Always make it intentional

There are lots of things we do without thinking about them. Sometimes they are routines and habits we have formed over time. There is nothing wrong with having routines. It is okay to put some of our daily affairs on autopilot. In fact, forming good habits helps us to get ahead in many ways. A student that forms a habit of studying well will have a better chance at academic success. A person that consistently sets aside a significant amount of their earnings as savings has a better chance at financial success. Meanwhile, one of the downsides of our routine-based life is that most people are not intentional in setting up the routine.  

It does seem like we generally coast onward in life based on what is convenient. We just follow the ebb and flow of the sea without control over the direction of the wind. Yet our ability to make a difference lies in our willingness to become deliberate, to think through what we will do and how we will do it. For example, imagine how you would prepare if you were invited to meet your Prime Minister, President, or King personally. You will think and plan how to dress, what to say and how you will conduct yourself. Now imagine that you approach most of the major affairs of life the same way.
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Think about your work or business. Could you become intentional in how you handle every aspect of your work? Could you lead your team intentionally and not just as a matter of routine? Could you deliberately think through how you will contribute to success at your work; what you will do, how you will do it, and the difference it will make? The same applies to our families and relationships, and involvement in the community and associations. Make your relationships intentional. Be intentional in how you deliver services to others. Deliberately determine what your product would look like. Be intentional in how you project yourself to the world. It is time for us to always make it intentional, to live life deliberately

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Actions for the week

1. Evaluate yourself and find out if you have been intentional in many of the things you do daily. Are you intentional? Why or why not?
2. To practice intentionality, select three areas where you can do things deliberately.  For example, your dressing, choice of words or food, or relationship with a family member. Determine what you will do and how you will do it and then do it.
3. Intentionally adjust your routines in such a way that you benefit more.

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A quote to remember
The key is not to prioritize your schedule but to schedule your priorities. – Steven Covey

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Until another time,
Dele Ola, Award-Winning Author of Be A Change Agent
​Click HERE to learn about and get copies of Dele’s Books
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