Let me start off by painting a picture for you. You are driving to the store. While on the way, you get lost. You finally pull into the parking lot, turn the car off, unbuckle, and then realize you have just driven the entire route without thinking about anything remotely related to driving. You do not remember what you did while you were driving, what car may have cut you off, or what roads you passed, but what you do know is that you somehow got there. It is startling how we can let parts of our day become such routine. Driving becomes so habitual that the details and motives behind it simply fade away. Now, relate that to your current phase of life. Do you go through the motions of your day without even thinking about a single detail of your actions?
I challenge you to think about all of the people you encounter. This could be a classmate, a coworker, a parent, your brother or sister, or even the barista who makes your favorite drink at Starbucks. Now, can you remember how many intentional conversations you had with them, or who you even encountered? If each day is treated like a monotonous habit, all intentionality is lost. To me, in the simplest of terms, living intentionally means knowing why you do what you do. It means having a purpose behind every decision you make.
I will tell you with confidence that after I realized the importance of intentionality, I look at my monotonous days a little bit differently. I found that my favorite part of the day is my twenty-minute walk to class. Do you know how many things I missed on my walk to class in the months prior to this?! The list is endless. I never paid attention to all of the small things around me. The parts of your day that seem so pointless may bring the greatest joy. So, now you may ask – how does one live intentionally? In order to live intentionally, you must wake up each day with a fresh mindset. Set goals, achieve them and then pursue more.
I encourage you to pick apart your day and see what aspect of it can be done differently. If you feel you do not have a purpose or goals to attain, I encourage you to find them. This isn't to say life won't have a few detours. It is how they are handled that counts. Now let me relate all of this back to the driving story. Let’s say the exact chain of events happened, except this time you are using your GPS. You tell it where you want to go, and it decides exactly how you are going to get there. The GPS computes the most efficient way to use your small amount of time. You may get off track, but your GPS is there to guide you and put you back on the right one. In the same way, live your life with a purpose and use it as your compass.
Find the reason why you do what you do. Pursue plans with a future goal in mind. Wake up each day eager to find the best possible way to live. Don't ever let a week pass and realize each day was the same. Live intentionally. I know you won't regret it.
