Being Intentional, Rather Than Passive, In Your Life

Often times I find myself saying this. Be an intentional parent. Be an intentional spouse. Make intentional decisions. A lot of people would argue that choosing to be a parent, a spouse, an employee, a business owner, is intentional. And to that, I say, “no.” That was simply the first step. You were intentional in that choice, but if after you made the choice, you stagnated, you lost your intention, and you are now a passive participant of the lives of those around you.

What does it look like to be intentional? Honestly, that’s going to look a little different for everyone. This video from Bad Ass Counseling sums up a lot of it. There is some language, so if you have kids around, be sure to be aware of that volume. But, language aside, his message is on point. While this is applicable to parenting, the idea can be transferred to every area of your life.

Intentional does not mean sitting back and waiting for a problem to arise. It does not mean, “I’ll just do the best I know how, and hopefully that’s enough.” Anything in your life that is going to consume your time, you should be as intentional as you can about it.

I’m going to talk about passive vs. intentional involvement in your life over the next few weeks. It’ll be in the capacity of several areas. Your marriage, your parenting, your homeschooling, your friendships, and yourself/life.

When you’re passive in your life, it’s like being asleep at the wheel. You probably consider a lot of your circumstances are beyond your control, or that’s, “just the way things are.” Having a passive life usually means that you will be putting in the work that allows someone else to get the most out of their own life. And I’m not talking about your employment. I’m talking the people who benefit from you not being intentional, not setting goals, not having boundaries that you keep.