"The busier you are, the more intentional you must be." Michael Hyatt
Do you ever experience life as chaotic and too busy, where you’re pulled in too many places by too many things, too many people, and too many commitments? Where you’re in reaction to life’s events, so you feel like you are “Surviving” rather than “Thriving” day to day? Where you’re experiencing that there’s too much to do and not enough time to pause and consider how you actually want to be living?
If you’re resonating with these words above, it’s highly likely you may not be living intentionally. The thing is, if we allow our decisions, actions and emotions to be reactions to what life throws at us, we end up in survival mode, instead of consciously choosing our day to day experience with intention.
Good news. . . Living with intention is a profound way to take back your power and navigate your life differently. We have four simple tips for you to try on that can make a huge difference.
What does living with intentionality actually mean?
Intentional living is a lifestyle where we focus in on our priorities. This approach helps us get clear on what we want from life and then we live each day in alignment with these priorities. Tip: If we run the belief that we are “too busy”, chances are we aren’t clear enough on our priorities.
The reality is most of us choose to live a busy life, where we experience feeling stretched and where we’re juggling lots of different tasks and commitments.
By choosing instead to live “intentionally” we move from chasing our tails and struggling with life in the fast lane, to seeking out a life of purpose, direction, clarity, peace and joy. How does that sound? Read on to find out how, with four simple tips to incorporate into our everyday lives.
1 – Gain clarity on what is really important
"When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” Roy E. Disney
Prioritise getting clear on what is REALLY important to you, instead of trying to do it all. Be clear. Think about what you’re truly passionate about. What are the key values that you want to uphold in your life. Be highly selective as you define your priorities in life.
Living intentionally is about getting clear on your priorities and then choosing to do something to honour them as often as possible. Priorities are different to goals, in that they are areas in your life that you choose to focus on as most important. You could choose to review your priorities weekly, monthly, yearly – find out what works best for you.
If you’re not clear on what your priorities are, here’s a few areas to begin exploring:
Physical Health
Work/career
Family
Relationships
Spiritual health
Mental health
Financial health
Relationships
Leisure interests and hobbies
Personal development
2 - Task and productivity management
“It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ Paradigm shift.” Brené Brown
Living intentionally means being aware of and making conscious choices about your actions. By being clear and intentional on what’s specifically important (and thereby identifying what isn’t) you naturally start to live a calmer more intentional life.
Look at all the tasks and commitments in all areas of your life and ask yourself:
“In line with my chosen priorities what tasks/commitments can be either: removed, delegated or paused? What tasks/commitments are part of the Bigger Picture for me and feed into my priorities and which don’t?”
Be ruthlessly honest with yourself.
Making these decisions and letting go of the things that distract us, or get in our way, is immensely powerful. Watch space open up in your life as you start to clear your energy field by doing this.
Once you’re clear on what’s truly important to you, your productivity will highly likely improve, as tasks get done quicker and more effectively.
3 – Create morning rituals
“Intentional days create a life on purpose.” Adrienne Enns
Does your morning routine currently support you to have a focused, upbeat day or do you have a rushed or stressed experience trying to get ready?
Intentional living is about taking small, conscious steps to support you to create your best life. Choosing to live with intention allows you to align your daily habits and decisions with your personal values and goals, which can lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
How you choose to start each day is important. The first hour in your morning routine can really set up your day, if it’s intentional. This potent time before the day’s schedule begins is an opportune time to practise morning rituals, and remind yourself of what you are choosing to prioritise and focus on in your life.
Choose a morning ritual that works for you: meditation, journaling, nature walk, yoga, or simply hot herbal tea, deep breaths and stillness in a comfy space – whatever it is that truly supports you.
4 - Making new conscious choices
“Saying no to one thing is saying yes to the possibility of another.” Ellie Roscher
When an opportunity presents itself such as being invited to a party, to dinner or being approached by someone about a new job, how do we show up? Do we jump at the chance . . . or pause to consider if this is truly a fit?
If we’re living intentionally it may be that we choose to harness the art of self-reflection and “checking-in” with ourselves in this situation. We can make new conscious choices by asking ourselves: “Is this opportunity aligned with my personal goals and values?” Take time to live more intentionally and really check in on whether new invitations are truly a fit for you from a higher, more self-aware perspective.
5 - Choosing a different story for yourself
"If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Tony Robbins
Incorporating these four simple tips will support you to live an Intentional life on purpose, rather than living a life on auto-pilot. With some self-reflection and by taking small steps every day, it is very possible to live our lives intentionally, and experience more calm and space rather than chaos and overwhelm.
Every day you get to choose to consciously live your life according to what’s truly important to you. The decision to live intentionally is firmly within your hands.
You’ve got this.
We’d love to have you join us for our 2023 NZ Retreat in October 2023, and witness you gift yourself this opportunity to access courage, train your mind, breathe consciously and take with you the methodology, to be used time and time again on your journey forward into optimal health.
Find out more about The Design Coach: who we are and what we stand for.
Stay well, and believe in you!
I was looking for the Living with Intention vs Overwhelm image to share my thoughts on balance in life. But the search engine presented me with utilities images instead of what I was looking for. Instead of being disappointed, I decided it was a sign. Maybe I need to reconsider my priority and start with managing daily responsibilities before talking about living with intention. Sometimes life throws us lessons when we least expect them.