Intentionality


“Busy” is a fascinating word. No definition needed, right? We all get it. I’m sure you have so much “on your plate” and find yourself living at a frenetic pace these days. Because we all know that feeling. Seriously, who has time for a proper vacation when there is so much to do? Most Americans don’t. Truth is, we admire the busy person with the full schedule. They’re important. Achieving.

But here’s the thing… Americans (and I can only assume most people) are really bad at judging their time. We only sleep six hours per night. Unless sleep is actually monitored, then it’s closer to eight hours. And TV? There are various surveys and studies, but Nielsen measures average TV viewing at over five hours each day. And that phone of yours, with social media beckoning you to share senseless details of your life, while viewing the glamorous pursuits of others or reading the most disheartening stories from a “newsfeed” or, God forbid, aimlessly clicking one link after another down some rabbit-hole of a time suck? That would be another three or so hours each day.

So, how do you explain it? I won’t try. I don’t care. Feel free to find the Bureau of Labor Statistics data yourself, if you like. What I care deeply about, however, are the goals that you have lying about that would seriously benefit from some of those hours. Is there a single thing, for which you claim to have no time, that could not be moved forward with just a few of those hours repurposed accordingly? If you were to stop focusing on “feeling” so busy and actually start “doing”, magic might result. At minimum, if you were to exit your head and just make a plan, progress would ensue.

Here’s a definition I will offer (in the basic form rather than the philosophical) …

Intentionality: Done with intention or on purpose; deliberate; intended; purposive

Is it possible that we, with intent and purpose, commit so many hours to activities that don’t move us forward? Is it possible that we, with intent and purpose, pursue activities that actually prevent our ability to do the things that we, at some level, believe are important and want to do? Of course not. It is not intentional. Check your calendar. Those items are not there.

A most basic truth is that your time is precious and quite limited. Once passed, it is gone forever. The call here is to invest in what matters. To not spend your time on the senseless, but rather to invest your time on the important. As you define it. Easy? No. But this is your life. And each day is a step closer to the exit. Can you really live with the idea that those wasted hours will, at the end, add up to misspent years? If not, do the hard work now. Define what is important. Plan what is important. Commit time to what is important.

A life of intentionality is a life lived on purpose. Purposefully invest in you…

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