Ask yourself, "Who do I know that lives their life intentionally?" You might find it difficult to name someone that lives each day intentionally, purposefully. In each issue of BoldMan Chronicles we examine the habits of men we've discovered who have trained themselves to live intentionally.
One of these rare men is TJ Addington. As the Executive Director of International Missions for the Evangelical Free Church of America, he travels extensively supporting the international missions outreach of the denomination's 600 missionaries across 43 countries. Recently we hooked up with TJ to get his perspectives on intentional living.
BMC: TJ, how would you describe intentional living?
TJA: Intentional living is a commitment to live intentionally to control my schedule and priorities rather than to be controlled by them. It takes a conscience effort to move from accidental living to living intentionally. Accidental living does not lead to lives with impact but rather to busy schedules and a lack of clarity in our commitments.
BMC: What are some of your personal commitments?
TJA: I have five personal values by which I assess my life: How am I growing in my intimacy with Christ? How am I developing as a Godly husband? How am I developing as a Godly father? Am I maximizing the gifts God has given me? Am I obedient to what God is calling me to do? If I want to live by those values I have to have some way to determine if I'm successful and making progress. It's the difference between accidental and intentional living.
BMC: You travel around the world several times a year, how do you manage with such an active schedule to assess how you are doing in these areas?
TJA: First and foremost I have daily unhurried time with God. I put it into my schedule book but maintain the freedom to move it around during the day. It's not always the same time every day. But it's important to keep it. Second, I plan a monthly personal retreat for at least a half-day or preferably a full day.
BMC: What do you do on your personal retreat?
TJA: Taking along my journal, work priorities, schedule, and a Bible, I spend time with the Lord and think through my priorities and values. I think about where I'm heading, what I'm doing well, and what I need to be doing differently. In planning my schedule for the next month, I pray through the opportunities and ask the Lord for guidance in balancing travel, family, and professional demands. The whole goal is to make sure that I don't just take what comes but make choices about what I give my time to that are in keeping with my priorities.
BMC: Do you keep a regular diary?
TJA: No. I keep a journal, which is different. It is a collection of thoughts, goals, and priorities. It's not structured and I don't write in it every day, but I take it with me nearly everywhere I go in case an idea comes up that I want to capture.
BMC: Do you involve your wife on your personal retreats?
TJA: Not on my monthly retreats. Mary Ann may join me on my yearly retreat.
BMC: How does that differ from a monthly retreat?
TJA: Once a year, I schedule 2-3 days specifically to evaluate this year and plan for the next. It's an extended retreat to look at a longer time horizon.
BMC: When did you develop these disciplines?
TJA: When I was sixteen, I made a recommitment to follow Christ more intentionally and have been following this rhythm of daily, monthly and annual examination ever since.
BMC: What advice do you have for those men who want to live more intentionally?
TJA: I would recommend taking incremental steps to ensure that your schedule reflects your personal priorities so that you control how you spend your time rather than events controlling you. Second, develop some kind of regular rhythm on a weekly, monthly and annual basis to ensure you stay true to your commitments and priorities. Finally, do this along with an accountability partner so that neither of you "drift" back to accidental living.
TJA: Intentional living is a commitment to live intentionally to control my schedule and priorities rather than to be controlled by them. It takes a conscience effort to move from accidental living to living intentionally. Accidental living does not lead to lives with impact but rather to busy schedules and a lack of clarity in our commitments.
BMC: What are some of your personal commitments?
TJA: I have five personal values by which I assess my life: How am I growing in my intimacy with Christ? How am I developing as a Godly husband? How am I developing as a Godly father? Am I maximizing the gifts God has given me? Am I obedient to what God is calling me to do? If I want to live by those values I have to have some way to determine if I'm successful and making progress. It's the difference between accidental and intentional living.
BMC: You travel around the world several times a year, how do you manage with such an active schedule to assess how you are doing in these areas?
TJA: First and foremost I have daily unhurried time with God. I put it into my schedule book but maintain the freedom to move it around during the day. It's not always the same time every day. But it's important to keep it. Second, I plan a monthly personal retreat for at least a half-day or preferably a full day.
BMC: What do you do on your personal retreat?
TJA: Taking along my journal, work priorities, schedule, and a Bible, I spend time with the Lord and think through my priorities and values. I think about where I'm heading, what I'm doing well, and what I need to be doing differently. In planning my schedule for the next month, I pray through the opportunities and ask the Lord for guidance in balancing travel, family, and professional demands. The whole goal is to make sure that I don't just take what comes but make choices about what I give my time to that are in keeping with my priorities.
BMC: Do you keep a regular diary?
TJA: No. I keep a journal, which is different. It is a collection of thoughts, goals, and priorities. It's not structured and I don't write in it every day, but I take it with me nearly everywhere I go in case an idea comes up that I want to capture.
BMC: Do you involve your wife on your personal retreats?
TJA: Not on my monthly retreats. Mary Ann may join me on my yearly retreat.
BMC: How does that differ from a monthly retreat?
TJA: Once a year, I schedule 2-3 days specifically to evaluate this year and plan for the next. It's an extended retreat to look at a longer time horizon.
BMC: When did you develop these disciplines?
TJA: When I was sixteen, I made a recommitment to follow Christ more intentionally and have been following this rhythm of daily, monthly and annual examination ever since.
BMC: What advice do you have for those men who want to live more intentionally?
TJA: I would recommend taking incremental steps to ensure that your schedule reflects your personal priorities so that you control how you spend your time rather than events controlling you. Second, develop some kind of regular rhythm on a weekly, monthly and annual basis to ensure you stay true to your commitments and priorities. Finally, do this along with an accountability partner so that neither of you "drift" back to accidental living.
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