The Dali Lama when interviewed was asked what was the first thing he did each morning. His answer was that he set his intention for the day. Of course his intention was to do his best, to be of service and help others, to the best of his ability. He meant this in both a literal sense and a metaphorical one, where he worked on himself to be a better human, watching his thoughts and his acts.
The Dalai Lama said that intention is everything! That doing good in the world without proper intention does nothing useful really and sometimes can cause harm even.
What is intention? It is the desire to be of benefit to others in the world. Our interactions and experiences seem to go better when we’ve spent some time looking at our minds, intentionally cultivating them so that they’re more attuned to connection with others and a true appreciation for life—including even its difficulties. Working with intention makes room in the front of our minds for what we really value. In other words the true intention is one of doing no harm and putting others first. This is not self-help, it is a meaningful satisfaction that you get from knowing that, whatever life happens, you’re making room in your mind and heart to accept it. And then to let it go.
And in that frame of mind you can truly help others besides yourself and be of genuine benefit in the world.