> Intentionality Model & Penny

Shortcut to Intentionality Store to order pennies and books.

There are a number of elements to this page:

  1. Why this page exists,
  2. A Father’s Penny Story (demonstrating the ultimate impact of intentionality),
  3. The Intentionality Model explained,
  4. MyPennyStory,
  5. Intentionality Pennies (to carry with you as a reminder to do the little things that are just as easy to do as they are not to do).
  6. Share Your Story (#MyPennyStory) to inspire others.
  7. Take Next Steps

1.  Why This Page Exists

We all have the power to inspire others to take positive and intentional action that they would not otherwise take if we did not infuse them with a little inspiration and a simple path to follow.

Each of us has the power to make a difference in our world and in the lives of others, but it requires action on both our parts. Thoughts by themselves do not change anything.

Often we are not aware of the difference our actions make [in the short term], but continuing to take small positive and intentional actions will lead to success over time.

My hope is that you will make a practice of intentionality a part of your life so that you can achieve more of the things that you really want.

I also invite you to visit: MyPennyStory.com

2.  A Father’s Penny Story:

Note: In the following story two children are mentioned. To make the story as relevant to as many people as possible one is referred to as male and the other as female. They could have been two males or two females—it would not change the story or the outcomes. No inference is intended in connection with their genders and the decisions they are suggested as making. Our hope is that you benefit from the principles in the story and not read any hidden meaning into it.
 
A father was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer and was told he had less than 30 days to live. Realizing he did not have much time left with his family he tried to make the best of every moment and ensure that his affairs were in order.
 
The father sat with his twin college senior children and shared from his heart.
 
First, he wanted them to know that their mother would be well taken care of. He told them how their businesses had been blessed and they had accumulated a fair amount of wealth. He wanted them to know that it did not come without hard work, but it was more the result of making good decisions along the way.
 
Second, he wanted to give them a choice that he hoped would help them to make better decisions and take intentional positive actions in their own lives. He opened his left hand to reveal a check for a million dollars and then opened his right hand to reveal a penny.
 
He told them that they could choose either the millions dollars or the penny. He told them he did not want them to confirm their choice until the next day. In the meantime he wanted them to consider all the factors and make the best decision possible. He also explained that regardless of which of the two options they choose they could not have the money immediately, but would need to wait 30 days.
 
He took out a red velvet drawstring bag and put the million-dollar check in it. Then he took out a black velvet drawstring bag and put the penny in it.
 
He explained that during the next 30 days if they chose the million dollars they could go to the bank and borrow against the million dollars and spend, invest, or do anything else they wanted with the loans. At the end of the 30 days their mother would pay off the bank loan and give them the balance.
 
If they chose the penny each day over the next 30 days their mother would double the amount of money in the black drawstring bag. He explained that on the first day their mother would add another penny so there would be two. One the second day she would add two more so there would be four. On the third day she would add four more so there would be eight. And so on.
 
He handed them each a copy of a little book entitled The Power of Intentionality and suggested that it would help them make their choice.
 
(To add to the impact of the story, before reading further take out a piece of paper and write down which of the two options you would take—the million dollars or the penny)
 
Both children were distraught that their father would be dying soon and tried to take in what he was telling them.
 
As the children went to their rooms to consider their options the first child could not help but think of all the things he could spend the money on. His mind was going a mile a minute and he had a hard time sleeping.
 
The second child also had a hard time sleeping wondering why their father would give them such a choice and why one of the options was a penny. Clearly the million dollars was worth more, but she also knew her father to be a wise man who always had good reasoning behind the things he did. As she lay in bed pondering her options she grabbed the little book her father had given to them and started to read. She finished it within about 30 minutes and went to sleep.
 
In the morning when the first child came down for breakfast he announced that he would take the million dollars. Shortly thereafter the second child arrived for breakfast and stated that she would take the penny. The first child looked at her in disbelief and even mocked her a little.
 
The next few days became a blur as their father’s health deteriorated quickly. By the end of the week he passed away.
 
It wasn’t until the tenth day that the children had time to think about their choices. The first child was curious how much the penny had amounted to. Their mother opened the black drawstring bag to reveal that the penny had increased to $10.24. The first child had a hard time holding back a grin knowing that he had chosen the million.
 
The children agreed to get back together on the twentieth day at which time they found the penny had increased to $10,485.76. Again the first child ribbed his sister and told her how he had gotten a loan like their father said he could and how he had already purchased a new car and a number of other expensive toys that he had always wanted.
 
