Intentional Living

This week I finished a book called “Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World”, by Tsh Oxenreider. I completely loved it and instantly felt that sadness you feel when you finish a great book or movie. After a little while, I pulled myself together and lay on the couch thinking about our busy chaotic life, and my goal to simplify our lives.

It turns out that ‘Simplifying our lives’ goes hand in hand with ‘Intentional Living’.

What is Intentional Living?

My goal for a long time has been to simplify our lives, and its been going incredibly well.  I have decluttered and organised a number of areas of our lives.  However, over the last couple of weeks, I have realised my goal isn’t to just have a simpler life – I want to have an ‘Intentional life’.

 

If you are going to have an Intentional Life.  You have to have a plan!

A plan caters to all the different areas of your life.

1.  What do you want your family life to look like?  Marriage goals etc. How do you want to handle conflicts.

2.  Your personal health plan.  What types of food do you eat?  How often do you exercise.   What are your absolutes?

3.  Your parenting plan.  How do you want to deal with discipline? What do you want your children to know about you.  How can we deepen the relationships in our household?

4.  Do you consider travel an important part of your life?

5.  What kind of friend do you want to be?  Do you want to entertain and open your home to your friends?

6.  What do you want to do in your life for work?  What is your passion or sense of purpose?  Would you like to study? Retrain in an area completely different to what your doing now?

7.  Are your extended family important to you?  How often would you like to catch up with them? What do you need to do to build relationships with extended family?

8.  Is religion/Spirituality an important part of your life?  Do you go to church regularly, or when it suits you?

9.  Plan some time for yourself each day and week to give to yourself time to rest, think, plan and process what is happening in your life.

When your answering these questions, it is important to remember that the difference between who you are and who you want to be – is what you do.   Too have an intentional life it is important to base your decisions on your beliefs and values.

I would love to hear about your endeavours to have a more ‘intentional life’.    What has worked or not worked for you, and how has having an intentional life improved your life.

xo