5 questions that are essential for living intentionally – start with these!
One of the reasons I love practicing intentional living is because it brings me back to what’s important in my life. It makes me feel calmer and more present.
There’s so much in life that you can’t control. People, events, and circumstances all contribute to the experience you have and the path you walk every day, which can make life feel overwhelming at times. How can you feel more joy and more contentment when so much is out of your control?
While you can’t control the people, events and circumstances that come into your life, you can control how you react, the actions you take, and where you place your energy and attention–that is what living an intentional life is all about.
Intentional living is about progress, not perfection.
There are no right or wrong ways to live intentionally because what’s right for me, may not be right for you. Instead, intentional living is a process—an exploration or unfolding of what feels authentic and genuine to you. Through that process, you will reconnect with what’s true for you, allowing you to bring more intention and focus to what you want to create in your life.
Part of the exploration of intentional living is getting curious, asking questions, and challenging the way it’s always been done. Awareness is always the first step towards living a more intentional life! Awareness is what helps you make better choices every single day.
But if you’ve been living in a constant state of stress and overwhelm, and surviving on auto-pilot (all the while putting extra pressure on yourself to create a life that looks good on the outside) it can be extremely difficult to see what actually needs to change.
That’s why it’s so beneficial to make some time for reflection. I know it can be hard to set aside time for this when you already feel overwhelmed, but it really can be a form of self care.
If you haven’t checked in with yourself lately, then grab a cup of tea and a notebook and consider your answers to the following questions. Think about your true answers, not the answers you think you should have. (This can be hard, trust me!)
5 questions that are essential for intentional living:
- What do you want more of in your life?
- What do you want less of in your life?
- What do you want to experience?
- How do you want to feel?
- What matters to you?
As you sit with these questions, note what comes up for you. Did you find it challenging to answer them? Were you surprised by anything that came up? Does your life currently match what you want to experience and feel? If not, what areas are close and what areas feel very far from the experience you desire?
Remember to do this exercise from a curious place, not a judgmental one. Notice what thoughts and feelings you have and jot them down. You might immediately start coming up with reasons for why things are the way they are, or why it could never be different. That’s totally normal!
What should you do with your answers?
When you’re done answering these questions, have a look through your notes to see if there are some common threads or themes that have come up multiple times. These are clues about your values and deep desires. Try to write these ideas out as intentions. I like to write my intentions as affirmations. Here are some examples of possible intentions:
I spend quality time with my kids each week.
I eat vegetables at every meal.
I go for a walk each day.
I am patient with my kids.
I respect my need for time alone to recharge.
I trust my intuition.
Of course, you can write your intentions in any way that feels right to you! Your intentions will be unique to you!
Also—don’t feel pressured to make a bunch of changes right away. When you’re ready, you can start to implement small changes that come from this new clarity that you have about your life.
This exercise will help you reflect on your life and bring more awareness to what’s important to you. It will help your mind to focus in on those values and intentions. Not only that, but it will open yourself up to new creative solutions for any intentions that might feel especially challenging. You may even find yourself randomly coming up with some of those solutions in the coming weeks when you least expect it!
For example, let’s use the first example that I shared above, “I spend quality time with my kids each week.” Taking the time to do this exercise and writing down this intention will position it at the forefront of your subconscious mind. Now, as you go about your daily life, you might notice little windows of opportunity to do just that! On your way home from your daughter’s soccer practice you notice that new ice cream shop that just opened, and you decide to stop for a treat together. You’ll be surprised how your mind will start to come up with ideas to help bring your life into more alignment!
Of course, you can also take a more active role in coming up with actions you’d like to take to support your new intentions. Ask yourself, What small step can I take today to intentionally align with my values and desires? Don’t underestimate the value of baby steps!
Small choices can make a big difference in how your life feels.
Life is made up of a series of choices. Your little everyday choices may feel insignificant in your day-to-day life, but all of those little actions are what add up to the life you experience. You don’t need to flip your life upside down or beat yourself up about the choices you’ve made. The small steps you take, the little habits you change, the new attitudes you adopt—they will make a huge different in how you feel about your life.
Be open and curious. Check in with your intuition often. Give yourself time and grace.
Every day is a new opportunity to experience more of what you desire and take a step towards the life you want to create. What step will you take today?
