Do you feel like life is dragging you forward on autopilot?
Living with intention enables you to regain control and build a more fulfilling life.
The best news?
Intentional living is not as difficult as it may seem. With the simple steps in this article, you will feel empowered to make a positive change.
So letâs dive in!
What does it mean to live with intention?
Intentional living means deciding whatâs most important to you and designing your life around it. There are two parts to this equation: planning and action.
Planning first requires you to audit your current situation. And second, determine where you want to go and how you want to spend your time.
A plan does not have to be perfect – but you need one.
Then, you should execute it.
Letâs see how.
Step 1. Audit your situation
Self-awareness is the starting point of all change, especially if you want to start living with intention.
The first question to start with is why you feel the way you do. Why do you feel like youâre not living an intentional life right now?
Then, you want to audit how you spend your time.
How much of your time goes to:
- Social events
- Work-related items
- Wellness and fitness
- Personal and self-care
- Leisure, like series and social media
- Education
Write down how much time you spend on each activity for a week. Though it takes some effort, these insights may surprise you.
Clarity and awareness is the first step to living with intention and realizing change.
Step 2. Decide what is most important
You can never spend time twice. It means that saying yes to one thing also means saying no to everything else.
And your life is the result of the choices you make.
So if you want to live your life intentionally, it starts with making intentional decisions.
How to make the best decision?
The best decision depends on you, what you want, and who you want to become. Answer the following questions to the best of your ability:
- What is your passion?
- What do you want or desire?
- Why do you want what you want?
- What areas are most important to you?
- How would you like to make a difference?
- What would you regret not doing in life?
- What would you not regret trying?
- Who do you want to be as a person?
Itâs good to plan at least a couple of hours to go over these questions. Make sure you write everything down too.
Additionally, you want to think about selfish and selfless desires. What are your personal goals? And what would you like to contribute to the world?
Combining the two is key to a happier and more fulfilling life. If you want to learn more about that, read this article about finding your purpose.
Step 3. Set goals
Goals define your direction and focus. And thatâs why itâs such a powerful tool to live your life with intention.
The format I use to set goals is as follows:
- Life goal: what is the big thing you want to achieve?
- 1-year goals: what do you need to focus on this year to achieve your life goal?
- Monthly goals: what do you need to accomplish this month?
- Weekly goals: what do you need to do this week?
- Daily goals: what do you need to do today?
This method is super powerful. Why? Because you identify your big goal and the tiny first step you can take immediately.
But there is more:
This study shows that people who wrote down their goals and reported on their progress were 33% more likely to achieve them.
In other words, make goal-setting a habit.
Itâs also why I set daily goals every day, weekly goals every Sunday, and monthly goals at the end of each month.
Additionally, I reset my goals every quarter and take the exact steps outlined in this article.
Itâs the kind of planning necessary to live with intention.
Step 4. Take action
While planning is essential, you should not get stuck in a forever planning modus. Itâs tempting to keep redefining your plan, but you need to take action at some point.
You should focus on developing habits.
At first, it will require some discipline and willpower. But once you develop a habit, you will find it much easier to stay consistent.
Here are some tips for building habits:
- Take action when you have most of your willpower, like in the morning or afternoon.
- Make the action super small, like going for a 5-minute run instead of a 30-minute one.
- Prepare the day before and remove any distractions.
Since I had most of my time in the morning, I used that time to develop my writing habit. And just 30 minutes was enough.
Step 5. Focus on growth
Most people focus on results when they take action. And they become upset or even give up when the results donât show up.
Instead, focus on growth.
Doing so makes you less fearful about making mistakes.
After all, living with intention doesnât mean having your whole life figured out. You will still experience failures, setbacks and make wrong decisions.
And if you focus on results, thatâs a real bummer.
But if you focus on growth, failures and setbacks are just learning opportunities â your stepping stones towards success.
So do not fear mistakes or failures.
Bouncing back after failure improves your skills and self-confidence. And eventually, it will lead to the results you desire.
Living with intention means persisting through challenges and persevering regardless of it.
Step 6: Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of mind where you focus your attention on whatever youâre doing in the present moment. And you can do this at any time:
- When you eat, devote your focus to experiencing the texture, smell, colors, and taste of the food.
- When you walk, notice every step you take, how your body moves through space, and how the sun radiates its heat.
- Before going into a meeting, take a deep breath and review your thoughts about and intentions for that meeting.
One way to improve mindfulness is through meditation. But here is another short exercise to become mindful:
- Take a short 3-minute break.
- Take 4 seconds to breathe in, hold it for another 4, and breathe out for 4 seconds.
- Do that 3 to 5 times.
- Now notice how you feel in your body and the thoughts clouding your mind.
- Take note and let it all go
- Resume what you were doing.
Donât judge yourself in this process, even if you struggle with one of the steps. Simply do your best.
If you keep practicing this exercise, you will experience that youâre becoming more aware over time.
Step 7: Finding balance
While you should focus on whatâs most important to you, simultaneously, you should focus on finding the right balance.
For example, if you focus all your time on work and not your friends or health, you may still feel unfulfilled.
Yes, you do whatâs most important to you.
But having a good balance between all essential elements is key to living a fulfilling and good life.
The right balance depends on you, so keep auditing your situation. Do you spend enough time on your:
- Work and career
- Personal finances
- Social life
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Education
Living with intention means you review these points regularly so you can restore them when theyâre out of balance.
Closing thoughts
The steps in this article will empower you to live life more intentionally.
Specifically, it helped you become more aware, create a plan, and take action while adopting the right mindset for success.
But keep in mind that these steps need to become a recurring thing – not a one-time exercise (you can bookmark this page as a reminder).
If you want more good stuff to remind you to live with intention, sign up below to get my latest post straight into your inbox!
