With the Best of Intentions

With the best of intentions, I open up a notebook to a fresh sheet of paper every year on January 1st. Pencil scribbling across the pages, I write a list of things I want to accomplish during the coming year.

I usually lose the list by mid February.

I love making goals. I love working towards something. However, more often than that, life happens. It gets busy, and my goals and resolutions fall to the side faster than the dinosaurs went extinct.

This year is different.

This year, I'm not making any resolutions (I am resisting the urge to slip in the "my resolution is no more resolutions" joke).

I am, however, developing a theme for the year that will guide it.

Be intentional.

Intentional with every aspect of my life.

So often, I drift through life somewhat aimlessly, the days passing by like wispy clouds on a spring day.

No more.

I want to be intentional with my time. If I'm looking up something on my phone, I don't want three hours to pass without me even realizing it (I can't be the only one this happens to, right?). Time is precious and valuable. I want to be aware of how I use it.

I want to be intentional with my money. Money is easy to spend. I rarely make big purchases (not on a grad student budget!), but lots of little purchases add up, and, suddenly, I wonder where my money went. I once heard someone say that if you want to know what someone cares about, look at his or her bank account. Um. Yikes. If you looked at my bank account, you'd see a lot of hot chocolate, food, and clothes.

I want to be intentional with my actions. It's not enough to talk about changing the worlds and loving other people. I actually have to do it. Good intentions disappear into the air, actions are grounded into reality.

I will be intentional.

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