6 Ways To Be Intentional Every Day

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What is Intentional Living?

Finding little ways to be intentional every day is key because it’s easy enough to move through the motions of life without thinking twice about what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. Intentional living is asking yourself why you do what you do and being happy or content with the answers to the “hard questions”. It is about living on purpose instead of on autopilot. It is a lifestyle that encourages us to define and get clear on what we want from life and live each day in alignment with that definition.

For me, it was some of my life experiences that brought me to choose this lifestyle. In today’s world and especially, as young moms, many of us feel burned out and are tired of juggling “all the things”, it’s probably not a surprise to learn that people are turning toward intentional living as an escape from “hustle culture”.

I have a great article for a beginner’s guide to intentional living here. Sometimes, though, we struggle to know exactly how to live our lives intentionally. Here are 6 ideas to get you started! 

1. Do one thing every single day that brings you joy

This “one thing” doesn’t have to be time-consuming, but taking the time to identify it and do it every day because it brings you joy is an excellent way to start living with more intention. Some examples might include five minutes of dancing around your living room, 10 minutes of meditation (just me?), listening to your favorite song, or lighting your favorite candle. I love this one from Frenshe at Target. It is cashmere and vanilla and smells so good!

2. Wait 15 minutes before you check your phone in the morning

In our technology-driven society, one of the first things most of us are tempted to do in the morning is check our phones. All of the new texts, emails, social media posts, and news notifications could have come in while we were sleeping. It’s definitely exciting but, believe it or not, the world will not end if you wait 15 minutes to find out. Work on easing into the day by waiting 15 minutes to look at your phone. You can use that time to meditate with your crystals, practice your affirmations, move your body through a quick yoga session, or journal with your coffee in a great mug like this one. I love taking the time to make my morning intentional and trust me when I say, it’s a much gentler way to wake up.

3. Keep an eye on what you consume on social media

I will be the first to admit how much I love social media. It has become a major part of my life and my business. I know people in my life, however, that decided to quit it though because of how it was affecting their life. “Does it bring you joy?” If not, it might be time to let it go. This question is not only great for physical clutter but also for cleaning up your social media feeds. You can be mindful of what you’re consuming as you scroll, asking yourself questions like, “How does this make me feel?” “Is this person’s content inspiring or draining?” If following that account or page does not bring you joy, it is time to unfollow, mute, unsubscribe, and even, report. It might not always feel like it, but you do have power over what you consume on social media.

4. Eat food & Move Your Body In Ways That Makes You Feel Good

How we move and what we put in our bodies influences how we feel and also impacts our long-term health. It also has an effect on our productivity so it is important to eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, & dinner filled with whole foods! There’s just something about a home-cooked meal. Also, it’s important to move your body for at least 30 minutes a day. I love yoga and HIIT but you do you! I started working with Alesha Courtney, a certified personal trainer, and nutritionist. She is amazing and has helped so much in my overall food and fitness journey. I love that she shares a ton of great tips for both food and fitness on Instagram. She has the best workouts for less time but maximum impact. Go follow her and tell her that I sent you!

5. Meditate or at least practice mindfulness 

The practice of meditation is hard. Trust me, I know! But I’ve been working on it and think we can all be meditators if we work at it. The benefits of meditation are just so great! Now stay with me here. The purpose of meditation is to anchor ourselves in the present moment. What could be more intentional than that? If the idea of sitting through a ten-minute guided meditation every day seems daunting, start for just five minutes. I also like to take a minute at my desk before my work day to take a few deep breaths. It’s honestly the most freeing feeling to get out of my head and into the moment. That helps me feel like I live with more intention. I hope you’ll join me in practice!

6. Make Time To Reflect

It sounds easy enough, right? I actually recently started doing this daily and it has been the most difficult for me because it brings up all of the “baggage” from the day. But once I could “see” the “baggage” and it didn’t seem so scary anymore. In fact, it made me feel powerful. And it doesn’t even take me very long. You don’t need half an hour a day to have a daily journaling practice. If you have five minutes (or even 20 minutes) to journal, that’s great. There’s a reason everywhere, bloggers are sharing one-line journal prompts and they go viral. Everyone has time to write about a single prompt, and it helps us live with more intention. There’s bullet journaling, gratitude journaling, manifestation journaling, etc. You can also free-write and reflect in a journal like this one. Once you’re done, close your eyes for a few moments and reflect that way. Reflection comes in many forms, and reflecting at the end of every day is a surefire way to bring more intention to tomorrow. 

Final Thoughts

Every day, your life is made up of choices, both big and small, and every decision sets you up for your day, your month, your year, & even your life. When you focus on your daily intention, it sets a clear direction for you to align with your best life. It also helps you to start thinking and feeling more positive. It’s about working towards making the tiny changes that make a very large impact. Over time, you’ll find yourself easily achieving your goals, and you’ll see your life is filled with purpose and meaning. 

Love,