Life is lived on autopilot unless you’re intentional. And if you want your life to count for something significant, you can’t let it sit on autopilot. You have to purposefully choose the moments in your life—at least the few that are under your control.
I believe every person needs to intentionally bring these seven moments into their life everyday. It’s vital to living a life that’s innovative and significant.
1. A moment of silent, thinking time.
If your whole day is filled with constant noise—TV, music, talking heads—you’re missing out on experiencing deep thoughts. Few people are actually silent enough to think original thoughts. Consequently, we just recycle things we heard someone else say.
Don’t just do that. Think deeply. And silent, alone time is the only way you’ll get those thoughts.
2. A moment where your ideology is challenged.
When was the last time you felt uncomfortable in a conversation—like someone was about to convince you to believe something you didn’t want to believe? I see that as a vital part of our growth as an individual. If you aren’t constantly rethinking your thoughts on God, politics, and the way the world runs, you’re probably living in a bubble. No growth happens there.
3. A moment where you learn something new.
I’m not just talking about having new knowledge spoon fed to you like you get through news outlets. You need to seek out a new idea or a new concept and learn about it. Research it. Don’t just settle for what other people say about it. Dig into it for yourself.
4. A moment where God speaks to you.
I’m not saying you need to hear the audible voice of God. I rarely, if ever, have that in my life. More often, as I’m praying or reading the Bible, something gets pricked in my heart. I’m convicted or have a thought that I know isn’t just from my own brain. We need this close connection with God daily. He wants to speak; we just need to be ready to listen.
5. A moment where you completely focus on one person.
Put your phone away…turn it on silent…and look into someone’s eyes for 30 minutes. This could be your spouse, your kid, your best friend, your pastor… Just shut down the distractions and connect with someone over some deep conversation. Humanity needs more of this. You need more of this.
6. A moment of profound gratitude.
Even on the worst days, there are things to be grateful for. If you aren’t seeking out these moments daily, you’ll start to feel entitled or dissatisfied with life. Identify something each day for which you feel gratitude. Then thank the giver of all good things—God.
7. A moment of massive enthusiasm.
You need an idea or a moment each day that gets you super enthused. That child-like excitement is important, because it’s the necessary element to succeeding at anything. You need the excitement and tenacity to follow through on those big ideas you have. Once you lose the excitement, you stop having the big ideas. That’s a place I never want to be.
What would you add to this list? What moment do you find invaluable to successful living? I’d love to hear your thoughts in a comment below.