3 Practices to Living Intentionally

Do you find yourself feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and completely unfulfilled? That was me for a long time. I had a good career, a side gig, a wonderful boyfriend, and awesome friends, but there I was. I had what most would consider a great life, including myself and yet I was not showing up with A-game. Why? Because I was not living with intention. I woke up, did what I was expected to do, and lived my life the best way I knew how. Looking back, I now realize that I would much more easily get side-tracked when life decided to have a little bit of fun and put different challenges in my path. Basically, what it meant for me was that life dictated my behaviors, vs. my behaviors and habits intentionally guiding where I wanted my life to go.

What is Living with Intention?

So, what does it all mean? Intentional living is a powerful practice that can help you live your best life. It means knowing your why so you can understand what is most important to you. It's about focusing on what matters most and how to get the most out of each day. Before discovering personal development,

There are many ways to live with intention. If you find yourself in this situation today, then give yourself the gift of putting the 3 practices highlighted in this article in place so you too can become more self-guided, take back control of and live your ideal life. These are things I have learned over the years, both in my personal life and professional career, and they can be applied to any stage of life or situation. It is up to you how much time and energy you put into living intentionally.

3 Practices for Living Intentionally

Spend some time learning about and being with yourself

Anytime we want to change something, we first have to understand where we are and where we want to go. So, I’ll just ask you a very simple question. Are you satisfied with who and where you are? OR is there a bigger, brighter version of you with bigger dreams buried deep inside you? Here are three tips to help you discover and live into your 2.0 version!

1. Decide who you want to be, find your purpose and set the intention to live into that daily
   You are today the way you are and who you are because of all the influences from your life. Your parents and family, your friends, your work environment, and society at large have shaped your thoughts, views and what you feel is right and wrong. That doesn’t mean you are locked into that forever. You can ask yourself this question periodically: Who do I need to grow into to live my best life? You have the power to decide every day to be someone different who marches by the beat of her own drum. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about how to write your personal manifesto. Isn’t it time you took a step back and decided if the “who” you are today is the “who” you want to be? Here is the link as a reference.
   
   When we feel we are part of a bigger goal, dream or vision, it also helps to keep us on track. Have you ever taken the time to stop and think if there is something bigger you should be doing with your life, that you were meant for more? When you know your purpose, it becomes a lot easier to prioritize and make the right decisions.
   
   Once you have both elements ironed, set the intention to live into this new you and set habits to increase our likelihood of consistency as you pursue your passion with abandon.
   
   
2. Take care of yourself by making healthy choices, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly
   I caution you not to underestimate how important it is for you to nurture and take good care of yourself. See… The point is not to chase your dreams and ambitions so hard that you lose your health in the process! If you’re going to create this wonderful big new life to yourself, don’t you want to be around to enjoy it!? So, the minimum you should be doing for yourself is
   
   
   1. Make healthy food choices
   2. Get enough sleep
   3. Be more mindful/Meditate
   4. Exercise regularly
      
      
3. Journal, Journal, Journal!
   Write it all down. Take stock of your day at the end of each day and measure how well you showed up for yourself. Ask yourself questions that although not difficult will cause you to stop and reflect on your behavior. Where did you show up congruently with your new YOU? Where didn’t you? What could you have done differently? What caused you to get side-tracked? How did you manage your emotions? In the moment, it allows you to course correct and decide how you want to proceed. The beauty is that over time you’ll start identifying patterns, some that serve you and others that don’t. Once you have that bigger picture, you can readjust. It’s not about being perfect all the time. It’s about learning, growing and being a role model for others.

Not a planner? Become one!

When we leave things up to chance, we’re fighting a losing battle. We are much more likely to be influenced by the infamous “butterfly effect”. Anything can get us off-track. When we learn to plan and hold ourselves accountable for following through on our planning, we ride the waves a lot better. Here are 3 ways you can do that.

1. Set goals and plan for how to reach them
   If you have big goals, you can’t simply leave them up to chance. You must be clear about what they are AND create a game plan for how you will make them happen.
   
   
2. Prioritize what is important to you and stop doing the things that are not important
   Once you have clarity on your goals, prioritizing become more manageable. You can set aside whatever doesn’t get you closer to your goals and focus on those activities and tasks that will. You don’t even think twice about walking away from distractions (good-bye 3 hrs. of Netflix binge!) Someone once said to me “If you had to pay $500/hr. for that activity (think Netflix), is that where you would invest your money?” That helped to put things in perspective really quick!
   
   
3. Plan your day the night before
   One of the things I’ve learned to do is review my day the night before. Doing this gives you the opportunity to 1. Prioritize and 2. Decide if there are certain meetings, interactions, or activities you need to give yourself time to prepare in the 5 minutes prior to them. For example, do you need to do some breathing exercises for example, because you know it could be a contentious meeting? Mentally preparing beforehand will allow you to show up with calm and quiet confidence. It will set a different tone for the meeting.
   My only recommendation is not to do your review too close to bedtime so you don’t ruminate on potential “problem” moments in your sleep!

Take ownership of your day

Be the captain of your ship. When you know yourself, your goals and your mission and you start planning effectively, taking ownership of your day becomes easy peasy. You minimize the risk of getting sidetracked. Here are 3 things you can do to ensure you stay the course.

1. Start with a morning routine
   On the days I don’t do my morning routine, I feel it. The days feels more chaotic and challenging. I feel less in control and am more likely to get pulled in the wrong direction. Having a morning routine that works for you allows you to set your intention for that day, while you are calm and thinking about what serves you best. So, whether it’s exercising, stretching, drinking water, writing, meditating, or a combination of all of those, find some time for yourself. A routine can take 15 minutes or 2 hrs. It’s whatever works for you and you are most likely to stick to.
   
   
2. Become intentional with your time
   Don’t just use up your time mindlessly because your time is valuable. Decide where you want to focus and put your efforts. Any time spent following your dreams and actively taking steps to make them come true will be time well spent.
   
   
3. Don't multitask - focus on one thing at a time
   There is no such thing as multi-tasking. We may believe we are multi-tasking but in fact we are just doing more than one thing in rapid succession. That means you tire more easily and are more apt to making mistakes because you are not focused on any given thing. Nothing will move the needle more than giving your exclusive attention to one thing at a time.
   
   

Benefits of living intentionally

So, what’s in it for you? Let me count the ways. You will have more clarity throughout your day, week, month, and year and are more likely to reach your goals. When you focus on your priorities, you advance towards your goals that much more quickly. Not only that, but you will be able to reach them while feeling more peaceful and keeping your life in balance, which reduces your chances of burning out. You will be more present, happy and healthy. Your interactions with those you love become more fulfilling and rewarding.

Final Thoughts

What I’ve learned is that if we want to live life to the fullest, be truly successful and happy, living intentionally must become our way of being. We are all busy - that’s a given. However, how about making your peace with letting go of the things that don’t serve you, focus on prioritizing and making a difference, and then enjoy the blessings that each day brings!

By being intentional about the way we spend our days, we're able to better focus on what matters most in life; this enables us to feel fulfilled by our actions instead of having that constant nagging feeling that something is missing or off track.

What are some other ways you live with intention? What are some of the benefits you’ve experienced? Share with us so we can learn from you as well!