Over the next week the first child continued to spend and party with his friends while the second child patiently waited for the thirtieth day to come.
 
On the thirtieth day the first child received $490,000 dollars after the bank loans were paid off. The first child still felt a little smug thinking he had made the better choice until their mother opened the black drawstring bag and pulled out a check. She told them that the bag couldn’t contain all the pennies so she kept track of the accumulating value on a piece of paper. She passed the check to the second child who unfolded it to reveal $10,737,418.24.
 
The first child’s jaw dropped. He questioned how this could be possible. Their mother assured him the math was correct and proceeded to share with him the principle of intentionality as detailed in the little book their father had given them. The first child admitted that he had not taken the time to read the book. He said that the decision seemed like a nobrainer and rather he turned his attention towards what he could do with the million.
 
His mother tried to help him understand that while at this point he had not made the better of the two decisions, he could still turn the remaining money into great value, if he put the intentionality model to work.

——-

Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it… he who doesn’t… pays it. (Albert Einstein)

Here is the math for those that still don’t believe it is possible:

3.  The Intentionality Model

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. (Samual L. Johnson)

The narrow path to heaven is navigated with intentionality. (Mast)

We may not all be given the choice of a million dollars or a penny, but we all have at least a penny to start with. So there really are no acceptable excuses except that we are fallible human beings that often let our emotions get the better of us.

The apostle Paul also said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:15 NIV)

In theory, we all have the same amount of time (24/7) and the same opportunity to make choices and take action. Unfortunately, most of our choices and actions seem small and are as easy to do as not to do. And, it seems the default mode for most people is not to do the things we know we should do. I believe the reasons for this are:

  1. We are procrastinators. Many people live by the mantra – why do anything today that you can put off until tomorrow.
  2. We hope [falsely] on the future. Hope is a good thing because it often keeps us going through difficult times, but false hope usually results in disappointment.
  3. Gravity and the second law of thermodynamics (everything is decaying) are working against us and the only way to counteract their negative or downward pull is to intentionally move in the other direction.
  4. We are unaware of the consequences associated our actions. Did you catch that I said actions and not decisions? In reality, choices and decisions do not change anything. For anything to actually change action is required.
  5. We lack inspiration.

The Intentionality Model shows how many small positive actions multiply like the penny towards success over time. In the same way many small poor choices and actions multiply towards failure over time.

The challenge in the short term is that there does not seem to be a measurable difference in consequences between the small intentional actions compared with the small negative actions. Multiplied over time, however, these actions, like the penny, result in very different outcomes.

The key thing that determines whether we take the positive road or the negative road is ultimately dictated by our philosophy. Not just what we believe, but what we truly believe. Just because we believe something does not mean that we will do something. The way you will know what a person truly believes is to look at their actions. Their actions are the strongest words they can use to tell you what they truly believe.

4.  My Penny Story

My Penny Story started in December 2011. At the time I weighed approximately 220 lbs. Not bad for somebody who is 6′ 4″. The problem is that I am not 6′ 4″. I was (and still am) 5′ 8″.

There are a few times each year where we give ourselves license to indulge, like our birthdays and anniversaries. But the trifecta takes place at the end of each year – Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Well that indulgence, together with the busyness and stress of life resulted in me gaining 50 lbs over what I weighed when I got married in 1983.

After the indulgence of Christmas in 2011 I was literally fed up. I felt sluggish and the doctor even had me on some cholesterol lowering medication. Sleep apnea was a potential concern and my wife told me how bad my snoring was getting.

In 2012 I would be turning 50 (in July) and the thought of that created one of those moments in life where you pause, reflect, and resolve to do something different going forward. I said to myself that I wanted the second half of my life to be different than the first half.

I remembered years back when my father had lost 30 lbs and what a difference that made for him, so I resolved that I would go on a diet starting January 1 and lose 30 lbs over the next 8 months, by the time I turned 50. It was not a New Year’s resolution per se, but I was serious about getting it done.

True to my conviction I stated to diet on January 1 – you know the typical kind that don’t work so well, that makes you feel like you are starving all the time, you’re always tempted to cheat on, and where the results only last for short periods afterwards. Besides, I didn’t know what else to do, but I am sure I was like millions of others that are constantly trying to lose weight.

