7 Great Ways to Be Intentional in a Busy-Centered World - Jeanne Takenaka
Contents
How hard is it to be intentional when distractions call to you? Busyness is almost an epidemic in our culture.
For the last number of months, when I considered what I wanted to do once we dropped off our youngest at college, I pictured days and weeks of quiet time in my home, writing stories, organizing my house after twenty years of raising two sons, and taking life at a slower pace.
Ummm, my fantasy slammed into a brick wall when we arrived home from our roadtrip.
Earlier in the summer, I made several commitments for September. My craved-for quiet mornings have yielded to appointments and the aftermath of organizing after completing home renovations in August.
Here we are in the middle of September, and I’m tired. I’ve done a little writing. But I have a problem: I stretched my time too thin to do everything.
I got distracted.
What does it mean to be intentional?
Rachel, in a post by Weber University, defines being intentional as “making deliberate choices to reflect what is important to us.”
The simplicity of this definition can guide us to be intentional in our choices and how we live our lives.
I believe when we’re distracted by busyness, it’s because either we don’t understand our purpose or don’t believe God’s called us to that purpose.
Consider these questions
- What’s important to us? Why?
- What are we doing right now that reflects that important value/task/belief/goal?
- What distracts us from living this out?
True confession: The “later on” yeses I agreed to in August impacted every aspect of my September. I’m accomplishing nothing effectively because I didn’t prioritize what’s most important.
Instead of writing for a few hours daily, I’ve had to reduce or cut that time. Why? Because I also have jobs around the house and need to complete tasks like sending care packages to our sons. Oh, and spend time with the Hubs.
Because, after Jesus, he’s my most important priority.
This month, I forgot what my true priorities were.
Our choices reflect what’s most important to us.
7 Great Ways to Be Intentional in a Busy-Centered World—Our choices reflect what's most important to us. #tellhisstory #beintentional #identity Click To Tweet
How to be intentional in our everyday lives
Before we can be intentional in how we live, we need to talk with the Lord to understand our purpose and calling.
Pray for God’s vision
Pray for God’s vision for our lives. He may not show us everything, but if we ask, the Lord will reveal the next few steps (Psalm 119:105). We need to be intentional to walk in those steps.
Gain a clear understanding
Discover a clear understanding of what’s important to us. Until we know our values, callings, and goals, we’ll live into busyness rather than intentionality.
Take time to make better choices
When we find the areas in our lives that are out of balance, it’ll take time to make choices that better reflect what’s most important. Let’s give ourselves the grace to make the necessary changes to become intentional in how we live each day.
Evaluate current commitments
Evaluate our current commitments to decide how we spend our time from here on. We mustn’t fill those calendar squares full. Instead, we must be careful with our yeses. Especially for a calling or goal that requires a lot of time, we must open space in our days to work toward these things.
Have a clear way to see engagements on calendar
Make sure we have a clear way to see commitments on our calendars. If you have a family calendar on your phone or fridge, it can be tricky to see your obligations when mixed in with other family members’ appointments. Especially if their and your appointments overlap, consider creating separate calendars (using different apps if needed).
Make time for our calling
Set an appointment on our calendar so we have time to work on our calling. And honor that appointment. I evaluate my calendar weekly and determine where I will set writing times.
7 Great Ways to Be Intentional in a Busy-Centered World—Accept that we won't be able to do everything we want or feel pressured to do. And that's okay. #tellhisstory #beintentional #identity Click To Tweet
Accept we can’t do everything
Accept that we won’t be able to do everything we want or feel pressured to do. And that’s okay. Each day, let’s bring our list of need-to-do’s and want-to-do’s to the Lord and ask Him to prioritize them according to what He knows is best.
Conclusion
We’ll face seasons where many unavoidable demands usurp our time, forcing us into a busy rhythm. When this happens, let’s be kind to ourselves. During trials, remember they have a definite beginning and ending. And God walks with us through all of them.
To be intentional doesn’t require perfection or an unyielding daily schedule. If we want to live with intention, we need to be in communion with our Father, Who has given us these callings and dreams.
At the beginning of this month, I realized how impossible it would be to do everything. I’ve scaled back my dedicated writing time to keep up with daily responsibilities. I’ve made calendar changes to help me choose more wisely from here on out. I’m determined to be intentional to follow God’s leading each day.
Will I mess up again? Probably. And if (and when) I do, I’ll revisit my choices with my Father and ask Him to recalibrate my thoughts with His heart.
What about you? What helps you be intentional in your life choices? How do you make decisions that reflect what’s important to you?
Come share your story at the Tell His Story linkup. Connect and be encouraged by like-minded friends! #tellhisstory #linkup Click To Tweet
Each week we gather here as storytellers, word weavers, and encouragers to make His name known. Our story is God’s story and this small corner of the blogging world, where we come together each Tuesday, needs you. This is a place where poetry, snapshots, prayers, and stories find a safe spot to nod in agreement that what we have to say matters. I am glad you are here and would love to have you join the #TellHisStory community. Add your own encouraging post through the link below. Spread some love by visiting your neighbor and leaving your own encouragement. Click here to read more about the #TellHisStory community and find a button to add to your site.
Each week we gather here as storytellers, word weavers, and encouragers to make His name known. Our story is God’s story and this small corner of the blogging world, where we come together each Tuesday, needs you. This is a place where poetry, snapshots, prayers, and stories find a safe spot to nod in agreement that what we have to say matters. I am glad you are here and would love to have you join the #TellHisStory community. Add your own encouraging post through the link below. Spread some love by visiting your neighbor and leaving your own encouragement. Click here to read more about the #TellHisStory community and find a button to add to your site.
