Do you live your life with intention? Do you know how to define success for yourself?
Many people live their lives as if they were bystanders, watching their lives unfold. Perhaps circumstances led them into a job early in their lives, and now they feel stuck with a career that is simply good enough. Maybe they are surrounded by childhood friends with whom they share very little in common as adults. It can be easy to get trapped in the feeling that we have very little control over our lives, but learning to shift that thought process will change your life forever.
What is Living with Intention?
Living with intention means working with a purpose in mind and making each moment count toward achieving that purpose. By living in this way, we naturally develop a personal definition of success and a path on which we can travel to accomplish our dreams.
Adding intention into our lives can improve all of our relationships. By defining our personal goals, we begin to understand our relationships better and determine where those relationships fit in our lives. In turn, this allows us to establish appropriate boundaries, to tend our fences for each relationship, and nurture the relationships that are most important to us.
How Do I Live with Intention?
Living with intention is a lifestyle that is developed over time. It requires insight and flexibility, as your goals will naturally change over time.
Uncover your purpose – To live with intention, you must take the time to understand your purpose. Think about what you enjoy most in the world. What is your passion? What drives you? Discovering your purpose is one of the greatest joys in life, and while it may seem like an intimidating concept, allowing yourself to develop a great vision for your future opens up a world of possibility.
Know your strengths and weaknesses – Building intention around your natural strengths will help you remain energized and satisfied. Identifying your weaknesses and recognizing them as challenges provides an opportunity for growth.
Prioritize your life – By understanding your priorities and accepting that you are unable to give everything in your life the same amount of attention, when you are intentional, you will find that you spend more of your time with the people and activities that mean the most to you. This does not mean that you only do the things you enjoy. Rather, more of your energy will go towards the responsibilities that pertain to your purpose and vision, and less overall energy will be wasted.
Learn to say no – Similar to prioritizing, each human has a certain amount of energy which varies from person to person, and each day has a limited number of hours. While we would like to be able to accomplish everything that is asked of us, learning to say no is so liberating.
Focus on your own life, not the lives of others – Much energy can be wasted trying to guide someone else’s path. Additionally, when someone we love falls off their path, it is easy to follow them. Stay focused on your purpose. Provide as much support as you can while remaining true to your priorities.
Avoid the temptation of immediate gratification – Living with purpose is not a destination. It takes concerted effort and dedication to achieve your life’s goals. Staying focused on the bigger picture will help you avoid the pitfalls of settling on an immediate reward.
As we begin to live life with more purpose, our lives become richer and our relationships become more meaningful. So, take a few moments each morning to identify your intentions for the day and be kind to yourself as you embrace your vision.