6 Simple Ways to Live a More Intentional Life

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Feeling like life is passing you by and you don’t have any control over it? Well, that’s a sign that you need a drastic change: you need to find some ways to live a more intentional life!

If your days are blending together and you can’t recall what you were doing one week ago, you’re probably just living – or actually, surviving – on auto-pilot mode.

In this post, I want to share with you the 6 best ways to live a more intentional life because the truth is: you are in control of your life! You’re the one sitting in the driver’s seat!

I want you to realize your full potential by starting to live a life that feels right for you. Are you ready? Then, let’s get started!

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1. KNOW YOUR VALUES

Talking about values can seem scary and overwhelming. They’re such an abstract concept, right?

Well, yes and no. While values are abstract in form, their consequences are much more visible in your daily life.

If you’re on your journey to live a more intentional life, getting clear about your values is a good place to start.

If you’ve never questioned yourself about your core values, this is your sign to do it 😉

Why values are so important? Well, because they guide you through the motions of life.

Whenever you’re in doubt, facing a challenge, or don’t know what decision to take, your values can show you the right path.

For example:

• If your most important value is “Freedom“, and you’re debating whether to apply to college or not, you might decide that it doesn’t fit with your lifestyle -> Why? Because the rigid schedule of classes doesn’t match with the freedom you’re now able to experience at your job
• Or maybe you have an upcoming deadline for an important project you’ve been working on for the past few nights, although neglecting spending time with your partner. One of your core values is “Love” -> You will decide to enjoy a romantic night with your loved one and wake up extra early the next day to work on your project
• Taking me as an example, one of my most important values is “Independence” -> That’s one of the reasons that pushed me to start this blog. Therefore, blogging feels 100% aligned with the dream life I’m creating for myself

To live a more intentional life, therefore, it is essential that you get clear about your values. Only by doing so, you’ll be able to take intentional actions that feel right for you.

FREE “VALUE COMPASS” WORKBOOK

*PSST* I’m here to help you out! If you still don’t know how to set the values that encompass your life, then you can grab my FREE “Value Compass” Workbook. In there, I guide you through the process of setting the values that feel the most aligned with you, your aspirations, and your dream life!

2. INTENTIONAL PRACTICES

The second way to live a more intentional life is to adopt practices that can help you be more intentional with your time and energy on a regular basis.

There are many habits that you could practice to become more intentional, but here I want you to provide the ones that have worked best for me. Feel free to take them as inspiration, adapt them to your lifestyle, and let go of any that doesn’t suit you.

5 PRACTICES FOR A MORE INTENTIONAL LIFE

JOURNALING

Journaling is one of the most therapeutic activities.

You can journal in the morning or at night, every day. Maybe once a week. Or maybe only when you feel the need to express your thoughts.

Personally, I made journaling a daily habit. In fact, I noticed that, when I go a few days without it, my mental health gets worse.

Either if you’re new to journaling or never know what to write about, you can grab my FREE “30-Day Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery”. In there, you can find 30 questions that can help you define your dream life so that you can take intentional steps toward creating it!

MEDITATION

Of course, to live a more intentional life, you need to start living in the present moment.

Meditation is one of the mindful practices that can help you feel more grounded.

‘Be where your feet are’

Meditating isn’t easy. If you’re starting out, you’ll feel like you’re not doing it right. Or that your mind can’t stop spiraling.

(Learn here how you can get rid of your negative thoughts in 5 steps)

If you become consistent with meditating, sooner or later you will notice the positive impact it has on your overall quality of life.

You can start easy and simple by meditating for only 5 minutes per day – that’s what I do! Here are some of my favorite meditation practices:

• 5-Minute meditation You Can Do Anywhere
• 5 Minute Guided Morning Meditation for Positive Energy
• Energy Cleanse 5-Minute Meditation

MOVEMENT

Another great habit is intentional movement.

This will look different for everyone, depending on one’s interests and capabilities.

Here are some ways you could include intentional movement in your days:

• Walking with no music, while actively listening to the sounds around you
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Daily stretching

As you can see, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Even as little as 20 minutes of physical and intentional activity can have a great impact on your mood.

