INTENTIONAL LIVING: On Lesson 26

To start the discussion on Intentional living, I’ll love to share a quote from Steve Jobs which says,

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become, and everything else is secondary.” – STEVE JOBS

On the 31^st of May, I had my 26^th birthday. For over a month, I’ve had to put the past one year into perspective, taking account for how I lived through it, the ‘L’s that are now lessons, the blessings I can count, and the entire growth process.

If there is one thing I could bring out from the entire year, it is “TO LIVE INTENTIONALLY”. Like it wasn’t enough that the world yearns for healing from viruses and poverty; there is police brutality; racism; rape; inequality and many other social vices that makes the world really cluttered right now. Hence, the need to be intentional about life and know what you want from it, because nothing is promised. If you want to be relevant in the new world’s normal, you have to be intentional about living; genuinely going for what you want from life; do better than “anywhere belle face” standard which often ends with a mediocre life of little or no impact.

Curt Kampmeier once said, “If you’re going to grow, you have to be intentional.”

According to Wikipedia, Intentional living is any lifestyle based on an individual or group’s conscious attempts to live according to their values and beliefs. These can include lifestyles based on religious, political or ethical values, as well as for self-improvement.

So, what does it mean to be intentional?

Living intentionally implies you are purposeful about life in both your word and actions. It means you are committed to living a life that is meaningful and also fulfilling to you. Usually it starts with the question of WHY, creating boundary lines around your life with the reasons for your WHY. Making thoughtful choices about life but also actively interacting and engaging with your life. This in turn helps you chart the course for your life rather than to aimlessly wander through life. It enables you to put everything to perspectives and make time for what matters to your life and purpose. I would say intentional living is decluttering and living in the moment; defining your life before circumstances or societal norms and expectations get to do that for you.

Steps to Living Intentionally

It is important you have your foundation firm by understanding the place of God in your life; His thoughts towards you; His promises and plans. . . If you have to set up a business meeting with Him or days of being in His presence to get your facts right, please do. God is a large shareholder in your affairs and you’ve got to design your life together.

• Goal setting

Knowing the facts about your life won’t be enough if you don’t intentionally set your goals and what you need to achieve them. I strongly encourage that you pay attention to the details of all you need and can also consider working with short-termed feasible goals (like I do). This helps me to reduce the overwhelming feelings of having so much to do within a short span of time and also avoid unnecessarily setting myself up for disappointment when the goals take too long to be achieved.

• Take Intentional Actions.

These are the daily actions you take by aligning your choices, attitudes and decisions towards the set goals. This often require bytes actions, an example is me being serious about learning German, the first intentional step was to download Duolingo (a language learning app) and conscious effort to ensure I practice on it every day. The world already has a cultural standard for everything and you can decide if you want the same or create yours.

• Stay Purposeful.

Corroborate your actions by staying true to your purpose. Are you taking actions that align with your purpose? Does your actions represent your identity and communicate or contribute to what you stand for? Do they fuel your passions? Is purpose your drive? Are you intentional about life?

• Reflect.

Yes, you need to keep track of your progress. Journaling your growth process is important for critical evaluation. It helps you measure your growth, also easily discover what and where you need to do better. Put your passions, talents, abilities, and weaknesses to check. Take accounts of all the lessons and achievements. Be open to criticism. Fail forward. Give yourself some accolades. Savor the process. Allow yourself to breathe. And live like you mean it!

You can also listen to the podcast on the following platforms – https://ofunmibi.com/podcast-alert-on-adulting/;

GOOGLEPODCASTS-https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iYmZkM2U4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz

SPOTIFY- https://open.spotify.com/show/3PuBHqro7ohAqDusyVUn2J

POCKETCASTS – https://pca.st/r42p

BREAKER – https://www.breaker.audio/on-adulting-with-oluwafunmibi-fayemi

RADIO PUBLIC – https://radiopublic.com/on-adulting-with-oluwafunmibi-fay-WwrpYg

OVERCAST – https://overcast.fm/itunes1466243993/on-adulting-with-oluwafunmibi-fayemi

APPLE PODCASTS (ITUNES) – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-adulting-with-oluwafunmibi-fayemi/id1466243993

CASTBOX – https://castbox.fm/va/2150864

Lastly, I’ll end this post with my favorite mantra, “Life should be lived like you mean it without limits.” – Oluwafunmibi Fayemi

This discussion is in parts and the second part will be uploaded soon. . .

Thanks and Much Love,

Oluwafunmibi Fayemi