Unconventional doesn't mean unintentional

Last week, I asked, “Would you choose to find out the length of your life if you had the chance?” The votes are in!

Is there a correlation between wanting to create an intentional life and not wanting to know when the end is near? Maybe! How magical is that?

I’ve avoided writing about this for the last few weeks, partially because I was eager to share other stories with you, but more importantly, because it makes me uncomfortable…

As I’ve added the weekly takeaways to the intentional journaling prompts week after week, I noticed something.

I loosely grouped the questions by category, and there’s one category I obviously don’t feel that confident or comfortable sharing about since I rarely touch on it: work.

After some reflection, it hit me: Perhaps my career choices feel unintentional. (Maybe my entire career to this point has felt unintentional?! Yikes…)

Can you relate? Maybe you feel that way about work, too. Or your relationship history. Or your friendship choices. It happens to all of us.

The truth is, I’ve spent many years feeling embarrassed about my squiggly career path. When people would ask the dreaded, “So, what do you do for work?” I’d break into a sweat and turn red in the face.

I’ve held many titles, bounced around (a lot), and frequently felt what Lex Roman describes as “THE CURSE” (aka the itch to do something new every few years).

My career history is ALL over the map, seriously.

Because it looked different from the “conventional” paths, I felt something was wrong with me. It all felt, well, unintentional.

But have I really been making unintentional decisions?

It’s not so much that they’ve been unintentional as societal expectations and external factors have driven them:

• They looked good on paper

• They were the things I was “supposed” to do

• They benefitted the companies I worked for more than they did me

• They aligned with someone else’s values but not my own

But there’s no use in punishing myself or feeling such heavy, negative emotions over the past. We do the best we can for ourselves with the information we have at the time.

This is also why it’s important to remember:

• To give yourself some grace!

• You can take a different path any time you’d like

• You’re allowed to change your mind (and your opinions)—doing so is a strength

I don’t know everything there is to know about what it means to build an intentional and fulfilling career, but I’m pouring every ounce of my experience and skills into creating and writing this newsletter, and I know this is where I’m meant to be.

Choices that feel or look unintentional lead you where you need to be. Maybe you can’t see it now, but someday, when you look back, I hope you realize there was a common thread all along. And that common thread is your magic and your gift.

Time Well Spent: Weekly Roundup

1. (Small but powerful): I have two Bengal cats, Yeti and Yowie. They’re energetic and a ton of fun. I played with them a lot this week. Play with your pets! Play with your kids! These seasons (and their lives) don’t last forever. It’s easy to overlook these moments when we feel tired or busy, but in hindsight, they never last long enough.

2. I witnessed something incredibly sweet this week at my Pure Barre studio. One of our members is going through a challenging time. A group of members and teachers lined up for a photo (holding up hearts with their hands) to let her know her barre community was thinking of her. Who you surround yourself with matters.

3. Pausing to reflect and honor my loved ones on the anniversaries of their passing is important to me. So is finding new ways to honor and celebrate the lessons they taught me. I’m celebrating my Papa and supporting esophageal cancer awareness in his honor.

The Takeaways

• Choose a simple moment of play (with your pets, kids, friends, or family), even when you don’t feel up to it. How did it feel?

• Commit to making a small or simple gesture to support someone in your circle who could use positive thoughts and love.

• How can you intentionally celebrate and honor someone you’ve lost? What about their legacy can you carry with you?

Time Intentional 🕰️ Reader Love 💞

• A BIG thank you to my parents and Jody Sovcik for supporting me on Buy Me a Coffee last week!

I’m Alyssa Towns, a freelance writer, and this is Time Intentional, a newsletter exploring what it means to spend our limited (and precious) time intentionally. Only you can decide how to spend your time in a way that feels intentional!

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