Intentional living. It is something we have all heard about, but what it exactly and how can it help us lead better lives?
Intentional living to striving for a life that you want to live. It is about becoming concise and clear about what you want out of life and working to achieve the set intentions. It is about being committed to intentionally spending your time on things that mean something to you while building a more fulfilling and positive mindset and lifestyle.
If that sounds like something you are interested in let’s read on…
Set intentions for your day – Your day and your intentions for it are crucial for your daily living to be successful. Making deliberate decisions right from the start of the day is important. One proven method for having an intentional day would be to sit down and write out your tasks and goals. These goals do not have to be big. Just small steps to get you to where you want to be. Goals can be written out first, followed by a small task to get you to work towards that goal. In addition to these tasks that should be written out are items that you need to get accomplished such as appointments and errands.
This method will help you to know what you would like to complete in the day and will help you to see progress as it is being made. When the end of the day arrives, you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you reflect on your day.
Make your time count – Making a schedule for your day is important. Before your day begins set out a task list, and a schedule of what you would like to do with your time. This should include relationships you are building, priorities you have, and anything that needs to get done throughout the day.
When it comes to living intentionally you can also practice things such as setting boundaries and saying no when you need to. If you feel like you need to set up more structure in your day and are not sure where to start, then do a time audit. Take an inventory of how long it takes you to complete specific tasks, and then set a time limit you need to work on these tasks. If you have a report to write set aside a specified amount of time to complete the task, then complete what you can in the allotted time and save the rest for the next day if you can.
One of the biggest pitfalls that people come across is being busy without accomplishing anything. Therefore, it is important to be results oriented. You can be busy all day and at the end of the day feel like you have not accomplished anything. This is something that you want to avoid. It is important to select specific things you want to accomplish each day and plan to work towards them. In addition to this, try to avoid multitasking. Focus on one thing at a time, make the work that you are doing count, and work towards accomplishing the goals you set out for yourself that day.
Review your goals – Do a weekly or monthly goal review. Being clear on what you are working towards and revising goals as necessary to achieve what you set out to do. Goals should be flexible and adaptive to changes in life.
Something important to note when working on your goals is to not turn down other good opportunities when they come up from time to time. This is not to say that you should stop your goals when different opportunities arise, but rather think about these opportunities in a manner to see how they can help you in the long run.
Intentional living is an important practice. Choosing things that fill you up when it comes to using your time wisely, making and working towards your goals, and setting intentions for your day or week are important. The bottom line is that you want to practice a life that is rewarding and fulfilling by making the best use of your time.
Bliss + You 