The fine art of intentional living
This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you click through my referral link and purchase a product, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting the Serenity Seeker Lifestyle.
'Intentional living'. I initially came across this beautiful term on Pinterest; it means ‘to live life with meaning and on purpose’. It's about choosing a lifestyle based on your core values and beliefs instead of just drifting through life and letting time pass you by. What an amazing phrase eh?! In order to do this you need to understand a few things:
1. Why you do what you do.
2. What your core values are.
3. Every morning you wake up with the ability to make new choices and lead a life that you love.
Have you ever felt like you're stuck in a rut? You have the same daily, monotonous routine and you often consider that 'there has to be something more to life'. That's you drifting. Letting the wind blow you in whichever direction it feels. Maybe you don't know what you want or you just don't know how to get there. What you do know is that something's got to change.
By living Intentionally, you are taking ownership of your story and turning up to your life in order reach your full potential. No more supporting actress roles for you my love, your life is a movie...and you are the star.
I've always been kind of obsessed with the idea of intentional living but I never really knew it had a name. I knew that my life needed more direction and that I wanted to make the best use of my time. Well turns out this is what it's called. Who knew?! (thanks Pinterest!!).
Here's my story...
I was in a relationship where I got comfortable and lazy. I just focused on getting through the day-to-day routine until I started to suffer with a severe fatigue. I couldn't figure out why I was so tired all of the time despite having 14 hours of restful sleep every night. I ended up going for multiple checks with the GP and was tested for everything from anaemia to ME. Everything came back clear and eventually I realised that it was due to stress because my core values and beliefs didn't align with my current situation. Subconsciously my brain was making me sleep to avoid having to deal with this internal conflict.
I thought I was being 'easy-going' but I was actually just letting the momentum of life drag me along. Going along with suggestions because it was easier than confrontation and not speaking up when I wasn't 100% happy. I realised that these issues lay within me and I was the only person who could change them.
Eventually our relationship ended, which turned out to be the kick up the butt that I needed! I'd always had the proverbial 'itchy feet' and so the day I broke up with my boyfriend was the day I decided to travel the world. This is when I stumbled on the power of intentional living! I realised that I was stuck in a rut, I wasn't in control and I wasn't happy. The first thing I became aware of was that every single day presents me with a million new opportunities. I am grateful to be alive and I don't want to waste another second of it. Time is the most precious asset I own and the only one I can't get back. I went through a very transitional part of my life and discovered a lot about myself. Since then I have actively changed my life and stumbled on my true calling to help other women do the same.
Sometimes it's difficult to know where to start so let's take a wander along the path of self-discovery and help you take your first step towards living intentionally. So what does 'intentional living' really mean and what does it entail?
WHAT ARE YOUR CORE VALUES?
First of all you need to do a little bit of self reflection and really discover who you are and what you believe. Now don't get this confused with what society believes or what you think others believe you should believe! This is all about you and your deepest, truest core values. Sometimes these don't jump out straight away. If you can't say these with 100% conviction then you're on the wrong track. Mine have only truly highlighted themselves over the last year whilst travelling.
I want you to write down everything that is important to you. Make a huge list. Don't think too much about it, just let the words flow from your pen. What drives you, what inspires you, what values do you live your life by every single day. Place them in order of importance to you and whittle it down to your top 3.
WHAT'S YOUR WHY?
I'm a massive fan of discovering your reason why and sculpting your goals to align with it. Realising your reason why gives you motivation and drive to succeed. However to start living intentionally, you have to question everything that already is. If you are happy with the answers and they align with your core values then you are living intentionally. If not, something needs to change. You can start by asking yourself the following questions:
Does my current lifestyle match my three top core values?
Who are my friends and do I want them around?
Am I happy on my chosen career path?
If I could change one thing about my life, what would it be? How would you relive today differently if given the chance? What do you need, to make your ideal life your actual life?
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR CHOICES
It's time to take responsibility. This can be really hard as it makes us feel vulnerable. It opens up the possibility of failure but it can also lead to great success. The moment we realise in every moment of our life we have a choice. We can count backwards from 5 and control our actions.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE
This part won't happen over night but you need to do a little self-observation. How do you react in each given situation? What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses. A nice activity that I like to do is a SWOT analysis. This stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; it highlights all of your good qualities and your areas for improvement.
Another great website that I've found recently, that helps you to discover and understand your personality type, is www.sixteenpersonalities.com. It's based on the Myers-Briggs test and provides you with a character profile based on your answer to a series of questions.
YOUR PAST DOESN'T DEFINE YOU
Whatever you've been through in the past; you need to acknowledge it but know that it doesn't define you. Everyone has a different story. Your past will have helped to shape the person that you are today and it is full of lessons learnt. Also know that it's okay to talk about things and it's not a sign of weakness/not coping, it's a sign of strength that you've identified that you need support. I found that I'd linked success with being bullied from when I was a teenager. It took me 10 years to figure this out by reading self-development books...but it's never too late.
HAVE GOALS
Set goals. I'm a huge fan of goals!! Goals move you forward and give you drive. You don't have to fully know your final destination but you need to take smalls steps towards it. There are many different ways of this by; using goal and achievement jars or by having a full system to plan it out from start to finish. Either way you need to choose a way that's right for you.
So now it's time to start living your life intentionally. Live your life with absolute certainty that you're achieving everything you've ever wished for and have no regrets. Let's see what's possible!
Wishing you love, happiness and a lifetime of serenity.
P.S. Let me know in the comments if you've heard of intentional living or if you've adopted this way of thinking...I'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for reading!
If you'd like to start your journey to achieving your dreams today, get your FREE lifestyle planner to take your first few steps to creating an extraordinary life.
Sign up below and receive your 100% FREE download immediately.
