Are you living life or is life living you? Living life intentionally should come naturally to us, but it’s easy to let life happen and live on auto-pilot instead. It’s so simple to accept our daily life as it unfolds, that we don’t even realize what’s happening.
However, if we don’t live with intent, we aimlessly drift through life without any particular direction and go into a new day with hopes that it will be better than the day before. Of course, living parts of our life on auto-pilot makes things easier, but finding the right balance between living with intent and living on auto-pilot improves our experience of life dramatically.
Living with intent brings color to our life. We feel inspired and fulfilled and we know that with every step we take, there is intention behind it. So how can we direct the course of our life and travel it in a way that is more meaningful to us?
Here are our TOP 10 tips to live with intent, meaning and purpose.
#1 Visualize your Ideal Day
In order to live with intent, you have to figure out what that intent should look like. Picture your ideal day in great detail. Where are you? What are you doing? Who are you with? Visualize your ideal day in vivid colors and more often than not you will realize that your ideal life is closer and more attainable than you think. You just have to become aware of it first.
#2 Get Real About Your Fears
As human beings we all have fears. Typically they fall into two categories. For one we fear that we don’t have enough, which is ingrained in us from an evolutionary standpoint. But in today’s day and age we have evolved out of our fear of not having enough and live in a consumerist culture with the constant desire for more. That’s where the second fear comes in. The fear of not being enough… Not being smart enough, popular enough, thin enough, healthy enough. At the core we all have the same fears. Realize your fears and release the power they have over you.
#3 Stop Comparing Yourself of Others
Buddha already said that comparison is the thief of joy. Comparing ourselves to others is a never ending battle that we will always lose because comparison is generally exaggerated, selective and unreal. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on yourself and commit to being the best version of yourself. Did you do everything you can to be better today than you were yesterday? That has to be your daily goal of living with intent.
#4 Remember that You Can’t Control Everything
Living with intent means that we consciously take control over our life. However, there are many forces outside of our control that can be greater than us. We don’t have control over the weather, we can’t control other people’s attitudes, we can’t control the economy and we can’t control the traffic. All we can do is give 100% to the things we can control and surrender to the rest. It takes a lot of pressure off of life and allows you to live with intent.
#5 Let 10 Minutes Daily Transform You
Make it a point every single morning right when you wake up to spend 10 minutes to think about your day and set an intention for what it is that you want to get out of it. Don’t reach for the phone, but think for yourself. How do you want to feel today? What would you love to achieve? Even the simplest, smallest things count like calling your sister, writing a thank you note or researching a class you’ve always wanted to take and can make a huge difference.
#6 Direct Your Energy Wisely
Living with intent means that we have to direct our energy wisely and eliminate the things that don’t serve us and only zap our energy. A lot of times we do things or interact with people out of obligation or habit, but are those scenarios really helping you to live a life with intent? Give yourself permission to disconnect from the things and people that don’t serve you and focus your energy on the things and people you love. Energy is like currency – you want to invest it where it matters the most.
#7 Listen to Your Gut
We all have an internal guiding system, sort of like an emotional GPS. However, most of us choose to ignore it or don’t know how to tap into it. But if you want to live with intent, you have to learn to tune into your inner voice and listen to your gut. Whether you do that through stillness, a meditation practice or walking, make sure that you find out what’s going on within yourself. Your heart and your gut know things, so learn to listen to it, pay attention and obey it. And little by little your life will transform for the better.
#8 Pay Attention and Be Present
We can get so swept up in the daily hustle and bustle that we don’t pay attention to the present moment anymore and fail to be wholeheartedly engaged in what we are doing in the here and now. However, a life with intent requires us to pay attention emotionally, mentally and physically. So do everything you can to increase your awareness of what’s going on. A great way to get into the present moment is to step away from the business and notice the world around you. What color is the sky? What sound is the wind making?
#9 Use Your Free Will
It’s easy to go along with our automatic reactions instead of determining a response to whatever life throws at us. But it’s important to remember that no matter what happens in life, we have free will to decide how to respond to the situation. If you react without taking control first, you give situations, other people and events immense power over your emotions, feelings, thoughts, and even actions. However, if you chose your response, the reward will be tremendous in the form of self-mastery and inner freedom and with that living with intent will be a much easier path.
#10 Be Open
Things don’t always turn out the way we expect and our actions and goals may come up short. However, in order to live with intent you have to learn how to fail bravely. Be open to a different path that life offers you because it may take you to a much better place than you ever imagined.
Choosing to live with intent can dramatically improve your life, happiness and fulfillment. Get clear on what you want out of life and plan each day with intention. Stay true to your purpose and live your life by design, rather than default and you’ll be astounded by your own power.
GIVE IMPORTANCE TO YOUR LIFE
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
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