Inevitably, there comes a day when we look at our lives and ask, “What am I doing? How did I get here?” These moments reveal how we may have unintentionally drifted away from our values, strayed from our goals, and disconnected from our authentic selves.
Intentional living is about choosing your life. It is deciding what is most important to you and then building your life around it. Intention means aligning your daily choices with your core values and personal happiness.
Whether you want to discard habits that no longer serve you, make a commitment to your mental health, or just live a simple life with less stress — the power to reshape your reality starts with intentional choices.
This blog post will give you practical tips and strategies on how to live intentionally, and empower you to align your daily life with the values and goals that truly matter to you.
What is Intentional Living?
Intentional living is a mindset and a way of life that involves being present, mindful, and deliberate in your thoughts, words, and actions. It’s about living with intention, purpose, and awareness, rather than just going through the motions. Intentional living means being true to yourself and your values, and making choices that align with your goals and aspirations.
Benefits of Living Intentionally
Living intentionally has numerous benefits, including:
- Increased self-awareness and self-acceptance.
- Improved mental health and well-being.
- Greater sense of purpose and direction.
- More intentional relationships and connections.
- Increased productivity and efficiency.
- Greater overall satisfaction and happiness.
How to Make Intentional Decisions
A fundamental aspect of living intentionally is making purposeful decisions that align with your personal values and your vision of the future you want to create. Living life as an intentional journey that evolves over time involves embracing small, purposeful actions that contribute to a more fulfilling existence.
Too often, we make decisions from a place of obligation, “shoulds,” guilt, or habit, rather than from a place of purpose and curiosity. Living an intentional life comes down to the small, consistent choices that you make every single day.
Try the following ways to start making more intentional decisions.
1. Get to Know Yourself and Your Desires
Self-reflection helps you develop a deeper knowledge of your passions, natural tendencies, and unique strengths. For example, if you’re someone who doesn’t thrive under a rigid schedule, recognize this, so you can explore other approaches to organizing your day that spark joy and motivation in you.
Different individuals prioritize the same things differently in their lives, so it’s important to understand your own values and desires.
Take the time to dive into your inner world and identify what drives you. What do you want your life to stand for? What do you want to contribute to the world? Getting clear on this will bring clarity to your decisions and actions.
Check out these journal prompts to help you discover your life purpose.
2. Gather Information
Before making any decision, equip yourself with as much information as is realistic about the decision you are about to make. It could be about the various choices or options that are available. Or it could be the impact, effects, or the consequences that each of these choices has. Not everyone has the same values or priorities, so it’s important to consider different perspectives.
However, there’s no need to over-do this. Sometimes a quick internet search or brainstorming session will provide you with everything you need to know. But getting a wider perspective before making your final decision is vital.
3. Make the Decision
Once you’ve established some background information, be brave enough to make the decision. Remember, you are in control of your own life and have the power within you to make the best decisions for yourself.
Trust your gut instinct and don’t be afraid to take risks if it aligns with your intentions and values. Even if the decision does not turn out as expected, it’s still a learning experience and will help you grow in the long run.
4. Stand By It
Learn to always stand by the decision you make, whether it turns out to be right or goes sideways. Not all decisions you make will take you in the direction you want. But this is all part of the learning process.
When a wrong decision is made, learn to apologize where an apology is due, pick up the pieces, and move on. No one is perfect and it’s important to forgive yourself and continue on your intentional living journey.
Steps to Live an Intentional Life
Living with intention requires a commitment to actively shape each day to reflect the future you want. The following steps are an excellent guideline for creating a life that is not only fulfilling, but authentically yours.
Remember, it’s not necessary to have your whole life figured out; focus on living with purpose and aligning your actions with your personal values.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Values and Future Vision
In order to live an intentional life, it’s important to first understand what is truly important to you. Take some time to reflect on your core values and what you envision for your future.
Think about the kind of impact you want to make and the legacy you wish to leave behind. What does your ideal day look like? Paint a vibrant picture of this future to establish a clear direction for your life.
Step 2: Create Space for What Matters
Declutter both your physical and mental spaces. By removing distractions and unnecessary clutter, you create space for what brings you joy and fulfillment.
Prioritize activities and relationships that align with your values. Intentionally spend time with people who are important to you, and make choices that reflect your personal values. This may mean saying no to certain opportunities and setting boundaries with people who drain your energy.
Step 3: Set Specific Goals
Align your goals with your values and vision. Clearly defined goals provide direction and motivate you to take purposeful action.
Long-term goals illuminate the path toward your desired future, but you also want to break them down into achievable steps to maintain momentum and avoid overwhelm. When you take small, intentional actions every single day, you empower yourself to live the life you truly want.
Step 4: Establish Principles and Boundaries
The idea here is to ensure that you are not lured into anything that is against your purpose or goals. Define principles and boundaries that keep you focused and committed to your path. These will help you avoid distractions and stay true to your goals — ensuring your actions reflect your intentions.
This could be as simple as choosing to start your day with a morning meditation to lower your stress levels and give yourself quality quiet time. Or deciding to put down your phone and other devices after 7pm to create space for family. These boundaries help you stay on track and live intentionally.
Step 5: Surround Yourself with Supportive People
Cultivate a network of people who understand and support your journey. Surrounding yourself with positive influences can provide encouragement and accountability.
