Yoga, B2B Marketing, And Establishing Your Intention!

By Perry Rearick, Chief Editor, Follow Your Buyer

Thought for the Week – Yoga, B2B marketing, and establishing your intention!

About five years ago I attended my first yoga class ever. Joining a cheerful group of people with broad smiles, each carrying a rolled-up mat, we filed into a dimly lit room that smelled of sandalwood and past a greeter who spoke in a soft, public-radio kind of way. This was not one of those intense hot-yoga experiences.

The session began with quiet reflection, and we were encouraged to establish an intention. What? My first reaction was, “I intend to do yoga.”

A conversation with a yogi and some online research introduced me to a world of personal intentions, mindfulness exercises, and living a more purpose-driven life. According to Melissa Maxx, a certified mindfulness instructor, "intention setting is empowering and instead of feeling like a victim of circumstance, you become the conscious creators of your days and your life." It serves as a great anecdote for our busy, stress-filled, hectic lives.

Being more intentional can also be an anecdote for the unplanned activities that tend to control B2B marketing departments. Guidance given spur-of-the-moment can be aimless and disruptive. When it becomes routine, each day has us speeding from one task to another without taking the time to consider the intent, or purpose, for what we’re doing.

For example, “we need to ramp-up our social media activity, our competitors are doing it. Just post that photo of our booth from the last tradeshow with a link to our website.” Yes, we’ve all been there!

When this happens, the question we should be asking is, what intention do we have for our social media presence? This shoot-from-the-hip activity isn’t limited to social media. How often do we find ourselves churning out content that has no purpose other than we are required to produce something each week or each day?

This week I encourage you to slow down, pause, and establish an intention for everything you do. This is especially valuable for marketing leaders who are directing their team’s work.

Oh, by the way! I have made progress with my yoga practice. I have my own mat, can hold the crow pose, and I’m much more intentional!