How To Live On Purpose With Intentional Living
Let me guess how your morning went.
You woke up to an alarm, put on a pot of coffee, and rushed to get ready. You grabbed your things and rushed to your car just to sit in traffic.
You battled through the parking lot to find a spot that wasn't eight floors up or a 10-minute walk away from the office.
And then you sat at your desk to start your mind-numbing day of work.
Just like you do every weekday… just like you will every weekday for the rest of your life.
Sound familiar?
Maybe that's not exactly how your morning went, but this soul-sucking routine that many of us find ourselves in seems to take up our days without us ever really thinking about it.
Next thing you know, you're decades deep in a mortgage that you're not sure you really needed, indebted to the government for student loans you're not sure were really worth it, and invested in relationships that you're not sure are really good for you.
Do you ever wonder how this happened? How your life played out a long, monotonous story without you ever realizing it?
Life is kinda like that, though. We grow up thinking that our entire life purpose is to tick these boxes in an arbitrary checklist that was created by someone who isn't you.
…But when you finally tick all of the boxes, what are you left with?
The good news is that there are always opportunity to change things up. You can start living a life exactly as you want to without dismantling all the hard work that you put into it thus far.
It all starts with living intentionally by making daily choices that are empowering, fulfilling, and rewarding.
And that's exactly what this post is all about.
What Is Intentional Living?
Intentional living is choosing to live a life with absolute intentionality. You choose what you do with your time, how you respond to the world, and where you focus your energy.
While it may seem like maybe you're already consciously making decisions every day, the truth is that many of us live in a state of autopilot for years and years without ever questioning it.
You know how it goes.
Meetings. School schedules. Jury duty. Groceries. Laundry.
It all comes at you and next thing you know, you have been living the same routine for years without ever putting any thought or intentionality into it.
Intentional living puts you back into the active role of driver of your life so that all of your daily habits and activities align with both your fundamental beliefs and your goals.
After all, your life is a series of choices.
Don't you want to be making them consciously?
How To Live Intentionally
The difference between living intentionally and living in autopilot comes down to making conscious decisions daily.
Knowing where to begin can seem a little daunting, so here are the steps to take to start living intentionally.
Take Inventory Of Your Life
The very first step is to take a look around your current living situation and evaluate it.
Did you choose to be where you are?
Did you choose your job, your partner, your friends, your place of living?
Or did they all just sort of wander into your life, showing up without you really intending for them to make a lasting role in your life?
Carefully examine every area of your life, from your professional life to your personal relationships, and think about whether or not you would choose to bring them into your life again if you had a choice.
Sometimes a good job is still not the job for you…And friends are only friends because they invite you places.
Instead of comparing yourself to others and what society says you should do, get in touch with what you really want.
Get a sense of how much of your life you're actively choosing to be a part of and how much of it you just sort of let happen to you. This will give you a good idea of where to begin making conscious choices about what to do next.
2. What Are Your Core Values?
Before you go and shake things up, start thinking about your fundamental beliefs and values. Then think about whether or not your current lifestyle is aligned with those beliefs.
By becoming aware of your beliefs and values, and whether or not your current lifestyle fits in with them, it will become clear where to start making changes.
Or, at the very least, it will give you solid direction when making future decisions about how to spend your time and energy.
Living an intentional life means that you have the opportunity to work towards your goals and beliefs in every moment of every day - and that's a pretty spectacular thing.
3. Evaluate Your Goals And How To Get There
Now that you have an idea of what your goals in life are, you can more easily make a plan on how to reach them. Whether that means packing your own lunch everyday or choosing to speak more mindfully with loved ones, you have the opportunity to live on purpose, not just on autopilot.
4. Every Moment Is An Opportunity To Make A Decision
At first, it might seem difficult to treat every moment as an opportunity to make a conscious decision. And that's okay.
At first, all you have to do is try.
When you're having a hard time trying to decide what the best choice is, whether it's what is for dinner or which job offer to accept, take a moment to carefully consider what aligns best with your beliefs and goals.
Then, little by little, even the most trivial of choices become a fun game where you get to choose exactly what you want and to live on purpose. As you start living a life that you actively and enthusiastically choose, it will become addicting to continue to do so.
Yes, life will become fun when you begin to live on purpose!