What Is Intentional Living & Why It Matters

Intentional Living — It’s one of those buzz words we hear, but aren’t exactly sure what it means. In fact, I am often asked: “what is intentional living?”

Let me start with a simple definition:

Intentional living is any lifestyle based on a conscious attempt to live according to one’s values and beliefs 

So really, it’s just about being purposeful in the day to day choices that you make. As the years have gone by, I’ve become passionate about living with intention in my own life as well as helping others discover how to live with intention.

You see for more years than I care to think about, I lived my life going through the motions and doing what was excepted of me. My life was so busy and overwhelming that I was failing to enjoy the moment I was in. And I know I’m not alone here.

Once I started decluttering my physical possession I realized I had been on autopilot, I was complacent. I had let life happen to me. Of course, my life felt out of control because I hadn’t taken control. I was focused on just getting through each day.

I’ll admit living with purposeful intention isn’t always easy. We have so many things vying for our attention. It takes time and effort to be clear on what matters most and then have the courage to do it! You must be intentional with your life or you’ll never live the life you intended.

You do this by deciding how you want to live ahead of time, starting with these four key areas:

KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES

When you live intentionally, you put your priorities first. You make sure that you are doing the things that will get you to the future you’ve always wanted.

But first, you have to know what those priorities are. For some people, knowing their priorities and values comes easy. For others, it takes a lot of thought and reflection. If you’re not entirely sure what your priorities are here are some questions that may be helpful:

• If you could change any area of your life, what would it be?
• What do you want to be doing more of that you’re currently unable to do?
• If you had a free week how would you spend it?
• What is going well for you?
• What areas of your life seem to be a struggle for you?
• Is there something amazing about your life right now exactly the way it is?
• Do you wish things were different about your life right now?
• What is the ONE most important thing that you want to focus on changing, improving or growing in?
• How do you want life to look like when your 80?

Take some time with a pen and paper and write out your answers to these questions. Your answers to these questions will help you to consciously choose those activities that align with your priorities. You’ll know exactly what to say yes to and what to say no to.

SET MONTHLY GOALS IN THE KEY AREAS OF YOUR LIFE

Once you’re clear on what your priorities and values are, it’s time to start setting an action plan to ensure you’re living them out. You want to be intentional in working in each of these key areas.

The best way to do this is by setting monthly goals. I’ve been doing a fun little monthly series on various ways to simplify your life each month. At the end of  each month I encourage you to set goals in the 7 key areas of your life:

• Relationships
• Home Environment
• Health and Fitness
• Finances
• Career
• Spiritual Growth
• Self-care

By setting monthly goals in each of these key areas of life, you’re forcing yourself to be intentional. You now have a plan for moving your life in the right direction.

This means you are being purposeful in deciding how to get from where you are now to where you want to be.

I use planners to stay focused on my monthly goals in these areas. Right now I use both my downloadable planner and the LWSL planner. The LWSL planner is great because it has a specific place to plan monthly goals in most of these areas. Because it’s updated you can begin using it at any time.

The other benefit of setting monthly goals is that it allows you to reflect and evaluate whether it’s actually working for you. You can then adjust your plan accordingly.

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY

A huge part of intentional living is accepting that you have the power to make choices for the life you’re living. Taking ownership of your time is up to you!

Often it’s hard to acknowledge that you have other options. Why…. because it’s so much easier to just sit back blame your circumstances and declare there’s nothing you can do about it. Trust me, we’ve all done it.

Making tough choices and being proactive is hard and sometimes scary. But if you don’t take responsibility for ownership of your life you’re letting someone else dictate how you live. This is your one and only shot at life, take responsibility for the direction you’re going in.

Start each day by asking yourself, “what can I do today to move my life in the direction I want to go?” Then take responsibility in doing it!

TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME

Living intentionally doesn’t mean you have your entire life’s direction completely figured out! The truth is, nobody does.

Plus life changes, we go through various seasons of life and what matters most to you in one season may not be that important is a different season.

The trick here is to regularly examine the choices you’re making and not being afraid to make the wrong choice.

This is important because otherwise, we get stuck, we stay in neutral because it’s safe. But this is the opposite of intentional living.

A lesson I’m having to learn myself is that it’s okay if you make the wrong choice. In fact, it’s better to make a wrong choice than no choice.

A wrong choice is an opportunity to learn and grow. It will lead you to the life you want much quicker than no choice. Always take the next step, until you get to where you want to go.

Yes, living your life with purpose and intention is hard work but it’s the best kind. Intentional living is how you create a life you truly love.