Being Intentional

So, I've kinda made a resolution. I'm going to really focus, starting this month, on using my resources more intentionally to serve God. 

My most valuable (and both most plentiful and scarce at the same time!) is TIME. And I know if I spent it more intentionally, I'd be able to maximize what I could accomplish. 

So what am I going to do differently? 

-get up after Declan's 5:00 or 5:30 feeding (if he has one) instead of laying in bed awake till my alarm goes off. 

-no social media until after my workout, as this is both a time suck and can be an anxiety/depression trigger, as I'll discuss in a minute. 

-set timers for tasks as needed to keep the day moving. 

I'm also going to be intentional about what I fill my mind and time with. My default when I'm nursing or Declan is sleeping, or just when I get a minute, is to check social media, which isn't really feeding my heart or mind most of the time, and while I do need the social connection, I need to be fed more than I am right now. So I'm creating Spotify playlists of uplifting music and I'm creating more space and opportunity for spiritual and emotional food. 

I've been discouraged for a long time that I don't have the time to dig deep and spend two hours solid studying, reading, and praying like I did when I only had one child. But I've realized this is a season, and it's not all or nothing. I don't have two hours, but I have 20 minutes over breakfast before I work out, maybe another 15 or 20 as I recover from that workout before I go for round 2, and other bursts where I create them in the day, I'm sure. I know I'll have more time for journaling, blogging, crafting, and more when Declan is napping on his own (that's a whole other thing I need to write about), but right now, I have time to read while I'm holding him as he naps-I don't have to watch tv while he naps every day.  That's another thing I'm going to be more intentional about-I'll keep up with a few shows that I really enjoy, but no more mindless hours of TV just because. I can use that time that I'm holding the boy to read (either fiction or something to build myself up) or blog, or meal plan, or something else productive. 

Overall, I want to make my time count, because the better I use my time, especially to feed my soul, the more I will have available to pour into others.