Are you someone who hustles and bustles everyday, always preoccupied with the busyness of life, that you somehow cannot get a grip on what truly matters? Or perhaps someone who might've been blinded by the pursuit of certain pleasures in life that you drift away from the things that matter most?
I've been there.
“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” – Stephen R. Covey
Are you caught up in the relentless grind of daily life, constantly preoccupied with tasks, obligations, and the never-ending pursuit of "success"? Or perhaps you've been so engrossed in chasing fleeting pleasures that you've lost sight of the things that truly hold meaning? It's easy to get swept away by the demands and distractions in life, but there’s a powerful antidote: living with purpose and intentionality.
Imagine waking up each morning and treating the day ahead as a precious, irreplaceable gift. What choices would you make? What relationships would you nurture? How would you spend your time? By embracing your purpose with intentionality, you can align your priorities and actions with what holds value and meaning in your life, fostering a sense of fulfillment and value in your personal life, goals, relationships, and things that truly matter most. Here are key principles to help you live each day as if it were your last...
How Can I Live with Purpose and Intentionality and Make Each Day Count as If It Were the Last?
Live life with purpose and intentionality. Make each day count as if it's your last. Here are some principles why:
Embrace Your Purpose with Intentionality.
In this world, there are people called to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, pastors, or people in business and in the government. There are also people who are called to be in construction, garbage collectors, janitors, salespeople, farmers, and so much more. No one is less or more than the other. Each and every one of us has a purpose in this life and has a specific calling. There is no need for competition nor comparison for we are meant to complement one another for the bigger picture. Wherever you are called by God to be—whatever sphere you are called in the mountains of influence that we are designed to dominate, use our God-given gift, and fulfill our God-given purpose in—it's for a greater cause and reason. And we must learn to embrace it.
Many people desire for success, for certain things that may satisfy their needs, or for pleasures that gratify the soul. And in the pursuit of these things, people often lose sight of their purpose with actions, decisions, engaging in connections or relationships and ventures not aligned to their purpose. Not all doors are meant for us to open. This means that not all opportunities are meant for us and are aligned to our purpose. No matter how seemingly good some opportunities are in retrospect, not everything will propel us to where we are called to be and will benefit us for the purpose we are called to fulfill in this life. We can relentlessly hustle and bustle to earn money and live a luxurious life, but will that bring us lasting joy and help cultivate a deep and meaningful relationship with our family, marriage, or connections with other people?
I am reminded of the scripture in the bible that says, "All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. (1 Corinthians 10:23)." I was once someone who wandered in this life seeking validation and pursuing happiness from certain things that have no lasting value—living life without purpose. Acquiring certain things and having certain accomplishments in life brought me some sort of relief and happiness, but it was a mere fleeting feeling without a sense of genuine fulfillment. I went about desiring and acquiring things and accomplishments, even sometimes with haste. But without purpose, it feels like embarking on a journey without a destination, going around in circles, striking everywhere yet getting nowhere. I used to live life without purpose. I was once a young adult with misplaced priorities, wasting my time with people that lead me astray, harming my physical body with vices, neglecting time with my family and loved ones, disobeying and dishonoring my parents and God. But He changed my life completely over the years and began to unfold my purpose in Him and the God-given gifts He has given through me to impact the world around me.
However, it was a learning process to embrace my purpose and align my actions and decisions to my purpose with intentionality. I had to learn that not all good opportunities are the right ones for me and beneficial, aligned to my purpose. I had to learn to decline opportunities, decline invitations from people, and decline plans, but also intentionally make plans with my family and loved ones, fostering a deep and meaningful relationship with them, and making time with God each and everyday. I had to learn to schedule my days with purpose. But it was the step in the right direction, knowing that every single day in our life counts and we must live it with purpose and intentionality for it is indeed a privilege and a gift from above.
“It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau
Prioritize What Matters Most.
Living with purpose and intentionality involves making deliberate choices about where you invest your time and energy in. It entails setting your priorities straight and directing your focus to the things that hold meaning and value in your life—things that matter most. Ask yourself: If today were my last, how would I want to be remembered? How would I want to spend my time? Would I be fulfilled, or perhaps full of regret? Would there be some things I would've done differently, things I would've changed, things I wish I had done or said, or things I wish I haven't done or said? Would I be content of how I lived my life, living a life of significance and leaving a lasting legacy?
