5 Ways to Live a More Intentional Life

To live life with intention means to have a plan and make decisions that are working towards your higher good. One thing that I have noticed in adult life is that days are long and years are short.  In 2019, I focused mainly on self-discipline and consistency. Luckily, doing those things allowed me to achieve some of my biggest goals yet. 2020 is the year of continued action and being intentional. In a year's time, it is very easy to be whisked away down different paths due to curiosity or loss of focus.  While this can be a good thing when it comes to experiencing life, it can leave you with unchecked boxes next to your goals at the end of the year. 

In this lifetime, we all have big things that we wish to achieve. Ideas and dreams are given to you to take action on them and turn them into your reality. In order to get out of your head and into your life, you need to crack down and get serious about your goals. You can’t just sit around and hope that writing things down in a journal will make them come to life, that's not how it works. To turn your dreams into your reality you need to be intentional, take risk, and create movement.

In order to make 2020 your best year yet, here are some tips on how to live a more intentional life.

Guard your time 

This means saying no more than you say yes. Time is the only thing that you can not get more of. Before you do something or go somewhere, think is it really worth it? Do I need to do it? Will it bring me closer to my goals? Say yes to the things that will make big impacts on your life and take you out of your comfort zone. Start saying no to the things that take up your time but, do not provide value.

Create habits that allow you to win everyday

Think about it, we fail ourselves constantly. We say we are going to do something and don't. This results in us not valuing our word or trusting our abilities. The best thing that you can do to rebuild the trust in yourself is to create simple habits that allow you small victories every day. Something as uncomplicated as making the bed, putting your shoes away, or showering by a certain time every day will allow you to feel victorious at the end of everyday. Creating tiny habits can help you work up to implementing more impactful ones and allow you to shift your mindset to live your dream life. 

Express gratitude 

It is extremely easy to sit and talk about all the things that we lack or what went wrong in a day. Over time, that will result in a negative mindset and can prohibit you from attracting the life of your dreams. Expressing gratitude will bring you back into the present moment and establish an attitude of abundance. 

Think before you act or speak 

Every action has a reaction. Before you do anything, take 10 seconds to see if it aligns with your values and goals. This will allow you to control your impulses and potentially have a better outcome to situations. 

Unplug

Technology is a huge part of our lives but, it doesn't have to consume all of our lives. Think about how rare it is that you don't have a screen in front of your face or aren't connected in some way. Technology has plenty of benefits but, it's up to you to control how you consume it. It is important to hit the power off button for at least an hour a day and do something productive with your brain. Use that hour to spend time with your family, do some chores, write, read, figure out your goals. We often complain about not having enough time in the day but, you’d be amazed what an hour can do. 

Being intentional allows you to take back control of your life and goals. Putting meaning behind all the things that you are doing in a day can allow you to live a more meaningful life. Intention and initiative are my two words for the year, what are yours?