I will do it intentionally

We do many things without thinking about them. In fact, most of the decisions we make on any given day are made subconsciously. We usually don’t have to get too serious about most of our activities of the day. For example, what does it matter whether you toasted your bread or not? You may toast the bread if you have a toaster, but if you don’t, perhaps the bread would be okay untoasted. On my way to work, I usually have options of three or four possible routes. Guess what I do? I check the GPS, and I follow the route that would take me the least amount of time. I don’t really care much about whether I take Ottawa’s route 14 or 19. It is the same when we relate to people. It is the same way most people even talk. We have the tendency to be casual in our dealings with people and things.

While it is impractical to calculate every activity, every move and every simple decision every time, we must surely be intentional in the matters that carry weight. Certain aspects of our lives cannot be handled with levity. For example, although toasting my bread may not have any significant impact on my health, deciding to get enough sleep after a long day may. In that case, I will need to be intentional about rest after work. Similarly, serving my wife water using a light blue cup rather than a dark blue one may not matter much, but the way I talk to her is something I must be intentional about. Each one of us has aspects of our lives that require deliberate actions every day.

In which areas of your daily life do you need to be intentional? Think about your choices of words and actions. Think about your relationships, place of work, your affiliations, your disposition to challenges, and your career growth. Could you be more intentional? One danger of lack of intentionality is loss of opportunities. When things are done thoughtfully, there are better chances of making an impact. I have decided to be deliberate in handling every significant affair of my life. What about you?

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​Actions for the week

1. Think about how many things you have done without being deliberate about them. Now imagine the difference intentionality could have made.
2. Decide to always add thoughts to the things you do, especially things that carry some weight or are quite important.
   
3. Share this message with those in your network.

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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