Intentional living is the talk all “around town”, but what does it mean to be intentional and how can you create an intentional life for yourself?
Do you ever feel like you’re just going through the motions of daily life without a real purpose? Or that you’re a ping pong ball pinging around without really going anywhere purposeful? What about when you feel stuck and don’t know how to get out of it?
If you feel that way or have ever felt that way, you are not alone! At some point in their lives, many people (including me) experience periods of living out of habit, following the same thoughtless daily routines, or living in reaction to the things going on in their lives. It could be one area or all areas of your life that feel stuck.
It’s no wonder that so many people feel so empty and lost on the inside, which in turn prevents them from being their authentic selves.
“Intentional living” is a big buzzword these days, but have you given much thought to what it really means? Or why it even matters? Why intentional living and not something else?
What Does It Mean To Be Intentional
So many people – me included – live life according to what everyone else is doing: going to school, getting married, building a career, having children, buying a house, etc. And at some point, some of them may wonder why they’re so exhausted all the time and if what they’re doing is even what they want.
This also overlaps into when you become a parent or spouse and then become consumed with your children’s and spouse’s schedules instead of setting goals for yourself outside of what your family is doing.
After all, does it really make sense to be working 60 hours a week climbing the corporate ladder and paying off a mortgage if all you want to do is travel the world and experience new cultures?
That’s why I am passionate about intentional living. But what does living an intentional life really mean?
What is Intentional Living?
When we’re so busy just keeping our heads above water, it may feel like it takes too much time and energy to stop and think about what we really want.
Simply put, intentional living means to live your life with purpose, according to your individual
Does that mean you need to have everything figured out? Nope. Does that mean that you can’t climb the corporate ladder and pay off a mortgage? Not at all!
Does that mean you can’t invest your time in things you want to do and have to forget about everyone else’s goals and schedules in your home? Nope!
But it does mean that you consciously make choices about what you want to do and know why you’re doing it. The “why” doesn’t need to match anyone else’s why; however, you do need to know what it is for you.
Unfortunately, not taking the time to know that will have major consequences because one day you’ll feel that life has passed you by and you didn’t do anything meaningful with it.
How do You Do it?
Living intentional every day means that you spend your time living the life you want most. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to have every single thing you want everyday, because that’s entitlement, not intentional living.
What it does mean is that you get to make decisions every day about what you want. Some of those decisions may involve taking small steps to get you closer to your bigger goals, and that’s okay! It’s fine to start small and gradually work your way into bigger goals and dreams! It means you get to be intentional with your habits and routines, by spending time doing things you want to do instead of things you have to do. You schedule in the intentional moment every day instead of skipping them and going to bed or something you have to do. It’s about making the intentional decision to live day to day with more purpose and a more positive mindset.
How to Live Intentionally
How do you spend your time and energy? Do those actions align with your values and goals? I would argue that if you aren’t putting your energy into working to create a life you want, then you aren’t living with purpose.
And if that’s the case, then I have good news for you, you can change that right now! Here are 5 ways to help you live more mindfully and add productivity tips to all areas of your life.
Stop to Ask “Why”
The whole purpose of living intentionally is to know the “why” behind everything you do, right? You may find, however, that it takes practice to put it into practice. Before you say “yes” to anything, consider these questions:
- How will this add value to your life?
- Who are you doing this for?
- What do you hope to accomplish?
You don’t necessarily need to know the answers to all of these questions, as they are designed simply to increase your awareness in your decision-making.
Over time, you’ll likely find that you do know the answers to these questions more than you did at first, and they’ll help steer you toward making the best decision.
Listen Intentionally
Mindful living isn’t just about doing what you want, it’s also about nurturing the important relationships in your life.
Feeling connected to other people is essential to finding joy in life, and one of the best ways to feel connected to others is to practice intentional listening. In other words, practice the art of listening to understand rather than listening to respond.
Goal Setting
Working towards goals has been scientifically proven to make people feel happier and more fulfilled.
But there’s the challenge: if your goals in the past have all been around things that don’t make you feel fulfilled, then it’s time to start incorporating your true wants into your goal setting, which in turn will help you stay focused on achieving those goals.
Ditch Social Media
Spending your time on social media isn’t all bad. After all, it can be a great way to waste time in the
If you don’t want to completely ditch social media, just take a short break from it and be mindful about the media you consume. Doing that will help you realign your life to your goals without the influence of all the voices from other people. Those voices don’t matter and will only hinder your own efforts.
Do Something that Brings You Joy
This sounds very simple, but it’s really one of the key tenets of living an intentional life – and can be extremely challenging for people who are first starting on the journey toward intentional living.
It doesn’t need to be anything big and can, instead, be something very small such as reading a good book. But this simple act is powerful in that it adds value to your life in ways that we often overlook. It can also work wonders for your mental health.
An intentional life isn’t necessarily a perfect life, but it is a life filled with purpose. It’s about taking the steps to let go of the things that hold you back in order to seek those that make you feel alive.
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