We are what we focus on, and we are the sum of our daily habits. When we don’t have a clearly defined goal of what we want to accomplish in a day, we are unfocused and unintentional. Our day becomes consumed by doing mindless things, that in the end, get us no closer to what we say we want. And it’s fascinating how loyal we become to such mindless activities. Even when we state we would rather be doing something else that will get us closer to what we want.
I know I have found myself looking up news or reading things that I don’t even care about for extended periods of time during my day. It’s something that I have done for a while and am used to, so I’m on autopilot. Hours go by and then I wonder where the day went!
Life transformation happens when the little things you do everyday support your stated goals. Even if those things seem small or that they aren’t significant because you aren’t seeing a huge results right away. But they are the building blocks that eventually get you where you want to be, and they are necessary.
Aside from the typical responsibilities and things that you absolutely must do every day, how can you be more intentional with your time?
The first thing you need to do is define what your goals are. Then you have to honestly assess what you need to do daily, weekly and monthly to achieve those goals. Make a list of them. Whether they are short-term or long-term, you need to have an idea about what you need to do to do them and how much time you will need.
Get into the habit of prioritizing those tasks for your day and do them first. If they are longer tasks, break them up into smaller manageable chunks and focus on them. Learn how to say “no”, or “yes, I can do it, but it will need to wait a couple of hours”. I know for me, when someone needs help with something, I am apt to drop everything I am doing and help them. Otherwise, I feel like it’s hanging over my head or I am inconveniencing them. I had to get comfortable with saying no altogether if I didn’t want to do it, didn’t have the time to do it, etc. and making people wait a little while.
You also have to re-evaluate what you “waste time” on. If spending time on social media or cruising around the interwebs looking at kittens isn’t getting you closer to your goals, limit the time you spend on it.
Are you spending your time intentionally? What small step can you take today to be more intentional?
