Intention

Cultivate a mindset where you fully focus on - and invest all your energy in - the task at hand.

"Intention" comes across as a bit of a woo-woo concept, but it's an important mindset hack that optimizes the way we train and live our lives.

So what is "intention," exactly?  I define "intention" as cultivating a mindset where you fully focus on - and invest all your energy in - the task at hand.  When you live with intention, you're not chasing results or surface-level achievements; instead, you are fully invested in the present moment.  Intention is very similar to the concept of mindfulness.

How does intention help our training?  Simple: it changes our focus to the exercise at hand.  When you train with intention, you're not counting reps or getting caught up in results; instead, you're fully focused on executing the technique properly. 

If you're focused on the amount of weight you're lifting and not the quality of the lift, you aren't training with intention.  If you're focused on the amount of time you're spending on the mats but not the quality of that time, same thing.  This is why deliberate practice is so important for skill development: it requires us to train with intention.

So here's your homework for this week: the next time you show up to class, don't just roll in without a plan.  Reflect on what you want to improve before you even step foot on the mat.  Have a plan for how you're going to practice and develop those skills.  In other words, train with intention.