Do you know why I am so passionate about living intentionally? Do you know why it is appealing for you to be reading this and why you are desiring to live intentionally as well? Why do we seek a life of purpose and meaning?
I believe it’s because God put that desire there. His Word is full of encouragement to live wisely, which occurs when we prepare, savor, and reflect.
“The wise will hear and increase their learning, And the person of understanding will acquire wise counsel and the skill [to steer his course wisely and lead others to the truth],” Proverbs 1:5 (AMP)
Proverbs 5:6 (NIV) also warns us about the opposite kind of life, a foolish life: “She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.”
Yikes! I want to avoid the latter and pursue the former . . . and I know you do too!
I’m all about some applications. So, I’m always asking “how do I apply this?!” Here are four ways I’ve put this goal of living intentionally into practice through a cycle of preparing, savoring, and reflecting:
* I will only recommend resources I believe in! I also want you to be aware: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I am better able to take inventory of my life and prepare well for where I want to go when someone asks me intentional questions. My husband is amazing at this, but for those times when I am alone to reflect on my life with God, I have found PowerSheets to be the second best option, after conversation.
I get to geek out on this concept with Emily Thomas on Cultivate What Matters in 2021.
I discovered PowerSheets through my friends, Kara and Catherine, who gushed about this helpful resource. Recommendations from friends are the best, so I decided to try these for myself.
And from one friend to another, I hope you are inspired to give these a try in the same way, after reading this post.
Lara Casey and her team at Cultivate What Matters have a skilled way of helping you identify what it is you really want when you’re 80 . . . then translating your vision into manageable ways you can move forward today.
It is full of actionable prompts that guide you to organize your thoughts and prioritize your next steps to follow.
This is where I learned one of my top goals is to “Tenderly plant seeds of faith in our children.” When I review this goal and begin to internalize it, my decisions in the moment become much clearer: when faced with a choice of passively ignoring a heart issue or instead leaning in to discipline and disciple, I am given the inspiration I need, and in return, the motivation required, to get up and seize the opportunity.
Small moments over time add up to big transformation!
Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of all of our faith stories, so I can also be reminded to release myself from the pressure to save my children.
My goal was intentionally worded to simply do what I can do:
plant.
I get to plant seeds and He gets to do the miraculous and mysterious work of making them take deep root to grow, bloom, and flourish.
This is one of countless lessons learned and applied as I prepared for my life through the practical means of the PowerSheets Goal Planner.
This is step two for me to prepare.
When I prepare well for my days, I end up preparing well for my life!
After I complete my monthly PowerSheets Goals, I transfer my list onto this planner. This helps me break down all my big ideas into (ideally) one to-do project each day. I inevitably sprinkle in many other minor to-dos as the day approaches.
Doing this big-picture work ahead of time gives me joy when I wake up, open my planner, and know exactly what my focus is for the day.
I live far more intentionally, aligning my values and my time when I concentrate on my mental planning during child-free times. I am freed up to be more present with my children when they are awake, desiring my attention, and requiring my supervision.
This is where preparation meets presence and leads to savoring.
When I do this pre-work and feel prepared, I get to enjoy the moment, knowing there will be other times to tackle the to-do list. I am then free to savor moments investing in relationships.
Going to the park, reading books to our daughters, or enjoying a conversation with a friend is so profitable and so possible when I prepare!
I have not mastered this yet, but I am growing less distracted in my mind with the overwhelming to-do list because I trust there is a time for everything.
Now, confession: I am currently working on limiting my to-dos even more because I’ve noticed they still creep into my thoughts more than I would like, trying to rob my joy of being present in the moment. When I’m preoccupied with tasks, that has now become my red flag warning I either need a little more help or I need to pare down my list.
Do you have any words of advice here? What filters do you use to pare down to-dos that seem super important?
Ok, now that we have prepared well for our lives and asked God to help us remain present to savor each moment, the next connecting point in the cycle is reflecting.
My favorite way to reflect with God is through journaling.
You can do this with any journal . . . I just find Lilly Pulitzer journals to be beautiful. I never tire of looking at it, even when it’s placed where I walk by it multiple times a day. I also love the hard-bound journals because I can write while I’m cozy on the bed or couch and don’t have access to a hard surface.
Prayer precedes this time of reflection. Praying before bed helps me release all the cares of the day and pause my conversation with God until I’m awake again. Then I wake up with a fresh start and a fresh mind to seek Him and reflect on what He has been teaching me.
My morning routine to engage my mind, body, and soul = podcast in my ears as I walk and get my blood flowing, serotonin levels increasing, and body feeling prepared for the day. Then I grab my iced coffee I’ve prepared the day before, turn on my bedside lamp, and snuggle under my covers with my Bible, Lilly journal, and pink pencil ready. I set my alarm for 30 minutes and ask God to multiply our time together. As I read His word and write down my questions, prayers, and take-aways, my mind becomes clearer on the focus for the day.
“So prepare your minds for action,” 1 Peter 1:13a (AMP)
Sometimes I end with one verse or even one phrase to cling to throughout the rest of my day. I handwrite my take-away Scripture or practical action step at the top of my PowerSheets or at the top of my Lilly Planner for the day so I can refer to it often and call to mind what I reflected on during those quieter moments with God . . .
In this way, the process of reflecting leads us right back to preparation and then into savoring.
Do you see this cycle in your days, your weeks, your months, your quarters, your years? Ultimately, this cyclical process (preparation, savoring, reflecting) occurs day by day, leading to a well-lived life.
Now that you’ve reflected on this process, I invite you to take one action step now: schedule a time to plan and prepare well. I can’t wait to hear what fruit comes as a result!!!
I might be a little biased, but this is my favorite way to prepare, savor, and reflect all at the same time!
Remember when I said I start my day with a walk and a podcast in my ears? This is my favorite one to listen to because the guests are godly, wise mentors who offer fresh ways to apply Scripture to my life!
Listening to and applying the wisdom from these chats provides me the momentum necessary to keep steadily plodding forward, day by day.
Proverbs 23:17b (AMP) “But [continue to] live in the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD day by day.”
You may know our podcast tagline: Practical Chats for Intentional Living.
And that is the entire message of this note. These are the practical ways I prepare, savor, and reflect on living an intentional, exciting, adventurous life that I pray is pleasing to the Lord.
I just love honorable mentions, and I love surprises, so I’m going to mix those two loves together and give you a hint . . . some fantastic guests are coming on the podcast Monday! Here is the resource I will recommend as my honorable mention only because it is new to me as of 3 months ago, so I’ve had less time to use it and review it. Here’s your big clue for where we are going Monday: Rhythms for Life Planner and Journal . . . leave your guesses in the comments below for who you think our guests will be!
As you continue to gain wisdom, may you be encouraged by Proverbs 23:18 (AMP)
“Surely there is a future [and a reward], And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.”
Now, it’s your turn! We learn by teaching, so I hope to be your first student. What practical ways do you prepare, savor, and reflect on a life lived with intention?
Blessings to You,
Laura
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