PLANNING WITH PURPOSE
Planning, Priorities, and Purpose
We hear so much about planning, priorities, and purpose these days. It’s almost information overload! There are workshops, webinars, and retreats for almost every inconceivable idea, yet each day, women around the world wake up seeking significance in their lives. Makes me wonder why we spend so much time seeking (and sometimes coveting) the things that are only temporary. Why can’t we just be in the moment?
When we’re not living in the moment, we miss out on life. Our perpetual planning and scheduling can be a distraction. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a planner, and I love planning, but anything in the extreme is not healthy and takes me away from the present.
Finding Hope
God’s Word encourages us to make the best use of our time. He tells us not to fixate on the temporal things but to focus on those things we cannot see, the unseen, because the unseen things are the eternal things. So, in our busy lives and times of struggle, we are encouraged to find hope in the unseen rather than the material, temporary world.
“So we do not set our sights on the things we can see with our eyes. All of that is fleeting; it will eventually fade away. Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (VOICE)
My Intentions
My planner is a testimony to my priorities. I’ll be quite honest with you: there are some days and weeks when I’m a bit embarrassed by what I have given my time to and labeled a priority. These intentional choices can be categorized as busyness, frivolousness, or a plain old waste of time. Living with intention is not wasting valuable time on things that do not matter. Intentional living is making intentional choices about how we spend our time and with whom.
My Inspiration
I desire to live an intentional life worthy of His name, to live a life based on biblical values. I find inspiration in women I meet who live life on their terms, and there are many who live with intention. I once read in Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be,
“These days will unfold whether or not you live them with purpose and passion. You can just mark time, muddle through each day, and stumble closer to the end of your time on earth, or you can choose to ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us.’” (Hebrews 12:1)
I’m choosing to run with perseverance!
My Priorities
I choose to live with purpose and passion. Yes, there are days I struggle, so choosing to live intentionally reminds me that where I place my priorities is where I spend my time.
My priorities are rather simple. I give my time and energy to my faith, family, friends, and community. I love to give back, and I serve in various ways. I intentionally serve based on my values, my gifts, and the needs of others. These days, I am proud of who and what I’m giving my time, talents, and treasures to while letting go of the need to please and perform based on society’s beliefs. It’s rather freeing to let go.
Pray, Plan, and Prepare
What area of your life do you need to let go of? What story does your planner tell? Do you prioritize your planning based on your purpose? What is your purpose? I encourage you to focus on God’s Word and incorporate it into your day-to-day planning. As I shared in a previous blog post, Planning the Perfect Day,
Every day offers a different scenario and a different set of challenges. There are no perfect days. I pray and prepare, and then I give it to God.
I’m encouraging you to do the same: pray, plan, and prepare, then hand it to God. He’ll make a way.
Here’s to living with intention!
“People do their best making plans for their lives, but the Eternal guides each step.” Proverbs 16:9 (VOICE)
Image Credit ParinazWadiaDesign
