The Intentional Life

One of the blogs I follow posted this week about their Summer List, something they had started in their family as a way to make sure they were spending their summers "intentionally".  I loved the idea of it.  Too many years we have gotten to the end of summer and said "We didn't really do anything this summer"  or "I wish we had done (fill in the blank) this summer".  Considering my time with my kids is limited and precious, I really liked the idea of implementing something like this for our family for the summer.  Our list consists of stuff I want to see us do (less TV), things my husband has mentioned (crabbing), and things the kids have brought up (sleeping on the lawn and mini golf).  Others are general goals for the summer (daily walk and scripture study).  Here's our list:

Summer List 2011

Face Painting. Playdates. Mini Golf. Pinata Party. Backwards Day. Crabbing. Fly Kites. Wings and Waves. Albany Water Park. THD Kids Clinic. Sleep on the lawn. Gilbert House. Craft Day. Berry Picking.

Carousel Rides. Zoo. Fishing. Aquarium. Make homemade ice cream.
Ride on a boat.

Birthday Parties. Cousin Sleepovers. Hiking. Bike Rides. Less TV.

Summer Reading Club. Daily Walks. Scripture Study.

As I was working on this list, it got me thinking - what if I lived my life like this all the time?  I already make lists, lots of them.  Grocery lists, housework lists, yardwork lists, packing lists.  But what if I started making a different kind of list?  What if I started looking at all my activities in life with the mindset of spending my time intentionally?  What if every decision I made was geared towards making my life more positive and productive all the time, not just for summer vacation? 

I know most of the time I am so focused on just getting stuff done that I seldom question what I am doing to add value to my life or my family's lives.  I know it's not realistic that everything I do everyday would have some kind of value-add.  Laundry is laundry, dishes are dishes, and there's no way to do those things intentionally.  (Sometimes I intentionally don't do them).  But the books I read, the TV I watch (or don't watch), and the time I spend with my kids and husband, could all be done with a lot more "intentional-ness". 

For now I am going to start with The Summer List.  But hopefully that will turn into The Fall List, The Winter List, and maybe eventually it will just be a new way of thinking and I won't need a list at all. 

But I do love lists.......    :)