Creating an Intentional Life

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Lately I’ve been considering how to do more of the things that seem important to me during the course of a day.  It seems to come down to establishing habits.  And we’ve all heard that it takes 28 days to make a habit.  So I am beginning with a month timeframe, more or less, and seeing if I can set good habits into play.

Habits in and of themselves are not very exciting material.  I’ve started flossing daily, for example.   Why should you care or read further, I hear you asking.  Her blog has degenerated into flossing, for goodness sake!  But bear with me.  I read that flossing was the best single thing you can do to improve your health.  So what the heck.  It’s relatively easy and something I could commit to doing daily.  I’m creating an intentionally healthy life.

I’m also beginning to meditate again.  I’m creating an intentionally spiritual and calmer life.  And since I feel like I haven’t done a good job at staying in touch with friends, I’ve committed to contact at least one friend everyday.  I’m creating a more socially connected life.

I’m reading before going to bed, which also gets me into bed earlier since I love to read.  I’m creating a fuller and richer life by exploring new topics, and getting more rest at the same time.

Habits are not as intimidating as major goal setting. After all, it’s just a daily habit.  Cultivating more friends seems overwhelming as a goal, but contacting one friend a day is very doable.  Break big goals down into smaller chunks:  Learning to play guitar is a goal fraught with peril, but practicing for ten minutes a day is something to look forward to.

Once established, a habit comes naturally.  It is just a part of your daily or weekly routine.

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Habits are commitments you make with yourself.  They help you achieve the type of life you are seeking.

What is important enough to do everyday?  You are creating an intentional life.  As your good habits increase, there may be less time for your bad ones.  At least, that’s what I’m finding.

And you may miss a habit appointment here or there when life gets complicated. But that’s ok. More often than not still counts when you are creating an intentional life.

What habits are you thinking about cultivating?  If you’d like to share, I’d love to hear from you.  Feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com

The Treacherous Middle

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This week several things in my life shifted for the better.  It seemed sudden, and I was almost giddy.  But when I spent some time reflecting, I realized that all my recent struggles with “doing the work” probably brought the shifts about.  Oh yeah, and did I mention some divine intervention?

For what seems like a very long time I have felt stuck, and unable to move forward.  I’ve been in a dry spell for so long that sometimes it seems like a permanent state.  When I’m in this kind of tunnel, I lose sight of all the wonderful places I’m heading.  “The work” becomes drudgery with no tangible results.  It’s hard to keep the faith when I’m in the middle of the journey.

I’m often beyond excited when embarking on a new adventure; beginnings are exhilarating!  And when the adventure is successful, the joy is its own reward; endings bring satisfaction and a sense of completion.  But that middle part, that’s where all the trials and tests of faith live.  That’s where you’re doing the work and don’t know if it will be successful, or even well-received.  The middle is a frightening place where you need big girl (or boy) panties and a whole lot of grit.

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You’ll be tested and tested again.  You’ll forget your initial excitement and can’t even fathom completing the work.  You’ll be caught in the riptide.  As Maya Angelou says:  “It is difficult to wave to people on the shore when one is drowning.” 

If you’re smack in the middle of something difficult right now, know that you are not alone.  And the tunnel really does end.  You will come out, though maybe not as soon as you’d like.  Hanging in there is an act of faith and courage.  If that’s where you are, it’s worth celebrating, because the treacherous middle is not for the faint of heart.  Stephen King says it best:  “Talent is a wonderful thing, but it won’t carry a quitter.”

Do you have your own methods of navigating the middle?  Or a mantra that keeps you motivated?  I’d love to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.  And thank you for reading!

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com

Letting Things Happen Versus Making Things Happen

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Perhaps it’s a midlife issue, but there is a philosophical quandary that keeps looming large in my life:  Do I make things happen or let things happen?  I’m not talking about being a passive victim, but of being open to accepting the way things shake out.

I do understand that sometimes you need to set things in play to make them happen.  But then if they don’t happen, should you be assertive or even aggressive about forcing things to happen just like you’d like?  Or should you just let go and get out of the way and see what happens next?

As a person of faith, I like to think that things will work out in the end.  But sometimes I still try to force things.  There is so much emphasis these days on staying motivated, charging forward, and all the stuff that goes along with chasing goals and making things happen in a difficult economy.

I’m trying hard to be more zen-like, but it’s disturbingly confusing.  There is definitely a dance involved; it’s difficult to know when to push and when to rest. Wisdom is elusive.

Photo by Marianne M. Smith

It seems to me that you can be so motivated and driven that you miss some of the best things in life because you didn’t “let” them happen.  The impatient among us (did I mention myself?) don’t seem to know how to hang out in time and space while life moves along as it will.

Are you a "make it happen" or a "let it happen" person?  Or both?  I’d love to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave a comment.  And thanks for reading!

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com