Intentionality

My greatest lesson this summer has been learning about being intentional.  Every May I think of great things that I want to accomplish during summer break and when I think back on these lists in August, I realize that most are left undone.  It is easy to make lists of things we want to do, but without intentional planning and thought, these activities are often never accomplished.

My husband and I are trying to teach our daughter baby sign language.  We started with the sign for more please when she was six months old.  She picked up on more quickly, but just started signing please.  The tricky thing with sing language (learning any new skill) is that we have to use it often.  When we are talking to our daughter we need to sign the words we want her to use.  Doing it once or twice will not help her learn it.  At the beginning we were good about signing 'more please' when we talked to her, but soon we stopped signing 'please' which is why it took her longer to learn it.  Once we started being intentional about signing please and practicing it with her, she started signing it to us.  This was a great reminder for me that we need to be very intentional with exposing her to the signs we want her to use. 

I believe I will be very disappointed when I look back at my life if I do not live everyday with conventionality.  Things will be left undone and I will not accomplish all of my goals.

One of the greatest tools for me to ensure that I am intentional is writing.  First, I write a list of things I want to accomplish.  Second, I may journal ideas and my thoughts about each activity (This depends on the activity.  I do not do this for every day to do list items.) The last step is to come up with a plan: how am I going to accomplish this goal, when am I going to accomplish it and what other information or resources do I need to accomplish it.

Life moves quickly and without being intentional about our days, time will fly by even quicker.  Having a list of goals or dreams is not enough, having an intentional plan is vital.

Thank you for reading!