Learning How To Be Intentional With My Dreams

I don’t know about you but I can be easily distracted, it doesn’t take much for me to lose focus. As I wrote my first book it was a battle between the writing and the thousand other things that wanted my attention.

[image error]When I would get in the groove, my phone would ring or get an alert from social media. The book was written in a good period of time but a lot more could have been accomplished if I was more intentional about the time.

As you know a lot has happened recently and my schedule has gotten busier, so I’ve been thinking about my dreams and how I use time.

This year I went for every writing and speaking opportunity available, in the month of September alone, I’ll be speaking at a different event in a different part of the country every weekend. I am a contributing writer for a magazine, and another website and sending out guest post for every blog in the world. I forgot to mention, I’m writing my third book!

So do you see my dilemma with my time? How about you, are you being intentional about the time you spend on your dream?

Having a plan helps you focus

Now as I think about fitting everything I’m doing into my life, I know I have to plan things out better. Next year I plan on speaking twice a month (if conferences will have me), this way I can plan out all my other major projects. Like my book launch in February (stay tuned)!

When we don’t have a plan, we run the risk of doing things that we think are important but end up being time wasters. The thing about being intentional with time is doing what’s important at the moment, not what seems important. When I was writing my first book that was what I needed to spend my time on not Facebook. You will have to determine what’s important to you at that moment and focus on that.

Don’t let your dream become your nightmare

When I wrote my second book I went over-board, I wrote all the time. I felt like a better writing and I had a book that the world needed to read. The problem was I ignored my wife and took time away from the family to write the book. Can you guess how my family felt about my second book?

When you’re intentional about your time you’ll schedule time to write and it won’t interfere with what’s important to you at that moment. This way your spouse won’t wish you’ll get an unsolvable case of writer’s block It might mean that your dream takes a little longer but you’re doing it the right way and everyone wins.

For me this means getting my writing gets done after work and before my wife gets home from her job. When she gets home it’s all about her and my kids, like I said, everybody wins.

Fight the temptation to deviate

Even when you decide to be intentional and follow a plan, there will still be things that are going to try to ruin it. I realize you can’t plan out every area of your life but there’s just some things that you need to say NO too. Deal with the unexpected but don’t give into the time killers, like social media. I realize it’s cool when someone like Chris Guillebeau responds to one of your tweets, but you can respond later!

I’m making every effort this year to be intentional with my dreams and I know things will run a lot smoother and keep me sane. I pray you’ll join me and keep me up to date on your progress!

Are you intentional with the time you spend on your dreams? What do you need to work on?