Intentional Living

Do you ever look back on your day and wonder what you have to show for it? It was more chaotic than you planned, you were spread thinner than you would’ve liked, or the main goals you had for the day were never accomplished? You are among the majority here - so many people are living the exact same way, stuck in a constant cycle of never-ending to do lists and demands. I am here to help you realize that life doesn’t have to be so mundane and arduous. The key to breaking this cycle is spending a little time setting intentions for your days. This helps you tackle that to do list in a way that is meaningful and attainable.

First, you will want to assign priority to your tasks. In general, these will be things you plan for with a timeline - specific and measurable goals (SMART goals). You will want to take 2-3 attainable goals from your to do list and set an intention to accomplish them that day. This could look like:

• Go to the gym for a cycle class and weightlifting (45 mins)

• Plan birthday party and make lists

• Clean the bathrooms

The next step is to take action toward these goals, or intentions. Ways to be sure these goals are attainable:

• Focus on the outcome

• Eliminate distractions - setting time blocks can help with this. Keeping social media silenced and remaining committed to one task at a time improves efficiency.

• Combat procrastination triggers

• If something unexpected comes up, don’t let it derail you mentally. This does happen from time to time, and we must be fluid enough to roll with the punches if necessary.

Intentions are more or less goals with meaning - they tend to be more broad in nature, with more specific ways to achieve them. For instance, if your intention is to become more present, there are many ways you could go about doing this. You could limit the amount of time on social media, you could practice direct eye contact when with loved ones, you could focus on today’s tasks instead of looking ahead multiple days/weeks, you could time block your day so work doesn’t carry over, you could practice meditation and mindfulness to calm your head space… There are endless ways to work on this goal.

Setting intentions allows you to be proactive in your own life, and makes you accountable to yourself. When you are living with intention, you are living with purpose, on purpose.