How to Start Living Intentionally in 2024
Table of Contents
Introduction: Why I Believe in the Power of Intentional Living
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that living intentionally can truly transform your life. It’s not only a concept, it’s a way of life that has helped me find more clarity, purpose, and fulfillment in everything I do.
Why is living intentionally so important? Well, in our chaotic world, it’s easy to get distracted on what really matters. We get caught up in the everyday hustle, especially if you are a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. employee, you completely find yourself turning in a infinite circle of everyday routine, and then the weekly routine, the monthly routine, and sometimes even a yearly routine.
In a lot of times I used to find that I am not anymore aware of what I want to do with my life, I am not enjoying my days, I don’t find time for my family and friends, I don’t practice any hobbies that I want, and then came this question: “Is this really what I want?” That’s where intentional living comes in. It’s about taking a step back, understanding your true values, and making decisions that align with them.
For me, living intentionally has been a life changing experience, it has helped me focus on what’s truly important, cut out the noisy distractions, and make choices that bring me closer to my goals. I don’t mean I need to do more, I mean I need to do what’s right for me. And I believe it can do the same for you.
So, let’s get straight into learning how to start living intentionally, and I am so excited for this journey together.
Taking the First Step
Figuring Out What’s Important to You
The first step in the journey of how to start living intentionally is to understand what really matters to you. This might sound a bit tricky, but it’s actually pretty simple and super rewarding, think about the moments when you feel truly happy and fulfilled, maybe it’s when you’re helping others, practicing your favorite hobby, creating something, or spending time with your family. For me, it was striving for simplicity, making a positive impact (like through this blog), and always being curious to learn more about life and my career. Your values might be completely different, and that’s the beauty of it, because they are uniquely yours.
Simple Ways to Identify Your Values
How to get started? Well, grab you favorite drink, find a quiet spot, and take some time to reflect. Ask yourself this question, “When have I felt really proud of myself?” And write down your thoughts, make it a heart-to-heart chat with yourself. You will start seeing your personal values that fit exactly your personality, and these values are the foundation for you to start living intentionally.
Find Your Dreams
I am not talking here about your everyday wishes, I am talking about your big dreams. This is your chance to think about what you’d love to achieve without any barriers. It could be traveling to new places, building your dream shed house, or simply finding peace and contentment. These dreams give your life direction, and make the tough days easier because you know you’re working towards something amazing.
How To Start Living Intentionally
You’ve got now a list of your values and dreams, now it is time to make sure your everyday life lines up with them. Here are some easy questions to ask yourself that will help you to start living intentionally.
10 Intentional Questions To Ask Yourself Every Day
- What did I do today that really felt like ‘me’?
- Are my regular habits helping me get closer to my big dreams?
- When I make choices, am I led by fear or what I love?
- What’s one thing I can stop doing that’s not really helping me?
- What small thing can I do right now for my big dream?
- Who’s got my back on this journey?
- What does my perfect day look like and how can I start making today a bit more like that?
- Am I taking enough ‘me time’?
- How do my daily actions make me feel down?
- What’s something good that happened today?
| Questions to Guide Intentional Living | Example Answers |
|---|---|
| What did I do today that really felt like ‘me’? | Wrote in my journal and took a long walk in the park. |
| Are my regular habits helping me get closer to my big dreams? | Yes, reading every night is getting me closer to my goal of finishing a book each month. |
| When I make choices, am I led by fear or what I love? | Today, I chose to start a painting I’ve been thinking about, which was led by my love for art. |
| What’s one thing I can stop doing that’s not really helping me? | Scrolling through social media for hours. It doesn’t add much to my day. |
| What small thing can I do right now for my big dream? | I can research courses for the coding skills I want to develop. |
| Who’s got my back on this journey? | My best friend, always encouraging me to pursue my writing. |
| What does my perfect day look like and how can I start making today a bit more like that? | A perfect day is writing and being outdoors. I can start by dedicating an hour to writing today. |
| Am I taking enough ‘me time’? | I need more. Maybe I’ll start doing a 10-minute meditation each morning. |
| How do my daily actions make me feel deep down? | They make me feel productive, especially when I finish a task I’ve been putting off. |
| What’s something good that happened today? | I had a great conversation with a neighbor, which made me feel connected. |
Try to think about these questions like during your morning coffee or before you go to bed. Regularly going over these questions, and answering them will help you live intentionally at every aspect of your life.
