front of the TV at the end of a long day. I don’ t even think about it. I just plop. There’ s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes sitting on the couch is exactly what you need. But in my life currently, I’ m realizing that it’ s often the result of living without much intentionality. I move through whatever is directly in front of me until I don’ t have anything left.
I have a general idea of what matters to me, but it has been a long time since I’ ve actually named those things and intentionally made space in my life for them.
When was the last time you sat down and figured out what matters most to you? Not what is urgent. Not what everyone needs from you. What actually matters?
LIVING WITH INTENTION Over the last couple of months, I’ ve been going from event to event, project to project, just letting all of it drag me around. And I’ m tired of living that way.
In order to live the kind of life I can be proud of, I need to be more intentional than I have been. The same applies to each of us. The life of a technical artist in the local church is tough. There will always be another weekend, another project, another problem to solve, another person who needs something from you. If you let it, this work will eat you up and spit you out.
We have to start living our days with thoughtful purpose.
In his book Think Again, Adam Grant talks about the importance of setting aside time for thinking. Most of us spend most of our time doing. There’ s always another task to accomplish. Another thing to produce. Another box to check.
But when do we think about whether all of that doing is actually moving us toward the life we want to live? We need time to think about what is most important and how we should be spending the time we’ ve been given, rather than simply filling every available space on the calendar with another task.
So I’ m using this article as my own accountability.
I’ m going to take some time and build more intentional scheduling into my life during this very busy season. I’ m going to decide what matters before my calendar decides for me.
I encourage you to do the same. Before another week fills itself up, take a look at your calendar. What matters to you that isn’ t represented there? Maybe it’ s time to schedule it.
Todd Elliott Todd is a writer, speaker, technical artist in the local church and Founder & President of FILO, which stands for First In, Last Out. FILO was born out of his own need as a technical artist in the local church to be in community with other church tech people, to learn new ways of doing things and to be inspired that what he did mattered. The more FILOtype people he met, the more convinced he was that these are things we all need. That’ s why FILO exists: to equip, encourage and inspire technical artists in the local church to become the best version of ourselves. Formerly the Technical Arts Director at Willow Creek Community Church, he started FILO in 2015 to help other technical artists become more effective so that the local church can be more effective.
FILO’ s flagship event happens yearly: Our next FILO Conference will be May 4 + 5, 2027 in Chicagoland, IL. Register now for best pricing options!
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Photo by Ed Hardie on Unsplash