Intentional Living

The law of diminishing intent says: “The longer you wait  to do something  you should do now,  the greater  the odds that you will never actually do it” J.C Maxwell

We humans are created for a purpose. If you know you are created for purpose, you   will not do things by chance or through trial and error. If we cannot do things by chance it then means, we must be deliberate or intentional. when we mean to be intentional it must transcend across all that we do in life. Our first journey in life   starts off as a baby when we are fed and taken care of. A time comes in our life   when we now must learn   to take care of ourselves.  We must have reasons for doing what we do at every stage of our life including when we start looking after our own self.  

First and foremost, we are not taking care of ourselves for ourself but so we can take care of others; the very essence of living and the very first intentional move towards being who we must be. This demands that we know and walk in the right purpose for our life and in no time we will know that we actually develop ourselves so we can develop others around us. This indeed is the heart of leadership. (this reminds me of an article I shared on my Linked-in page about leaving the chair empty).  If we must develop ourselves in order to develop others it then means we must have an all-round growth in many aspects of our life if not all. 

These may include having that self-awareness of what our purpose is from which the need to grow or develop the following becomes necessary.

1. Spirituality – for a rich soul
2. Physically – to be fit for purpose
3. Mentally – for a sound mind, which is the seat of our thought. An unknown writer says this: watch your thoughts for they become words, watch your words, they become deeds. Watch your habits, watch your habits, they become character and character is everything. 
4. Character – the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. The character of a person consists of all the qualities they have that make them distinct from other people or places. A complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person. Character is the strength of mind; It is the qualities of personality, it makes you different and is actually our reputation. 
5. Relationship – this covers parenthood, as a spouse, circular friendships etc. 
6. Good financial knowledge for good financial management
7. A good career requires good skills, so we must grow our skills.

Dr John Maxwell talks about the law of intentionality, in which he emphasises the need to identify what gaps we have in our growth as he helps us to understand the importance of intentionality which emphasises that – Personal growth does not just happen. We need to learn them, live them and lead with them to reach our potential. It is not uncommon to see people without growth plan i.e a deliberate plan to address our growth buy as leaders what we do develop ourself is important. At the same time we also should be aware that we need to develop or grow others. 

As has been noted already, growth is not just in the area of academics, but in all areas of life such as in our relationships, character, right attitude, learn more about your strengths, tap into your passion, become in touch with your passion, and develop your skills so you can be all you can be. 

Intentional Growth is the key that unlocks doors but the specifics of growth change from person to person though the principles are the same for every person.

Personal growth does not stop once you understand it and knowing that it is not an automatic process. No one grows by accident; it has to be intentional. Growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will get better. 

A quote from “As a man thinketh, so is he” by James Allen – People are willing and anxious to improve their circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound.

Those who grow intentionally know it and they see it because it is a lifetime continuous process. The best you hope you can do in life is to make the most out of what you have been given. Let us make a decision to grow ourselves. You know the area you need to work on?  Then get started and if you do not know, – ask how? Get a mentor, a coach, an advisor or anyone who adds value to you. A lot of people have started with experience, knowledge, model, mentor plan, resources, money growth environment. You do not start or stop because of what you do not have; make do with whatever you have.

The greatest gap in the world is the space between knowing and doing. Personal growth keeps me prepared. You do not go into an opportunity you grow into an opportunity.

Go from growth doesn’t just happen to making growth happen so make a commitment to intentionally grow and also make that commitment public. A commitment that is not public is worthless. This is because a shared commitment becomes a strong commitment. 

The questions necessary to ask about growth are: 

Do I have a plan for personal growth? 

How do I identify the areas I want to grow in? 

How far can I go and not how fast can I go 

When can I take action – If you ask me, I will say do it now. 

Before you go to bed every day, say 50 times do it now and when you wake up say do it one 50 time.  Invest one hour a day in these 2 areas. 

Final advice: Avoid the fear factor – fear of failure, loss of security, over extended finance, what would people say, fear of success

Get new friends if you those you have are not thrilled with your progress. If you are intentional in your growth you will outgrow everybody you know.

Preparation, practice and reflection, When preparation meets with opportunity then success is sure. 

We are all beacon of LIGHT for those around us and so we must shine intentionally.

Should you need help in answering some or all of the questions suggested previously, please contact me on www.florenceakpokodje.com  or connect with me on Linked-in