“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Welcome to Day 1 of my new series: 31 Days Of Intentional living! Did you miss the introduction? You can read it here!
If you went to the doctor and she told you that you had six months to live, what would you change about your life? There are 86,400 seconds each day. Have you ever thought about how you spend those precious seconds? If you are spending time on things that aren’t a true reflection of what you love and need to do, it might be time to realign your priorities!
I have noticed that it’s easy for me to become a reactor to what is going on instead of intentionally living according to my priorities. When this happens, chaos erupts! I feel out of control, I forget to do the most important things on my list, and I know I’m not a fun to be around! You know the saying, “If Momma aint happy, aint nobody happy!”
How do you know what your priorities are? One way to find out is to think about what is most important to you? Is it your job, family, church, health or friends? What are your goals for the next year? What about 25 years from now? What would be the most important to you if you only had 6 months to live? Your answers will be unique because each of us are in different seasons of life.
Be careful not to guilt yourself into answers. “I should” lists are not necessarily priorities. They might be to someone else, but if you hate singing, the “I should sing in the church choir because that is what Christian women do” is not a priority to include on your list! Don’t forget that your priorities can and will change! A mom with a newborn will have different priorities than an empty nester. A single woman with no children will have different priorities than a married woman with children. This list of priorities is your list! Make sure that the list reflects you!
If you have read my Goals For The Week that I post each Monday, you may have noticed that my priorities are broken down into categories. These categories are Intentional Relationships (my husband, children, and friendships), Intentional Homemaking, Intentional Self-Care, and Intentional Blogging. I also have Intentional Spirituality goals that I don’t list on the blog because they are always the same (attend church, etc). By putting the priorities into categories it is easier to keep myself organized, accountable, and focused.
Once you have your priorities listed out, it’s time to schedule those priorities into your daily life. This can be challenging! You might have to cut back on something that is not on your priority list to make time for your newly listed priorities. Be realistic! This is where my weekly goals are the most valuable! Because my priorities are organized into categories, it is easier for me to keep myself focused on what is most important. Balance is the key! You will still have laundry and dishes to do on top of everything else you are trying to cram into your schedule. Remember, there are 86,400 seconds in a day and there is no way to get more! Make your choices wisely.
Surround yourself with people who share the same priorities. They will keep you focused on your goals and you can cheer for each other! Accountability is one of the best tools I have found for staying on track.
One last tip is to have rewards along the way. If your priority is getting fit and you lose ten pounds, reward yourself with a manicure or a new book. A little treat for milestones will not only keep you motivated but also reminds you of the sacrifices you’ve made to get there. You deserve it!
Your challenge for today: Take 10 minutes and write down what is most important to you. Be as clear and specific as you can! Write out your goals for the next year, 5 years from now and your lifetime goals. When you look at these goals, are the activities you are participating in aligning with your goals? If not, it may be time to start changing up your schedule!
What is a priority that you want to be more intentional about?
Did you miss the introduction? You can read it here!
Have you enjoyed what you read here today? Do you have friends or other women you know that could benefit from this resource? If so, please do me a favor! I have included the links below to share with other intentional women! They’ll be glad you did!
I did this not to long ago…”take 10 minutes and write down what is most important to you.” I was having trouble focusing on my priorities and this helped me gather my thoughts and continue on my path. Thanks for reminding me and making me pull out that list again!
I have sticky notes up all over to remind me! It’s too easy to get caught up in the moment and forget! 🙂
Intentional was my word for this year. I wrote a list of my priorities for the year and made an artwork of them to remind me everyday. I also pick my 3 most important tasks to do each day. I still have a long way to go but making progress. I look forward to seeing the rest of your posts.
Intentional was my word last year! This year I added “Present” because I felt like I was going through the motions without really being there. 🙂 Glad you are joining in!
I’m excited for this series!! I used to be much more intentional with my time – write down goals, etc. Now I’ve got a busy toddler and I’m pregnant with the next. I’m so busy I need to be even more intentional – my time is not even remotely my own!! Thanks for writing about this. I’ll be following along. I’m also writing a series this month – on decluttering. There is so much MESS I need to get out of the house.
I did a 31 Day series on decluttering last year (not for this challenge) because I couldn’t stand my house! 🙂 I hope it goes well for you and I look forward to checking it out!
Absolutely love the idea of living intentionally. I confess to being easily swept up in the moment and have a hard time of remembering that I ever had intentions in the first place.
Life is crazy at times. As the homeschooling mom of 5 boys, a blogger and a wife I know that I have a long list of excuses that would be justified to get in my way of living intentionally, yet I do want to live like that: from one distraction to the next.
I wan to live intentionally!
Bekki, I have 5 kids too, it is crazy! 🙂 It’s not an all or nothing to live intentionally, but small steps can really make a difference! Thank you for stopping over!
Great idea…I will absolutely have to take you up on your challenge to focus on living intentionally…starting with writing down what those intentional priorities are. It is so easy to just get in the much of life and do things to “get through them” rather than enjoy them. I want to soak in the time I have with my little ones and husband this season…thanks for helping me to make that a priority! 🙂
I love the name of your blog, Summer 🙂 To me that is what intentionality is all about!
Loved the post. It’s exactly what I need to be doing: be intentional. There are many things I don’t get done because I’ve slacked at setting priorities but this post was a wake up reminder. Thank you 🙂
Setting priorities is the hardest thing for me! There are so many others that I put before mine. Thanks for sharing with us at the Teach Me Tuesday Linky Party:)
My friend has a blog called livingourpriorities.com The idea is to put your priorities in order of importance and live life that way. They list their priorities as follows:
-God
-Spouse
-Family
-Ministry
-Work
They are a great couple of pastors and if you subscribe to their updates they will send you their FREE ebook “Embracing God’s Priorities.” FYI, I am not affiliated to this blog/website in any way. They are just good friends of mine and they’re providing a great service.
Enjoy!