8 Steps to Living with Intention in 2022.

We either live with intention or exist by default

Kristin Armstrong

Intentional living might be a phrase you see thrown around on social media a lot, but what does it actually mean to live with intention? The past year (or years) has been a wake up call for many of us. How can you take those lessons and shift to a more intentional life? That’s what today’s post is all about.

For me, living with intention means simply to have a plan, make choices with purpose and live fully and whole-heartedly in the present moment.

Sounds simple? Sure. Easy to do? Not so much.

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Living with intention means making a conscious choice to live life on our own terms, no matter how hard this may be. Challenging the status quo is a hard path, but if you want to live with intention, get used to it.

As a homeschooling bit of a rebel mom who likes to go against the grain, international living is my kind of thing.

Let me walk you through my 8 Steps to living with Intention. Ready to shift from automatic to your own intentional life?

8 Steps to Living with Intention.

Step 1. Take Stock.

Start where you are. The first step to a life of intention is to investigate exactly how you are living now and where you want to go. There is no right or wrong, no perfect score. Just do some deep digging and find out what’s going on. A great way to do this is through journaling. Keep a journal of your daily habits, learn to observe your thought and action patterns, watch where you act, think and speak on autopilot.

Post: 41 Morning Journal Prompts

Work out exactly who you are. What are your core values, principles and beliefs. Detach your self-image from what you are “supposed to be” and see yourself as who you truly are (this is no small task). Simple questions to ask yourself: what makes me happy? What makes me fulfilled? What am I good at? What are my core values? Keep journaling.

Step 2. Observe your Environment.

Life is more than your everyday activities and habits. Outside influences surround you, from your interior design choices to the friends you keep. Some parts of your environment will lift you up, others will drag you down. Consider your home space, does is feel cluttered and hectic or cozy and soothing? These little things matter. I am organizing my home one room at a time this year. It feels great and is long overdue.

Make a list of your closest friends and family and examine each relationship. Is the relationship a weight that drags you down or a balloon that lifts you up? Make hard choices about where you spend your time and energy. For those relationships you can’t avoid (family members, work colleagues) learn protective ways to deal with them (mediation is key here for me).

Step 3. Write your Life Statement.

“From today I am (you fill in the blank)”. This does not mean you will instantly become the person you dream of being, but you will have a focus point on your map. Examples of a Life Purpose Statement “From today I chose to live life in a fully present, engaged and whole-hearted way. I will make my own choices and strive to be a positive being.” Give yourself time to ponder this. It’s a powerful tool and an important step, so give it some thought.

Step 4. Make a Plan.

Now it’s time to set goals and get to work. Every day, you wake to a new set of daily choices. You might not get to control everything that happens to you, but you can control your response. You can create a new habit from today and chose to make conscious decisions. When you know what your goal is, create a series of mini steps and changes to get you there.

Extra tip: Write out your most powerful mantra on a big stickie note and stick it around your house. Bombard yourself with this positive message.

Small steps are key here. For example; if you want to live mindfully, then first observe your habits and thought patterns, second start a daily mindfulness meditation, third incorporate mindful reminders into your day, fourth examine your small changes every month and then carry on. You are on your way to living life with intention.

Step 5. Slow down.

Once you have spent some time goal setting, then learn to slow down. Slowing down is a simple way to live with more intention. Step out of autopilot mode, stop trying to do it all, and take your sweet time. Ok, who has time to go slowly, i here you say? Moms especially don’t get the time to go slow, right? Well, it’s down to conscious choices again. I accept that some parts of my day and weeks will be hectic and non-stop, but I make time for slowness within that framework.

I take every chance that arises to grab a book, sit and listen to the birds in the garden (love them), cook food slowly, walk slowly when I can. Try getting up just half an hour earlier and fitting in a short meditation, journal or slow cuppa to start your day. How do you start it now? A scroll on Insta with a quick piece of toast before running into the day? You can choose to change that.

Don’t know where to start with meditation? Try this short 10 minute meditation from Calm. I have been using the Calm app for years and I still use it daily for my morning meditation.

Step 6. Exercise your body and mind.

Regular exercise is essential to keeping a clear head and a clear head is needed for making intentional decisions. You don’t need an(other) expensive gym membership. You just need to keep moving your body. This is even more vital for stressed out and overwhelmed moms and mummas.

Going for a run, walk or yoga class might be the last thing you think you have time for, but trust me, it’s necessary. According to this study, regular exercise may improve thinking skills in people of all ages, even from age 20. So keep active for your body and your mind. I am an advocate for running, especially after it helped me so much in my own mental health recovery. Just find something you enjoy and be consistent.

Your daily actions and habits determine your life. Pay attention to them.

Amanda- Founder of Mumtastic Life

Step 7. Take some time to get offline.

I am not saying the internet is a bad thing (that would be cheeky as a blogger) but you can have too much of a good thing. Be mindful of how much time you spend online and how it makes you feel. I like to have one day a week where I am offline and I limit the amount of time I will spend on social media daily. It’s good to remember that real life is not the beautiful images on Pinterest or the glimpses of life you see on Instagram. Real life is happening right now at any given moment.

If you are reaching for your phone the moment you open your eyes, it’s a clear sign you need some time offline.

Step 8. Stay focused and persevere.

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time to create real change, so stay focused, persevere, and keep going back to your life statement. Accept that you are a constantly growing and changing being. Consistency and focus go a long way toward creating intentional change.

Once again, I recommend journaling your process, you’ll be surprised at the changes you see when you look back. If you notice a positive change in your own life, congratulate yourself and carry on. If you slip back into less purposeful ways of being, notice this and carry on.

By implementing these steps into your life, you will quickly notice the positive effects of living with intention. Maybe you will enjoy the time with your family more, relish in purposeful rest or listen to your body (and not ego) in yoga.

I have been working on living with intention for several years now. Even though I am still a long way off, the changes I have seen are substantial.

Take control of your life. Good things are heading your way.

Amanda x

Other posts you might like:

101 Best Affirmations for Motivation

How to make your Goal Setting Vision Board.

6 Signs of Mom Burnout and what to do about it.