Are you Driving or Being Driven?

Intentional living is ultimately about taking full responsibility for your life and how you spend your time.

It is about saying no to things that matter least so you can give more time to the things that matter most – and knowing the difference.

That is where many people get confused: knowing the difference. When we aren’t clear on what matters most, everything can seem potentially important, so we react to everything. When we react to everything, we make no progress in a dozen different areas instead of making regular, significant progress in the few areas that really matter. That leads to feeling overwhelmed and spread thin. Once everything is important, nothing is important. The problem is a lack of personal vision about your life and what you intend to do with it.

Being intentional means doing things on purpose. For what purpose? The purpose of achieving a specific outcome or result. If your work team wants to achieve a particular business outcome, you start by developing a clear, well-defined vision that captures the desired result. Then, you create a strategy that you believe will get you from where you are to your desired outcome. You do the work to implement the strategy. You measure to get quality feedback about your progress and make adjustments as needed to continue progressing toward your goal. Vision is what brings goals, outcomes, and desired results to life. It documents significant purpose, fundamental values, and clear priorities. Success always starts with a clear and compelling vision. If you create a vision for a simple business outcome, why wouldn’t you do at least as much for your entire life?

Intentional living is about achieving specific, explicit results in your life, and it all starts with a clear, compelling vision. Your personal vision statement for your life defines your explicit outcomes in every area of your life that is meaningful to you. It clearly identifies your values, which are your motivation. It details your priorities. It becomes a roadmap for you to follow to achieve what you want to accomplish with your life. It clearly shows you how to spend your precious time – what to leave in, what to leave out, or, more to the point, who to leave in and who to leave out. This implies making choices and taking responsibility for your decisions. The people you stop giving time and attention to may be hurt by your decision. The people in your life who genuinely matter will be deeply grateful for the additional time and attention you are finally giving them. This should be an easy choice to make.

Are you living an intentional life, or are you on autopilot, trying to do it all? Intentional living starts with a clear, compelling vision for your life. And your vision statement is just the beginning of an intentional life of success & happiness.

If you want to achieve sustainable positive change to enjoy a happier, more successful life, there is a safe and supportive environment to explore your transformation: askalthea.org. It’s free to join and explore but requires curiosity and a little courage. You are so worth it!?

I also offer Mindset Transformation Coaching for those seeking to accelerate personal growth.