A More Deliberate Way of Living

A More Deliberate(dəˈlib(ə)rət) Way of Living(ˈliviNG)

By Leo Babauta

Our lives are often spent in a rush(rəSH), almost on autopilot(ˈôtōˈpīlət), drifting(drift) from one wave(wāv) of busyness and distraction(dəˈstrakSH(ə)n) to another, adrift(əˈdrift) in a sea of crises(ˈkrīsis) and urges(ərj).

There’s noise(noiz) and quick tasks, lots of tabs, messages and requests, demands(dəˈmand) on our attention(əˈten(t)SH(ə)n), multitasking(ˈməltēˌtask, ˈməlˌtīˌtask), mind(mīnd) scattered(ˈskatər) everywhere(ˈevrēˌ(h)wer).

The nature of the world is chaos, but what if we could find a more deliberate way of moving through the chaos?

I’m going to share some ways I’ve been trying to move more deliberately — none of them new to me or you, but more of a coming back to what I know to be helpful. We’re always coming back.

Set intentions(inˈten(t)SH(ə)n) at the start. When you start your day, or any meaningful activity, check in with yourself and ask what your intentions are for the day or that activity.

Pick your important tasks & make them your focus. What tasks are meaningful to you today? Pick just three (or even just one) and focus on that first.

One activity at a time. If you’re going to write, close all other tabs and just write. If you’re going to brush your teeth, just do that.

Use any activity as a meditation(ˌmedəˈtāSHən). This is really the same as the item above, but every single act is an opportunity to be fully with the activity.

Create more space. Instead of filling every minute of the day with space, what would it be like to have some time of rest, solitude(ˈsäləˌt(y)o͞od), quietude(ˈkwīəˌt(y)o͞od) and reflection?

Be in silence more. Our days are filled with noise — talking, messaging, taking in the cacophony(kəˈkäfənē) of the online world. What if we deliberately created a space or two each day for being in silence?

Create containers(kənˈtānər) for messaging & other chaos. We need to respond to emails and messages, read the news and catch up on things. But this chaos doesn’t have to fill our entire(enˈtīr) lives.

Simplify(ˈsimpləˌfī) by limiting or banning. We don’t have to say yes to every French(frenCH) fry(frī) or cookie, or every Youtube video or beer(bi(ə)r). We can choose what we want in our lives deliberately, and what we don’t want (or want less of) … then set limits or ban that activity.

Listen to what life is calling you to do. As we sit in silence, as we move deliberately into spaces we’ve created, as we check in with our intentions … we can listen.

When you add these together — and you don’t have to be perfect at any of them — they flow into a beautiful way to move through life.

https://zenhabits.net/deliberate/