Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

Intention, Word, Deed

I went to the Strand on Tuesday to hear my friend Judy Ann Nock talk about her new book, Magickal Herbs. Judy is an amazing person, and also a witch. (I’ve met some pretty incredible people in the playground over the years.) Someone in the audience asked Judy how to cast a spell. “First,” she said, “you have to have an intention—you need to know what you want. But that’s not enough; you have to follow it up with word and deed. You have to say it out loud, name it, and then take steps to make it happen.”

In other words, magic is just what Stephen Covey, management consultants everywhere, your mother, and I have been telling you your whole life: The magic is in the follow-through.

I don’t know about you, but my head can be a scary place. Things echo around in there: Sometimes I get an idea and it just spins and spins, but in an obsessive way, not a creative way. Ideas are great, but it is good to speak them, or write them down. Get them out of your head. Creative people have so many ideas that they are like spaghetti: all tangled up. Sometimes, my job is to help people untangle the strands and decide which ideas to follow up on, and which to set aside for another time. While I often tell clients that I’m more into doing than talking, when they have big, overwhelming projects going on—a move, a renovation—talking (word) is important.

When I talk to a client about a big project, I try to help them clarify it (intention), break it down into small steps, and then put the steps in order (first book the movers!). Also, I sometimes push back: “I know you want to declutter your apartment to make room for new opportunities and relationships, but I think you are going to regret getting rid of the file cabinet.”

When we share our goals with others, we commit to them and we get help and feedback. Whether it’s a friend who tells you what steps she took to write her book, or an organizer who will help you make an action plan for your renovation, by stating our intention to the world, or at least a few good friends, we can start to take steps towards achieving those goals.

I’m kind of over resolutions, but if you have an intention for 2020, say it out loud, make a list of all the steps that will get you there, and then follow the steps. Maybe that’s the secret of highly effective people—or maybe it is magic.