By living with purpose and intentionality, focusing on what aligns with your purpose, you can ensure your time and energy is spent meaningfully and purposefully, rather than getting caught up in distractions and things that won't benefit you for the purpose you are called to fulfill. Learn to say “no” to commitments, habits, or relationships that don’t align with your purpose, allowing you to focus on what truly matters. When your actions are deliberate, even small steps aligned to your purpose will give you a sense of fulfillment and will not only impact you, but people around you. Declutter and simplify your life. Cut out unnecessary distractions and commitments. By simplifying your life, you can direct your time and energy toward what truly matters, making each day more intentional and fulfilling. Live in a way that reflects who you are and who you are made to be by God and leave a positive impact on others, ensuring your days have lasting significance.
It's a challenge, but I've learned to set my priorities that align with my purpose and live each day with intention. It had a cost and a price to pay. There were people in my life that I've had to lose, bad habits I had to give up and good habits I had to build, and hard decisions I had to make that were necessary for me to live life aligned with my purpose. Now, my schedule is always laid out ahead of time. Each and every meeting or activity for the day is scheduled with purpose and intention. It does not mean that we cannot enjoy life and have moments of leisure. I still play games, watch movies, take naps, and enjoy leisure time with my family, friends, and loved ones every once in a while. It's an important part of life and our growth. But the difference is the intention with the moments you spend your time and energy on, that ultimately benefits you for the purpose you are called to fulfill.
"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey
Practice Gratitude in Each Waking Day.
We must understand that each waking day is a precious, irreplaceable gift. It's a privilege to wake up to another day, to live and breathe, to have a roof over our heads, to have food to eat and water to drink, to be well and whole, and every little thing in life that most people miss. We are blessed every single day and have a million reasons to rejoice and be grateful to God for each day, that sometimes we overlook when we go through the motions and the busyness of life. When we fail to practice gratitude in our lives, we fail to recognize the things that matter most. Often times, people focus on what's lacking and forget the blessings they have right in palm of their hands. When we complain of the things we don't have, we fail to be grateful for the things we do have. And we tend to chase over the things with no lasting value and meaning in our lives thinking it could suffice and satisfy our soul. Some chase over money, recognition, and pleasures the world could offer. But in our pursuit of those things, we overlook the things we have and the things that truly matter—the gift of life and good health, our family, our loved ones, and even the thing not many people could even afford to have and that is time.
Sometimes, you'll never know how much time you have until it's too late. Life is a privilege and a gift from above. In a split-second, you can lose your title, your position, your business, your career, your riches and material possessions. But money can be replaced. You can build a new company or start a new business. You can build new connections and relationships. But in a split-second, when your time runs out, you can never restart your life. You have one life to live. Don't wait until it's too late; too late to spend time with your family and show them your love and appreciation, too late to do the things you love, too late to give your life to God and serve Him. Don't wait until your or someone else's deathbed. Life is short, make it count. Be thankful and grateful for each waking day you get to live and see your days ahead as precious and irreplaceable. Number your days and learn the brevity of life. Then, you will learn to live with wisdom as you live through each day with purpose and intentionality.
You don't need to wait until someone has passed away in their grave to offer flowers and say a eulogy, when you can give them flowers and say kind words to them while they're alive to actually hear and appreciate them. You don't need to wait for you or someone else to be sick and unable, before you seek God and give your life to Him. You don't need to wait to be in a good place or in prosperity to thank and praise God. Make each day count as if it were your last. Live with purpose and intentionality. Again, ask yourself: If today were my last, how would I want to be remembered? How would I want to spend my time? Would I be fulfilled, or perhaps full of regret? Would there be some things I would've done differently, things I would've changed, things I wish I had done or said, or things I wish I haven't done or said? Would I be content of how I lived my life, living a life of significance and leaving a lasting legacy?
"Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." - Melody Beattie
Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Make each day count as if it were your last. Live with purpose and intentionality.
May this blog post empower you to live life with purpose and intentionality in all you do as you make each day count. Do share your heart and thoughts in the comments. See you on the next blog post!
Sending love,
Coleene.
Read the previous blog post: The Paradox of Efficiency: How Cutting Corners Actually Slow You Down
So good! 💯🙌🏼