The Power of Intention

Written By Paul Mayer

How Arnold Schwarzenegger Willed His Way to an Extraordinary Life

At Happiful, we believe that a clear vision paired with committed daily action creates incredible results. Once you have your vision, you need to live and act with intention. 

Intention is more than just a wish – it’s the deliberate focus and specific activities you bring to something you want. It’s the difference between drifting through life and designing your life. No one demonstrates this better than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

From Austrian Village to American Icon

Arnold was born in a small Austrian village with little money and limited opportunity. But even as a teenager, he intended to become the greatest bodybuilder in the world. Not hoped. Not wished. Intended. He visualized it, wrote it down, and obsessed over it. Despite ridicule and pressure from his parents, he was undeterred – all of his actions, habits, and mindset flowed from that intention. He became the world champion bodybuilder at the age of 23, the youngest in history.

Once he’d won Mr. Olympia seven times, he felt like he had achieved all he could in bodybuilding. So his intention shifted to becoming a major movie star — despite a thick accent, a long, hard-to-pronounce name, and no acting background. Hollywood laughed, and in his first roles his accent was so thick they needed to dub in a different voice. But his intention was so strong, it shaped his decisions and his identity until he reached his goal: at 35 years old, he became a major star in Conan the Barbarian, and 2 years later, he starred in Terminator and was the world’s most popular action movie actor.

With that goal achieved, he set a new one: To serve the public and become the Governor of California. In 2003, he was elected Governor of California and served until his term limit expired in 2011.

What We Can Learn from Arnold’s Intentional Life

Arnold’s success wasn’t luck — it was clarity of purpose backed by intentional actions until he succeeded. He teaches us three key things about intention:

  1. See it before you do it
    Arnold visualized every success before it happened. “You have to create a goal, and then see yourself achieving it,” he said. At Happiful, we call this your Vision — a mental movie of your ideal future that pulls you forward.

  2. Align your actions
    Intention is powerful because it directs your behavior. Once Arnold knew his goal, every action he took aligned with that goal, from the people he wanted to meet, to what he needed to learn, and to his daily activities. You can do the same by setting your 5-Year Goals, your 1-Year Goals, your Quarterly Rocks, and your MVPs in your Weekly Plan. You also can make daily progress towards your Vision by setting and tracking daily actions that support your long-term vision, using our free Daily Commitments Checklist.

  3. Identity shapes destiny
    Arnold believed he was a champion long before the world agreed. His self-identity was rooted in his intention. This is why Happiful focuses so much on mindset — because who you believe you are determines your thoughts and actions, which determine your results.

Try This Today

Take five minutes today to ask yourself:

  • What is my true intention for my life right now?

  • What changes do I have to make to achieve this intention?

  • If I fully believed this vision was possible, how would I act today?

Write it down. Feel it. Then move forward with confidence and clarity.

Your life becomes what you intentionally build — not what you passively accept.

At Happiful, we’re here to help you define your vision, design your days, and thrive with purpose.

Recommended books to learn more:

Paul Mayer
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Wheel of Life