Master self-leadership so that you happen to life.
It pains me to watch people sleepwalk through life and never take the time to figure out what they really want out of this short earthly experience we were lucky enough to get.
As Nicholas Murray Butler, who was the President of Columbia University in New York, said in his speech:
There Are Three Types of People: Those Who Make Things Happen, Those Who Watch Things Happen, and Those Who Wonder What Happened.
If posed with the question of whether to live an intentional life, many of us would pick intentional living over aimless drifting.
Living intentionally can help you live a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
It can help you avoid the feeling of drifting aimlessly and provide a sense of purpose and direction.
And yet, many of us don’t live intentionally enough.
Why? Because it requires some effort and we often feel we have too much on our plates already, we are spread too thin and decide to ‚think about it later.
Reacting vs. Creating your life.
We are stuck in the reactive zone, occasionally find enough willpower to be proactive, but rarely reside in the truly creative (or: emergent) zone.
“You know, there are two types of people-ones who live their lives, and ones whose lives live them. You need to be the former, not the latter.
And right now, you are letting your life live you. It’s crushing you and completely out of control.
You can’t just let life happen, not if you want some say in what happens to you.”
― H.M. Ward, Torn
Living our lives intentionally requires a high level of self-leadership:
Mastering the Big Picture (discovering our true values and purpose, setting goals and planning) with the Daily Grind aka execution (managing our energy, habits, overcoming procrastination, sustaining motivation, etc.).
What does it mean to live intentionally?
Living intentionally means making deliberate and conscious choices about how you want to live.
What is the first ingredient you need to put in your pantry? Self-awareness.
Developing sufficient self-awareness is essential for intentional living.
This means being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and their impact on yourself and others. By being self-aware, you can identify areas where you need to make changes and develop strategies to improve.
It involves actively identifying your:
- values
- priorities
- goals
And — most importantly –aligning your actions with them.
Many of us enjoy the planning stages and crafting our vision but ‚forget’ to actually do the required work. Consistently.
Simply put, make sure your ladder is up against the right wall.
Living intentionally requires:
- self-awareness
- and a clear understanding of what matters to you.
Start where you (really) are.
Living intentionally involves taking responsibility for your life and recognizing that you have the power to shape your future, and always starting where you really are -not where you think you should be, not where you think you are, not where you would like to be; but where you REALLY are.
Mindfully wave goodbye to instant gratification.
It means focusing on what is important to you and being willing to make sacrifices to achieve your goals.
It also involves being present in the moment and making the most of each day — or, realistically — often enough.
By living intentionally, you have a better chance of living a life of no regrets, which is in line with your values, goals, and aspirations.
