Life is busy. As humans, we want to fill our time and be involved; we don't want to lead boring lives. So we get jobs and join clubs and volunteer and make plans to hang out with friends and family. And one thing after another, our plates become full. Consequently, its easy to promise time to too many activities and get caught up in hectic schedules. When you stretch yourself too thin trying to be involved, you are no longer able to give adequate amounts of effort to all you have committed your time to.
It is no one's goal to become too busy of a person, but it's easy to let it happen; and when it does, it is overwhelming and just not fun. You unintentionally lose the intentions you had in the first place. Being intentional means doing something deliberately with a specific purpose in mind. And when you become overwhelmed, you no longer want to be deliberate in planning your schedule. So, in order to diminish overloaded plates of commitment and feel purposeful again, here are 10 simple rules to be a more intentional person.
1. Quit something
If you are feeling overwhelmed, it's probably best that you lighten your load. Maybe you are doing some volunteer work just because it will look good on a resume, or you are in a club that you aren't crazy about. If you are not willing to give 100 percent effort to an activity when you are not busy, then chances are you are not willing to work hard at it when you have a packed schedule. Its best to let those things go.
2. Say "no"
Since you just got over having a busy schedule, don't turn around and start making new commitments to fill up your time again. Focus on the activities that you have in front of you now; give 100 percent to those first before you say "yes" to other commitments. And enjoy some downtime while you have it. It's OK to not be busy all the time.
3. Plan ahead
This goes for all of the time you have in the day: plan ahead! You know what your routine activities are in the day. Maybe it's your class schedule or a certain time you work everyday. Use those routine times to plan accordingly for other activities. Don't say you can babysit at 5:00 if your classes don't end until 4:50. Don't tell your friends you can hangout at 7:00 if you are not sure what time you will be off work. Be intentional in planning the time you have.
4. Don't overbook
This goes along with planning ahead. Make sure you are not double-booking your plans or only leaving enough time for you to eat and sleep. It may be hard to pick one commitment over another, but figure out your priorities and put those first.
5. Be on time
Be considerate of other people's time. This goes for your boss, your professors, your friends, everyone. If you are supposed to be at work at 2:30, be early. If you are supposed to meet up with your friends for lunch, don't text them saying you are running late; just don't be late. This goes back to not overbooking your time. Be intentional in the time you are investing and follow through on promises you make.
6. Be a good listener
As a friend, a coworker, or even just a human being, it is important to be an attentive listener. It's rude to be distracted while in a conversation or to never retain any information. Being an intentional person means actively listening and responding to what others are saying, and when you are doing this, you can connect with people on a deeper, empathetic level.
7. Be emotional
Being emotional doesn't mean crying all the time. But when you are overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, sad, tired, or anything, express it appropriately so that you can deal with it. Its not healthy to bottle up your emotions, so let out your emotions.
8. Take care of yourself
How can you be intentional with other people if you are not intentional with yourself? Make sure you are taking care of yourself so that you can be intentional with others.
9. Live for the things you love
Its hard to be motivated to go to a job that you hate or have fun while at an activity that you do not enjoy. When you are living for the things you are truly passionate about, you want to put in more of an effort. So give up the activities that you don't care about as much so that you can give more time and be more intentional to the things you love.
10. Get off your phone
It's just plain rude to be on your phone all the time. Plus, if you are already super busy, you should not be spending your free time scrolling through social media instead of taking time for yourself or putting more effort into the other things you are committed to.