MINDFUL EATING

Eating has become an activity to mindlessly do while getting more work done.

Consequently, one of the best ways to ensure you live a more intentional life is by practicing mindful eating.

Sit down. Enjoy your food. Taste every bite. Tune in with your body to see how it makes you feel.

If it helps, you could even take 3 deep breaths before start eating your meal.

GRATITUDE

Last but not least, there’s no better way to end your days than saying ‘thanks’ for everything good that has happened to you.

Every night, before falling asleep, try to practice the habit of gratitude.

Write down 3 things you’re grateful for that day.

Say them out loud.

Or simply say ‘thanks’ in your head.

Ending your days on a positive note by recollecting what went well is a great way to live a more intentional life.

3. BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR TIME

How many times have you said, “I don’t have time for that”?

Now, go on and check your daily screen time. If you spend 3 or more hours on your phone, do you really don’t have time for it, or rather you don’t make time for it?

It’s so easy to end up sucked into a rabbit hole: you swore you were going to quickly check your emails, but it’s 3 hours later and you’re laughing at trashy videos on TikTok. (I’ve been there…)

Having so many options, distractions, and stimuli has ended up making us feel like we’re not in control of our time anymore.

Here is a quick guide to help you take back your power and start deciding how to spend your time:

• Every day, create a to-do list
• Estimate the amount of time each task will require you
• For a week, track down each activity you do in a day (including when you start and finish it)
• At the end of the week, compare your initial to-do list with how you ended up spending your days
• Notice your negative patterns
• Define an action plan to prevent them from occurring

For example, if you notice that – after coming back home from work – you spend 1 hour scrolling through social media when instead you wanted to work out, find some ways to prevent this bad habit of yours. You could:

• Carry your workout clothes and shoes with you, so you don’t have to go home
• Wear your workout top and leggings underneath your regular clothes, so you can go straight to the gym after work
• Put your phone on plane mode as soon as you get off work, so that you’re not tempted to scroll through TikTok

4. SET AN INTENTION

To stop living on auto-pilot, you need to figure out ways to make your life feel more intentional.

A good way to do this is by setting intentions, either daily or weekly.

As previously mentioned, your values give you overall guidance to conduct life in a way that feels right for you. Intentions are strictly related to your values.

The intentions you set, in fact, are smaller, achievable, and actionable steps you take to live in alignment with your values.

Here is a list of intentions you could set for your days or week:

• Be kind
• Live in the present moment
• Be more patient
• Express gratitude daily
• Be productive
• Focus on what’s in your control
• Find joy and beauty in the small things
• Make time for learning
• Prioritize self-care
• Feel connected with nature

5. SET BOUNDARIES

Setting boundaries with yourself and others is another great way to live a more intentional life.

Now that you’re aware you’re in control of your time (see point #3), you should set better boundaries with others.

Learn to say ‘no’ to invitations that don’t sit right with you.

Cut off toxic people from your life.

Don’t be afraid to tell others if you need extra time to take care of yourself.

While you set boundaries with others, also make sure to set some healthy boundaries with yourself.

Find ways to maintain a good work-life balance.

Prioritize self-care.

Tune in with your feelings and emotions.

Make time for personal reflection, instead of numbing the pain away with social media, mindless eating, or excessively watching shows on Netflix.

6. ADD SOMETHING

Last but not least, I want to give a huge shoutout to Mel Robbins and her “Take Control” program because, without it, I wouldn’t be sharing with you this precious tip.

In her video training, “Take Control with Mel”, she said that if you don’t feel in control of your life, the best thing you can do is to add something.

More specifically, you need to add something that brings you joy.

What is it? What is the activity that could easily brighten up your days?

Is it:

• Painting?
• Writing your book?
• Launching your blog?
• Baking?
• Posting on TikTok?
• Singing?
• Dancing?
• Gardening?

What is the one thing that you die for trying, but never gave yourself a chance to?

“You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don’t Already Know

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I hope that those 6 ways to live more intentionally made you realize that you’re in control of your life!

Remember: you’re the one seating in the driver’s seat.

You get to decide what you want to make out of life.

It’s your responsibility to own it.

You’ve got this!

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