A goal that’s passed the basic test still isn’t usable until it’s written as one sentence. The Intention Statement Builder adds the third question, why now, and turns the answer into a statement specific enough to build a system around.
Why now is the question people skip
“Why now” is easy to avoid because “someday” feels safer to write down. It took most of a year at CitizenUp before I noticed I was answering “why civic tech” without ever answering “why me, why this year.”
Once I could answer both, the plan barely changed. What changed was that I stopped negotiating with myself about whether to start.
Who this is for, and how long it takes
About 7 minutes. For anyone who already knows roughly what they want and who it’s for, and needs to turn it into something they can act on.
What’s inside
- The why now question.
- A field to combine what, who, and why now into one sentence.
How to get the most out of it
If you can’t answer why now honestly yet, sit with that instead of forcing an answer.
What changes if you actually do this
The output is one written intention statement. The outcome is that you can say no to activity that doesn’t serve it. The impact is that this sentence becomes the anchor everything else gets checked against.
Download The Intention Statement Builder
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Next step: The Trigger-Action Designer, which builds the system that carries this intention.
FAQ
Do I need to complete The Ambition Test first?
It helps, but isn’t required. If you already know what you want and who it’s for, you can start here.
What’s the difference between a goal and an intention?
A goal is often a target you hit once. An intention is a compass, it keeps directing you even as specific goals change.
How is this different from the full Intention Worksheet?
The full worksheet builds the statement across three layers in one sitting. This is just the final step, for when the earlier thinking is already done.
