Over the past months, I’ve been working with clients around the idea of being more intentional or deliberate and how we spend our time. Many have started with some simple journaling or intention setting; checking in with themselves about what they want to do each day.

However, when it comes to our work and the additional demands placed upon us, being intentional in our life can feel challenging.

As one client shared with me, it is far easier to say ‘yes’ to something in the future in order to avoid a challenging or difficult ‘no’ in the present. This is relatable, but leads to the problem that many of us are familiar with; an over-scheduled diary with little space for ourselves. Consequently, we may find ourselves very busy, but perhaps not spending time with the people or on the things that really matter to us.

We find ourselves living increasingly busy lives, but rarely living with intention.

And so, as we start a new year it felt timely to share with you 5 steps you can take to avoid the overwhelm that comes with an over-scheduled diary. And help you instead to find the time freedom to start living with more intention in your life and career.

Step 1 - Determine how you wish to show up each day

This can be hard to do without some guidance, and so my daily journal prompts are a perfect place to start. With some simple journaling either in the morning or before bed (or both!), you can uncover how you want to feel each day and take steps towards that, all by investing just a few minutes of your time.

Step 2 – Visualise your ideal work and/or life

This is where it can feel hard, as many of us are not sure where to start as all we know is we want something different from where we are. I encourage you to really allow yourself to dream here, and maybe try writing the answers to some of these prompting questions to uncover your ideal work and/or life.

Prompting questions;

• What is it you really want?

• To feel less stressed and overwhelmed?

• Experience more spaciousness?

• To be less angry?

• Have more space for joy and fun?

• More time and space for spontaneity?

Taking the time to write or record your answers will help you get clarity, as the process of writing can help crystallise our feelings.

Step 3 – Complete a time audit

I know, this doesn’t sound much fun!  But, stick with me.  For one week track all your appointments and time usage in a spreadsheet. At the end of the week compare how are you actually use your time versus your ideal use of time. And then rate each activity on how much it brings to your life. These questions can help;

• Does this activity make you happier?

• Support your to feel more fulfilled?

• Contribute to the lifestyle you are wanting as part of your deliberate, intentional life?

Remember, most of us can manage to do something important for one week, especially when the potential payoff is significant. 

In this case, the worst case of completing a time audit is you may discover you have been spending time on the wrong things.  And isn’t it better to be aware of that, than to continue not knowing?

Step 4 – Change your default answer from yes to no

Saying yes can contribute to a life that feels too busy. By changing our default answer from yes to no, we learn to break that habit. To truly start shifting to a life that is more focused, deliberate, and intentional, start saying yes by exception, and only to things that are aligned with your values, strengths and bring you fulfilment or joy in your life. That is, only say yes to the people, activities, and things you have identified as important in your intentional, ideal life.

This approach should then help you remove the things that don’t make you happy and embrace those that do. 

(Find it hard to say No? This post has some helpful phrases you can use as you practice saying no)  

“Remember – don’t trade an activity you would love to pursue for a reward you don’t value”. - Scott Sonenshein

You may need to dig a little deeper and identify work meetings or time usage where it appears worthwhile on the surface but underneath, the use of time is not efficient.

For example, meetings where the meeting organisers run late, or where there is no agenda. Or, where the meeting or call drags on past the scheduled finish time. These meetings, events or activities may be things you are required to attend due to your work or other personal commitments. The key here is to ensure YOU are intentional in how YOU show up and your use of time.

Step 5 - Ask others for support

To get really intentional about your life and how you use your time, you may need to ask others to adjust their expectations.

By that I mean, you may need to ask others to change their default response or habits. A simple example might be where the group you are part of uses email and reply all as their default. Instead of 20-plus emails or messages back and forth, a quick phone call to resolve the issue will be a better use of time.

Similarly, you may have been asked to attend a 30-minute meeting (online or in person) where the primary goal is to inform you; this could easily be communicated via an email or short video instead.

In this way you will eliminate many unneeded commitments, errands and tasks and free up time for the people and activities that really matter to you.

And with time freedom comes opportunity. With a little more time up your sleeve to use as you wish, you might find your relationships improve, you read more, you have time to pursue a new hobby or passion, or your dreams of a career change become possible as you can engage in further study or learning.

And that’s the real power of an intentional approach to life; by being deliberate about what you focus on, you increase meaning, feel more fulfilled and happier in both your career and life. 

Whilst the steps are reasonably easy to read about, they can be much harder to implement. And that’s where working with a coach can assist. If living a deliberate life where you feel more fulfilled, purposeful and happier sounds like something you’re interested in, I would love to support you.

All coaching starts with an obligation-free, complimentary consult so we can get to know each other. Book yours today.