You have kids to wrangle, a job to maintain, a house to clean, a workout to get in, and a never ending to-do list.

When there’s finally a moment to work on your dreams after everyone else is put to bed, you’re ready to fall out yourself!

As much as you might want to, you can’t do it all. The community initiatives you’re volunteering for, the PTA groups you’re leading, and the endless other things you do to help others reach their goals is keeping you from reaching your own.

Listen, helping is good. Volunteering is good. If you know me, you already know I’m all about adding value to people and serving them. But I also believe that we have to be intentional. No one accidentally fulfills their purpose, and nobody haphazardly accomplishes their dreams. They are intentional about the moves they make.

You don’t have an endless amount of time. So the time you giveaway to others needs to be a thoughtful exchange. Guard your time. It’s the most valuable thing you have.

Be sure that the things you’re involved with serve your greater purpose.

  • You want to be a writer? Are you spending at least half an hour each day in undisturbed writing time?
  • You want to get that promotion or become a better manager? Are you waking up before everyone in your house to read a few chapters of a leadership book?
  • You want to start your own business. Are you networking with local entrepreneurs or spending time with a business mentor working on strategy? Or once again, does that parent-teacher association meeting leave you with no time for your own development?

What’s your end-game? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you’ll look back years from now with a bunch of pats on the back, but without the deep satisfaction of having lived your dreams. You will have helped people, and that’s great. But did you serve them with your highest contribution to the world – the best work that you can only find while doing what you were born to do?

What is it that you really want to be doing with your life? You have to make the time to do it and you can’t make the time to do that if you are unintentional with your schedule.

“Lives that are lived on purpose and with purpose are rich lives” -Dave Ramsey