It is that time of year again. While we embrace this New Year I imagine that many of you have set yourself goals and resolutions to work toward. These are admirable objectives to strive for. However, try considering whether this will expand your horizons or limit your opportunities.

When you set yourself resolutions or goals you are already placing an expectation on yourself. Expectations can be toxic. When you expect something will happen and it doesn’t this can lead to disappointment at best. While aiming high and striving to achieve is admirable, if you define this finitely you are opening yourself up to the possibility of failure. I am certainly not discouraging this practice and encourage you to strive to be your best self. I am encouraging you to be mindful of your expectations and not close yourself off to other opportunities.

The SMART goal-setting system specifies that your goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This is a sound principle for setting yourself objectives. It in itself mentions to make them achievable.

However, life presents you with challenges and obstacles. Overcoming obstacles with a growth mindset is invaluable. It can educate you. It can make you stronger. Obstacles can also delay your proceedings. It can risk demotivating you. It can affect how realistic and achievable your objective’s time limits are.

Embracing the SMARTER goal-setting system permits you to evaluate and review your objectives as you progress through the stages of achieving your aims. This may promote a smarter way to view your goals and their progress. However, you will still have those expectations looming.

Instead, have you considered focusing on your intentions first?

What is Intention?

I believe an intention is a mindset you embrace aligned with your personal values. This can be any mindset that might propel you to achieve your aims. Setting a positive intention at the start of your day can have an impact on how you perform throughout your day. This can extend to your week, month, year, and ultimately life.

Intentions tend to be singular. This promotes focus. It can be highly effective.

However, I often set an intention to enjoy a positive and productive day. This permits me to achieve multiple tasks as long as I do so positively and productively. At the same time, I ensure I monitor my expectations of myself and exercise self-compassion when necessary. Life can always present obstacles. To read more on strategies for managing your inner peace read What is Inner Peace?

When setting an intention, you will find what works for you. I believe it is a highly personal practice. It will be as wonderfully unique as you yourself are. Your inner self will be able to steer you towards your own definition of intention. It simply requires the time and focus to pose yourself this question.

Why not set the intention to start setting intentions? You will be able to discover your own version of this practice. If it is not for you, your inner self will make you aware.

What is Intentional Living?

I believe intentional living is about embracing your personal values. Then making choices and decisions aligned with these. When you live intentionally you will benefit from embracing mindful practices. To read more about mindful practices and their benefits visit The Benefits of Mindfulness.

When you live intentionally you will begin to focus more on what you need and want from your life. This will be reflected in your actions. Your actions can determine your future. So, intentional living is empowering you to manage how you want your future and your future self to become.

How Can You Embrace Intentional Living?

The first step to embracing intentional living is to start assessing what your personal values actually are. Do you value inner peace? Do you value joy? Do you value love? Taking an inventory of your personal values can be confronting. Professional support is available from life coaches or therapists depending on your needs.

Once you are aware of what you value, you can start to set your intentions in alignment with these. Start small. Set a singular intention for your day. What do you want to embody today? How will this impact what you do? Visualise this. Who will it impact? Why do you want to present yourself in this way? What will it achieve?

The most effective time to set intentions is when you are unreservedly relaxed. This could be upon waking up in the morning before you even get out of bed. It could be part of a morning meditation practice. It could be part of your morning journaling practice. It could be a combination of all three, or something entirely personal to you. What works for you will work for you. It is about discovering when you will be most receptive to setting your intentions effectively.

What Effect Will Intention Setting Have on Your Life?

Intention setting has many benefits and I will outline some next. However, the impact it can have on your life is remarkable. Imagine living a life in total alignment with your authentic self. Who you really are. Who you really want to be. Who you want to become.

This will begin with your values. Are you still in alignment with the values you were taught and exposed to as a child? When was the last time you really assessed what it is that you value most in life? It can be a revealing and confronting task for many.

When you are living in alignment with what you want to value this will impact everything else. Every choice you make. Every decision you make. Every objective you aim for. Every intention you set. These will all begin to align with your authentic self. This can be liberating.

Benefits of Intentional Living

Increased purpose

Living an intentional life will promote purpose for your actions. You will align what you aim for with what you value. This will motivate, inspire, and empower you to act for your highest benefit. This will promote action. Action will promote experiences. Experience can promote education. All of these can empower you to evolve into your desired future self.

Improved mood, enjoyment, and pleasure

When you are living with increased purpose it will improve your mood, enjoyment, and pleasure of your actions. This is because you will be performing what you value implementing. What you want to be doing. What would be the difference to you between doing something because you had to or because you wanted to? How would that impact your mood, enjoyment, and pleasure in your behaviours?

Less stress

Setting intentions can reduce stress. While working toward goals is admirable, it can also be stressful. You will have the heavy expectations that you have placed on yourself looming over you. You may focus more on the future and the end result which can become overwhelming.

When you are living intentionally and focusing on the present moment and how it aligns with your values this can reduce that stress and overwhelm. You will be focusing on what is occurring in the moment. This can reduce your stress or overwhelm about the future.

Focusing mindfully on what you are doing compassionately and encompassing as many of your senses as possible may seem more time-consuming. However, it will make you more effective. This can reduce the risk of errors. Although all mistakes are lessons to learn from. Everyone makes them. Allowing them to educate you can make you the master of your own mind.

