Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the power of intention. For me, I have discovered that intention is everything. It gives me the starting point when going after a goal. It grounds me when I want to take a detour down the easier path. I find more time in my day to fit in things that are important to me if I am intentional. I make better food choices. I could go on and on. I haven’t always lived this way. However in retrospect, the times in my life where I was being intentional, whether or not I knew that’s what I was doing, I can see the pattern of my overall well-being improved, I was happier, and I felt like I was being my truest and best self. Now that I am more in tune with intentionality, I want to share how I live this way to encourage you to explore this practice.
Write daily intentions
I start my day by writing my intentions. Right now, I have 3 that I write every morning.
- I fuel my body for energy.
- I am present.
- I listen to and trust my intuition.
How many I write can vary, depending on what my focus is at the time, but generally I don’t have more than 3. The best reason behind that is the old adage “if everything is important, nothing is important.” If I have too many intentions to frame my day, I lose focus on the reason behind the intention. The 3 above are not the only things important to me, but they do give me a solid foundation to ground into as I make choices throughout the day. For example, if I start my day knowing my intention is to be present, I am more likely to release things like mom guilt when I am at work and not with my kids, allowing space in my brain to free up and be laser focused on being at work when I am working. On the flip side, I’ve primed my brain for the day to know being present is important to me. I find myself putting my phone aside when playing with the girls and fully being there with them in mind and body. Not just present physically. There is a difference. Writing intentions daily is my commitment to myself to follow the intention.
Practice intention
Written intentions are great, but sometimes my struggle at first with incorporating intention, was that I would write them in my journal, close it, then go about my day and forget them. I do believe writing them daily commits them memory after writing them multiple times, but what about immediately practicing intentional living? Start with 1 and really practice it. Focus on it while doing yoga, or on a run. Say it to yourself over and over again as you drive to the office. Meditate and breathe with it. There’s plenty of options to implement intention and you need to find what is right for you by practicing. Start with a beginners mind. It won’t be perfect, but it is worth it. I have experienced a domino effect when it comes to intention. Once I define and focus on a priority, then everything else falls into line around that.
Intentionally simple
The best thing about living intentionally for me is that it is simple. When I set an intention, it’s the guiding light for my actions. My intention of “I fuel my body for energy” is a gentle reminder to make food choices throughout the day that give me energy, rather than winging it and finding my energy being taken from me as my body processes a less nutritious item. There’s no guilt associated with it. It is a practice.Every moment being a chance to be intentional, even if there’s moments where I end up on auto pilot. If you haven’t tried living intentionally, start with a simple one. Something that you want to improve upon that is within reach. Maybe it’s more movement. Maybe it is eating more vegetables. Maybe it is remembering why you love your significant other. Notice how you shape your day around this one thing. It will guide you into a deeper connection with yourself and how you are spending your time and energy. This simple act may be the key to unlocking more balance in your life.