Within a couple days I was telling a friend about my dieting plan. He asked if I had heard of a mobile phone app called MYFitnessPal. I hadn’t so he explained how the app helps you put together a plan to truly keep yourself accountable and follow through to success.

I immediately downloaded MyFitnessPal and put it to work.

This was my MyFitnessPal journey:

  • I entered my beginning weight…220 lbs (you need to choose a time of day that you will consistently weigh yourself so you get an accurate beginning measurement and daily measure along the journey)
  • I entered my target weight…190 lbs
  • I entered my target completion date…July 28
  • It asked me a number of questions to determine how active I am on a typical day…I entered moderate (this helps to determine your typical daily caloric burn rate)
  • It provided me with a daily caloric target of 1,770 (this is how many calories I was allowed to consume daily to ensure I would hit my target weight of 190 lbs by my target completion date of July 28).
  • MyFitnessPal does not tell you what to eat, but it provides you with the awareness to make better choices and to manage your caloric intake. You literally scan the bar codes on foods with your phone and MyFitnessPal tells you the caloric content of a serving (as well as the nutrient content).
  • Obviously exercise is always recommended with most weight loss programs. With MyFitnessPal you not only account for your calories consumed but it helps you track the calories burned.
  • Every day I weighed myself and input my weight.
  • Every meal I accounted for what I ate.
  • Every time I exercised I accounted for the calories consumed.
  • During the day it showed me how I was tracking and at the end of every day it let me know how I did relative to my plan.

So, what happened?

  • I was diligent and followed the tracking religiously.
  • I exercised a few times a week.
  • On average I actually netted 100 calories/day less than my target and never starved myself. In fact, starving is a no-no. The key to the whole thing is to change your lifestyle, eat better, and exercise.
  • The plan worked so well that I hit my target weight of 190 lbs in 5 months instead of 8.
  • It was so easy and effective I continued through to July 28 and ended up losing 50 lbs.

Biggest take-aways:

  • MyFitnessPal provided me with incredible awareness. To know what the caloric content is in certain foods (like a donut is 400-500 calories and a piece of cheesecake can be over 1,000) and then make better choices when I am hungry.
  • Never starve yourself. I carry protein bars with me wherever I go so I never miss or overly delay a meal. Need to keep the metabolism going.
  • I follow the king, prince, pauper meal plan: eat a big breakfast like a king (1,000 cal), eat a smaller lunch like a prince (700 cal), and eat almost nothing at dinner like a pauper (300 cal).
  • Build better habits. I take the stairs where possible and try not to eat after 8 pm.
  • My connection and conviction with the power of intentionality came together through this experience.
  • My lifestyle changes have allowed me to maintain a weight of around 170 lbs for over 5 years now.

5.  Get Your Own Intentionality Penny

People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.(Samuel L. Johnson)

To help remind people to do the little things that are as easy to do as not to do moment by moment I encourage people to put an intentional penny in their pocket each morning as they get dressed for the day. Then, at the end of the day place the penny on your dresser. The next day, repeat.

Doing this will remind you each morning to practice intentionality throughout the day. And, as the Intentionality Model suggests, little actions over time will result in greater achievements and successes.

To get your own Intentionality Penny click on and go to the Intentionality Store.Won’t any old penny work?

Any old penny can work and be as effective if you are the kind or person who is extremely mindful and disciplined.  Unfortunately, most of us are not that kind of person and that is why we need more obvious reminders.The good thing about an Intentionality Penny is that it stands out,  can’t be spent, and has many elements that serve as reminders. As a result it will compel you to take more intentional actions (aka Intentionality).

6. Share Your Story (add #MyPennyStory) to Inspire Others

The “#” is added because it is my hope that #MyPennyStory inspires people all around the world and I anticipate that Twitter will play a role in spreading the word. I hope all kinds of other social media plays a role as well.

The hope is that when one person shares their story (I have shared my own MyPennyStory on MyPennyStory.com to get the ball rolling) others will be inspired to take action on things they have wanted to accomplish for some time. Then, they share their own MyPennyStory on MyPennyStory.com to inspire somebody else. Imagine the positive movement we could start.

To help you share your story I have created MyPennyStory.com and I am the first person to use #MyPennyStory so we can follow the many stories and conversations on Twitter.

7. Next Steps:

  1. Share the link to on MyPennyStory.com with others on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
  2. Share your story on MyPennyStory.com
  3. Let others know that you posted your MyPennyStory by making a comment on on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter using #MyPennyStory and referencing @MyPennyStory