Clarity over Confusion and Decision Fatigue

Have you ever experienced confusion over what to do? Have you ever been overwhelmed by the decisions you have to make? There are choices at every point throughout your day. You are choosing to read this.

Confronting so many choices can lead to decision fatigue. This is where you have so many decisions to make in such a short space of time that you potentially make less conscious and thus effective decisions.

Living intentionally by your values will promote clarity over what you need and what you want. This will impact your decision-making process. It will empower you to refine your decision-making based on value alignment. You may already know what to do before prompted with the decision. How would this impact your life?

Elevated confidence

When you know who you authentically are, you will elevate your confidence. You will know what you need. You will know what you want. You will know what you need to do. When you experience this certainty in yourself, it will elevate your confidence. Your results can reinforce this.

Excitement for Your Days

When you are more confident, purposeful, and relaxed you will be more excited for your days ahead. You will be embracing a future that you are authentically aligned with. Your mood will reflect this.

If you find that you are no longer excited for the days ahead, try revisiting your values. These can often evolve with time and experience. Seldom will they remain stagnant throughout your life.

Optimism for Your Future

Embracing intentional living can also promote optimism. This is an elevated mindset that can promote your success in situations. Unlike expectations that you place on yourself, you will be more open to positive possibilities. This can even open you up to unexpected opportunities, which you may disregard otherwise because of your focus on your goals.

Another way to promote optimism is to embrace a daily gratitude practice. Again, this is most effectively practiced at the beginning of your day. To read more on gratitude and appreciation read 3 Mediums to Summon a Joyous Mindset Through Embracing Gratitude and Appreciation.

Value Alignment

When you are living in alignment with your personal values you will experience benefits. It promotes your purpose. It promotes optimism. It promotes your potential for success. All because you will value what you are doing. When you align with your values you align with your authentic self.

Empowerment

All of these benefits will empower you. You will be empowering yourself by living mindfully, purposefully, and optimistically. You will be embracing your personal power. When you are empowered you will be more inclined toward success.

Intentional Living for Beginners

When deciding to start living intentionally you will face challenges. The first of these will be defining your personal values. What matters to you? What do you prioritise? How do you want your future to look? Who do you want your future self to be? These questions can be confronting, especially if you have not developed self-awareness. There is professional support available for this process from life coaches and therapists depending on your needs.

It will be vital during this process to embrace self-compassion. Give yourself a break. Speak well to yourself. Allow yourself to be human.

Developing self-awareness is not a simple or easy journey. Developing self-awareness is worthwhile for making changes. Living intentionally can be a change for many.

Practicing mindful activities can also be a support during the beginning of your journey. Mindfulness and intentional living are closely related. Mindful activities will support you in developing self-awareness. To read more on mindful activities for developing self-awareness visit Mindful Activities to Promote Mindful Awareness (2022).

However, caution is advised when embracing mindfulness and self-awareness. Especially if you have had a difficult past or been subject to trauma. This is where a professional guide can be a vital support.

An Intentional Life

An intentional life does not necessarily mean an easy life without obstacles, revelations, and suffering. However, it will promote positive behaviours, moods, and mindsets to support your ability to manage these. It can promote resilience, practicality, and perseverance. It can empower you to take control of your circumstances in adversity.

Everyone will experience suffering. You will experience negative moods and mindsets. However, by embracing an intentional life you will be embracing your ability to become more self-aware, more emotionally intelligent, and more prone to success because of these skills. Intentional living can empower you to take back control of yourself. You will never be able to control other people or all situations. However, you can empower yourself to manage these for your highest potential benefit.

Intentional living will support you to live the life that you desire. It will promote all the benefits mentioned in this article. Mindful awareness can be a great support when starting your journey and then throughout your intentional lifestyle. Mindful awareness and intentional living combined can ultimately empower you.

Conclusion

Life can be challenging. It can feel like you are confined and restricted to live by values that you no longer believe in. Developing self-awareness and living intentionally can encourage you to make significant changes to this.

Living intentionally can empower you. It can elevate your mood. It can reduce your stress levels. This can affect your physical, mental, emotional, personal, professional, and spiritual needs. Is intentional living a form of self-care? You decide.

While I still offer limited life coaching services I am focusing on content writing and creation. If you want support with either of these services, please message me or visit my website Home | Chloe Mepham BSc Certified Life Coach for more information. If you like what have read here I have a blog here Blog | Chloe Mepham BSc Certified Life Coach where you can read more about personal development. I wish each and everyone a prosperous and purposeful year ahead.

References

Bruce. Y. L. M.D. M.B.A. Decision Fatigue and What to Do About it Psychology Today Decision Fatigue and What to Do About It | Psychology Today United Kingdom

Cohen, H. Ph.D. (May 20, 2024) Living Intentionally and Its Impact Psychology Today Living Intentionally and Its Impact | Psychology Today

Menguin, J. (April 24, 2023) The Art of SMARTER Goal Setting: A Blueprint for Effective Leaders Awesome Leadership The Art of SMARTER Goal Setting: A Blueprint for Effective Leaders

Raab, D. Ph.D. (January 11, 2022) Self-Awareness and Setting Intentions Psychology Today Self-Awareness and Setting Intentions | Psychology Today

9 Benefits of Embracing Intentional Living

Introduction