My basketball coach in the 8th grade was something else. You could use the word “fanatical” to describe him. Some thought he was just plain crazy. He seemed to be continuously brimming over with intensity. So much so that each and every player on the team seemed terrified of him.
When you weren’t giving your best effort, he screamed. When you forgot a play or didn’t execute, he screamed. He screamed in practice, and he screamed in games. He screamed all the time. Some would say he was unstable. I would say he was intense. He wanted to win, and he knew what it took to win…and his teams won. Consistently.
Intensity Defined
What is intensity? Robert Smith, author of 20,000 Days and Counting says, “Intensity is a state of emotion. Intensity is enthusiasm. Intensity is passion.” I could not agree more.
A few years ago, I was listening to Dallas Willard talk about spiritual growth and what it takes to become more like Christ. He said that intensity was absolutely required for any advancement in spiritual growth. He said that in order to get clean, you need a lot of water for a good bit of time. A few drops won’t do the job. The same is true of our spiritual journey.
The secret to growth in any area of life is intensity. Not an every-once-in-a-while intensity, but every single day. Some people call it work ethic or perseverance. Others call it determination or focus. Call it what you want, but there is no advancement without it. Calvin Coolidge once said,
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Here are four way to increase your intensity.
1. Realize that life is short.
Moses wrote, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) When we come to grips with the shortness of life, we not only see clearly what is most important in life, but we come to see that we must act now. We must move quickly because time is short. The intensity rises because we feel a sense of urgency. The truth is that you and I don’t have all the time in the world to accomplish the things we want to do. Life is short. Get busy!
2. Create a deadline.
A deadline is a manufactured end that generates passion and determination. You have probably heard people say, “I work better with a deadline,” or “I work better under pressure.” A deadline alerts our brains that activity is needed, and it is needed now! If you are trying to write a book or get out of debt, one of the first things experts will tell you to write down is the date when you will be done. Many people even break down their longer terms goals and objectives with a series of smaller deadlines to keep themselves on track.
3. Keep score.
When people are playing a game of basketball and there is no score, you can see that there is very little intensity in the game. As soon as you start keeping score, something happens. The people playing are almost instantly filled with intensity. Why? They want to win! They want to be seen as better. They don’t want to be embarrassed. There are all sort of reasons. Whatever they are, there is no denying that the intensity increases dramatically when you begin to keep score.
4. Empower an accountability partner.
Everyone goes further faster with accountability. Accountability happens when someone in your life knows what you are trying to do and holds your feet to the fire. The effect is intensity. This is why serious athletes hire personal coaches, business leaders hire life coaches, and people trying to kick alcohol abuse have a sponsor. Accountability creates intensity, and intensity gets results. In Psychology, this is called the “The Pygmalion Effect.” The Pygmalion Effect says that, “Individuals tend to rise to the level of other people’s expectations of them.” As humans, we do not like to disappoint those around us whom we respect and love the most.
In conclusion, no real and lasting progress happens without intensity. I hope these four steps will help you take your next step of growth personally, professionally and spiritually.
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