What is INTENTIONAL LIVING and 10 tips to live more intentionally!

"When your intention is clear, so is the way." - Alan Cohen

Why intentional living?

If you had asked me what my life was like 5 or more years ago, I'd be slightly embarrassed to say that I wasn't really living with any forethought, plan or intent. Some might argue and say that spontaneous living doesn't go by plans. But, I wouldn't really say that I was being spontaneous either. I was simply living day to day without much thought or process, somewhat on autopilot. I couldn't tell you what my intentions were around my day to day activities or actions, long term goals or any goals for that matter. I was living without much purpose, mindfulness or heart. So, when I kept hearing about 'conscious living' and 'intentional living', I continually asked myself, what does it all really mean?

My Story

Rewind a few years back, I was working in a fast fashion, online retailer at the time and I was buying clothing item after clothing item without much thought or care on whether I actually needed the item. I was expending my disposable income like water, and making decisions without mindful intent and were not conscious at all, on any level. Not financially, spiritually, mentally or environmentally.

But one particular day, it didn't appear any different than any other day I had been living, except for the fact that I had what I would call a 'light bulb' moment where I realised, I was living like a bit of zombie on auto-pilot. I was sort of sleepwalking through life, following trends and trying to 'fit in' to what was happening around me. I wasn't taking care of my decisions, I wasn't thinking about what my decisions really meant, and I wasn't even aware of what outcomes I wanted in my life.

I'm not sure what changed my mindset or at least, helped it to start shifting. Maybe I reached my quota of thoughtless living, maybe it was being exposed, at least subliminally, to the art of intentional living and making, informed, conscious choices. But once I had my eyes and mind open, I wanted to know more and do better.

For the next few months, in a typical Aries style, I researched a lot about intentional and conscious living. Slowly, but surely, (because intentional living is also slow living and all these practices take time to implement and transition into practical living) I started changing my mindset and the way I lived, indefinitely. And what I have found and learned through this journey is summarised below:

Definition:

Intentional living is all about understanding your core beliefs and values and then purposefully and actively living your life congruent to those values. Living intentionally is a process of slowing down, being thoughtful, and being truly mindful of your actions and decision making. The first step is to accept that life is made up of choices, and that you are in control of making and executing those choices.

Ten tips to help you live an intentional life:

1. Balance - Say no, more than you say yes. Time is a valuable commodity, so treat it as such. Be discerning to who and what you invest your time in and most of all, try to ensure who/what is in line with your values

2. Make space, literally. Making space in our hearts and minds for intentional living is one thing, however, do you need to get your house in order too? Many cultures carry the belief that whatever state your house and home are in, you invite more of this into your space. The most widely known universal law, like attracts likes - The Law of Attraction. Declutter. Get rid of unwanted and unused items. Be truly purposeful about what you have in your home.

3. Practice self-awareness. Start journaling or whatever practice that suits you, to help you develop a sense of awareness of your decision making, thoughts and beliefs. I have found that writing and reflecting is the best way for me to do this. Creating a record of a moment in time and reflecting back on it allows me to see how far I've come, and what areas of my life I may need to do extra work in.

4. Practice gratitude. Gratitude is love. Gratitude allows you to develop a sense of balance, appreciate duality and become more objective in daily living, in general. A common way to do this is by writing in a gratitude journal, day and night or any time really. I personally like to practice gratitude based on what I am feeling and or experiencing. If I feel I am having a particularly 'bad' day, I like to write out why I feel this way, the good, the bad and the ugly. Getting it all out on paper is cathartic for one, but also allows me to practice objectivity that leads to a state of gratitude when I am able to be aware of my true state of affairs and what to be grateful for.

5. Consume mindfully - Being a mindful consumer has been an ever-evolving journey for me. I like to know that I am consciously managing my impact socially and environmentally, and it's not about being perfect. Being a mindful consumer is asking questions about where your products are sourced, how and by whom and can we make better choices. Take a look at where you buy your core items and if you have time, can you do an audit on the businesses you buy from and what their social impact values are. Do they align with your values? What are your minimum standards when it comes to supporting a business?

6. Move every day - I won't lie. Exercise has always been a love/hate relationship for me. However, I changed my internal dialogue and moved from 'exercise' to 'move'. For me, incorporate some form of movement into my day is so important for me now. Welcome dance, walking in nature, choosing public transport over driving, yoga, gym or whatever form of movement that gets your blood pumping and invigorated.

7. Eat Well - I love to indulge, but again, it's all about balance. Appreciate the foods you eat. Welcome colours and different textures. For me, I avoid counting calories and macros but focus more on fresh, taste, organic and balanced, nutritious meals. If you need help, thankfully, there are loads of apps and resources online.

8. Meditate regularly - Adopt a flexible mediation practice. It doesn't need to have all the bells and whistles to be beneficial. You don't need mood lighting, calming music, fancy clothes or accessories. Build a practice to meditate wherever you are, whenever you can. I set a timer for 5 minutes per day, for a mini-meditation break, and also practise guided sleep meditation each night.

9. Disconnect - Take the time to disconnect. Try to have an hour per day free of technology or more if you can. If you can have a day without technology even, better.

10. Mindset shift - The way I practice mindset shifts is by ensuring I surround myself with the things and people that are congruent to my values. This is across all facets of life, including social media. Further, I thrive through journaling. Writing things down really helps me put things into perspective and shift my mindset where/when needed. I also use a range of tools, like conversation cards and oracle cards to help guide my internal dialogue. Of course, you don't need to use any tools, and you can simply have your own internal aide that can help you trigger a mindset shift.

11. [BONUS TIP] Journal - I've discussed different forms of journaling already but to drive this point home, practice journaling as often as possible. Your journaling practise does not need to be complex. The power of putting pen to paper and expelling your thoughts is a simple and effective way to gain self awareness, gratitude and mindfulness. It can be as simple as writing down what went well for the day, and what could have been better. This simple act can help identify patterns and habits that may need to change or amplified.

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does!" - William James