And don’t worry, you don’t have to have all the answers straight away. It’s more about exploring and understanding what a happy, intentional life looks like for you.
Embrace Self-Reflection
Start by setting aside time for deep self-reflection. Consider aspects such as your friendships, career choices, spending habits, and leisure activities. Ask yourself why these elements are significant in your life. Are they contributing to your happiness and personal fulfillment, or are they simply habits you’ve fallen into? This process helps you understand whether you’re in control of your life or just going through the motions.
Reevaluate Your Surroundings
Intentional living means surrounding yourself with people and things that encourage growth and fulfillment. If certain relationships or your job aren’t helping in your personal development, it may be time for a change.
Plan Your Ideal Life
Spend time alone in a comfortable setting, planning and envisioning your ideal life. Think about what qualities are important to you in a friend or partner, your career aspirations, how you want to spend your free time, and what personal qualities you value most in yourself. Then, create a list of action steps that you can take in the near future to move closer to this vision, no matter how small these steps may seem.
10 Steps for Intentional Living
- Figure Out What’s Important to You: Think about what you really care about. What makes you say ‘YES!’? List out the things you love and dream about your perfect life.
- Every Choice Matters: The little decisions you make every day add up, and shape your future, start making choices that feel right for you.
- Enjoy The Moment: Try to live in the moment. Slow down, breathe, and notice the small things around you. Like, how does your morning coffee smell? Or how does the grass feel under your feet?
- Find a Good Balance: Make sure you’re doing stuff for you, but also find time to help others and build strong relationships.
- Make a Plan: You can’t just go with the flow all the time. Think about what you want each day to look like and stick to that plan.
- Stay Healthy: Take care of yourself by eating good food and moving your body. Simple stuff like taking the stairs instead of the elevator makes a noticeable difference.
- Know What You Stand For: What’s super important to you? What drives you? Figure out your values, as we mentioned in your first step towards living intentionally.
- Keep a Routine: Having a daily routine helps in tracking your actions mainly your habits. Start your morning with purpose and end your day in a way that sets you up for tomorrow.
- Check In With Yourself: Every so often, take a step back and look at your life. Are you heading where you want to go? If not, it’s okay to make some changes.
- Be Kind: Always try to be kind, both to others and to yourself, treating people well and also giving yourself some love and care.
| Steps for Intentional Living | Practical Examples |
|---|---|
| Figure Out What’s Important to You | Make a list of things you love, like painting or spending time outdoors. |
| Every Choice Matters | Choose to read a book instead of watching TV because it relaxes you more. |
| Enjoy The Moment | Take 5 minutes to just sit and listen to the birds outside. |
| Find a Good Balance | Spend your Saturday volunteering, but also set aside time for a movie night with family. |
| Make a Plan | Write down three things you want to accomplish tomorrow, like going for a jog, finishing a work project, or calling a friend. |
| Stay Healthy | Choose a salad for lunch over fast food. Walk around the block during your break. |
| Know What You Stand For | Decide to donate to a charity that aligns with your values. |
| Keep a Routine | Start your day with a short meditation and end it by planning the next day’s tasks. |
| Check In With Yourself | Every Sunday, spend 15 minutes reviewing your past week and setting goals for the next. |
| Be Kind | Compliment a colleague on their work. Make time to listen to a friend who’s going through a tough time. |
Further Thoughts
Living intentionally is more like growing a garden. You plant the seeds of your dreams and values, then you need to water them intentionally with your actions every day. I know, some days it might feel like you’re not making much progress. But just like a garden, your efforts will eventually bloom.
Every choice you make is like writing another line in your own book. Some days you might go off-script, and that’s okay. The beauty is in learning and growing as you go in your journey of intentional life.
The core idea of this post that changed my view to life, and that I hope the world will apply to their lives as well is that living intentionally simply means making your life more of what you want it to be, and less of what you’re ‘supposed’ to do.
I hope that this post was useful for you. Let me know in the comments section below how you find this concept of intentional living, and if it did open your eyes to a new angle of life.
