results.

In this episode I will be discussing the pitfalls of intentions and how to safeguard yourself from being stuck in a place of dreaming and judging your success on intentions.

Our job in this life is to make dreams a reality. Dreams don’t build themselves. Songs don’t write and sing themselves, canvases don’t paint themselves. We may own the weapon of creativity but it doesn’t have much impact if its only use is to aim. That weapon has a trigger and a bullet. It has its greatest impact when fired.

May your week be productive and your mind at peace to create impact. You got this. I’m in your corner.

Interested in learning how to build a creative business from the ground up? Click here.

Are you a creative entrepreneur (or focused on becoming one)? Check out my book, 31 Disciplines of Highly Successful Creatives. It includes parts of my story and teaches you how to hone your skills, balance your life, and go from success to significance.