Build this network by joining communities or groups that share similar goals and interests. Use their support by regularly engaging in conversations, sharing experiences, and seeking advice from those who uplift and motivate you.
Step 6: Play Your Own Game
Comparing yourself to others can lead to unnecessary stress and self-doubt. Focus on your own pace and progress, and don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s.
One way to stay focused on your personal growth is by keeping a gratitude journal, where you regularly note down things you are thankful for and the progress you’ve made. This is YOUR life, and it’s important to stay true to yourself and your own unique path.
Step 7: Accept Challenges and Remain Persistent
The more you understand that life will always have its high and lows, the better you will be prepared to face them. Challenges are a natural part of life, and when you can begin to see the value in the challenge, your experience of them will change.
Every challenge is an opportunity for growth and learning. Don’t let setbacks discourage you, instead use them as an opportunity improve and gain greater wisdom. Remember that the path to success is not a straight line — as long as you don’t give up, you will continue to move forward.
Habits for Intentional Living
Habits are basically unconscious patterns of behavior. They affect all areas of your life and determine how you make use of each day.
However, if you are to live an intentional life and be successful in what you do, you will need to cultivate habits that are in sync with the life you want.
Here are ten habits that can support you as you establish an intentional life.
1. Practice Self-Reflection
Take time to reflect on your actions, thoughts, and feelings to gain deeper insight into your inner world. This will help you understand yourself better and identify areas for personal growth.
Journal prompts can help you explore your motivations and uncover the values driving your decisions. Self-reflection empowers you to make informed choices that align with your intentional living goals.
2. Review Your Life Goals
Remind yourself what you want to achieve on a regular basis. This ensures that your actions remain aligned with your overarching vision.
In other words, keep your eyes on the goal to avoid wasting time on things that don’t bring value to your daily life. Regularly review your life goals to reinforce your commitment and focus, and to empower yourself to live a more intentional and fulfilling life.
3. Say No
Learn to say no to anything that is not in alignment with your goals. This will help you prioritize and focus on what truly matters — freeing up time and energy for meaningful pursuits.
Practice setting boundaries and turning away from distractions. Embrace the clarity that comes with prioritizing your goals and allows you to dedicate your resources toward achieving your dreams.
4. Draw a Lesson from Every Challenge
You will encounter challenges on your journey. They could be from your own miscalculations or from external forces. But they are usually always stepping stones for personal growth and development, and are valuable lessons for you to learn.
Embracing these experiences allows you to uncover hidden opportunities and refine your approach. This will better equip you for the future and all the blessings you are calling in.
5. Listen More
Taking the time to listen to others and staying open to different viewpoints can have far-reaching effects. When you actively listen, you can gain valuable information related to your dreams that you could have otherwise missed.
Actually, listening can enhance your understanding of others, which creates deeper connections and improves your relationships. Doing this not only broadens your perspectives but also enriches your life.
6. Show Appreciation
Be grateful for your achievements and growth and learn to express genuine gratitude to others. An intentional life is nearly impossible to follow if you’re feeling ungrateful or resentful.
Appreciating what you have helps you stay positive and focused on your goals. This will help you cultivate a mindset of abundance, which fuels your drive and determination to continue on your path and manifest the life you want.
7. Reward Yourself for Good Work
Reward yourself when you achieve a goal or finish a task. It makes you feel good and motivates you to do more as you realize the results of committing to your goals.
When you acknowledge yourself and all you’re accomplishing, you reinforce the positive behaviors that led to those achievements. This cycle of rewarding and reinforcing encourages the development of more productive habits and keeps you motivated.
8. Limit Screen Time
It’s easy to get caught up in scrolling through the never-ending stream of online content. Social media, television, and games can be addictive and huge time-wasters.
To live intentionally, you must develop the discipline to set boundaries around your screen time. This will help you focus on meaningful activities that engage your mind and align with your goals.
9. Rest When You Need It
Your body and mind require rest to function properly. Prioritizing rest should be an essential part of your self-care routine.
Resting helps your muscles recover, reduces stress, gives you more energy, and improves your mood. Restful moments help you to recharge and prepare for the challenges ahead. This gives you the energy you need to succeed.
10. Control Your Spending Habits
Making intentional choices with your finances is important. While investing in a gym membership can be beneficial for some, it’s not necessary for maintaining health. Consider alternative ways to stay active that align with your values and budget.
Know how much you need to spend and on what, so that each purchase aligns with your goals and values. Budgeting helps you keep in mind what is worth spending money on. As you master how to control your spending habits, it becomes easier to reach your financial goals and create the life you envision.
Final Thoughts
Living intentionally means embracing the present moment with a conscious awareness of your actions and decisions.
When you’re fully present, you’re not just going through the motions or letting life happen to you. Instead, you become deeply engaged with your life, and your choices become more deliberate and aligned with what you truly desire.
When you commit to making intentional decisions, you open yourself up to the richness of each moment. You begin to appreciate the beauty in everyday experiences, from the warmth of a morning sunrise to the laughter shared with friends. This transforms even the most mundane activities into opportunities for more joy.
So, are you ready to take the reigns and live your life to the fullest? The future is yours — step into it with intention, and make your dreams a reality!
