How to Set Intentions and Live an Intentional Life

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Do you feel like your days pass you by, but you aren’t actually living?

Do you feel like you are going through the motions without consciously being aware of everything going on around you?

If so, you may struggle with being present and intentional in your days. 

Learning how to set intentions and living a more intentional life takes practice, but the rewards are priceless.

With an intentional life comes more gratitude, more presence, and more peace.

Here are some ways how to set intentions and live an intentional life.

What is intentional living?

What does it actually mean to be living an intentional life?

It means that everything you do is done with clarity and your full attention, and it’s done for a reason. You aren’t multitasking unless it’s on purpose.

For example, you may be washing the dishes while listening to your favorite podcast, but that’s because you choose to be. It’s different than mindlessly scrolling through Instagram while trying to work at the same time, just because it’s a force of habit.

When you live a more intentional life, there is a purpose behind everything that you do.

You are aware of all the choices you make. You are aware of the words you say and the actions you do.

You break those unnecessary habits, like scrolling through your phone whenever you get bored and fill that time with something more meaningful, like taking deep breaths or simply enjoying the peace and quiet.

You embrace everything the day brings you, and you never feel like life is just passing you by. 

How to Set Intentions for the Day

Living an intentional life should begin as soon as you wake up for your day.

Remember that your phone does not control your life, so instead of reaching for your phone first thing in the morning, write down your intentions for the day. This can be the first unnecessary habit that you replace with something more effective.

What would you like to accomplish?

How would you like to feel?

What goals do you have for your day, and how will you reach those goals?

Jot down about three intentions for your day.

Some examples of intentions may be to feel more present, write a new blog post, and cook a homemade meal for dinner.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed throughout your day, refer back to your intentions. Is what you’re currently doing supporting them? If not, use that information as permission to make a shift in what you’re doing.

Intentional Living Habits to Adopt

Now that we understand what an intentional life looks like and how to best start each day, we can dive into some habits to adopt into your life.

High-performing, successful individuals really work to strengthen their habits. Why? It’s because the small actions we take daily impact our lives the most, for better or worse. 

For example, moving your body for a half-hour every single day is going to massively improve your health, whereas drinking a few beers each night could have a negative impact on your health.

In addition to writing down your daily intentions, there are some other intentional living habits to adopt that will help you live a more intentional life.

Time Blocking

Time blocking can be game-changing for anyone who struggles with multitasking.

Time blocking allows you to map out your daily schedule by dedicating certain hours for certain tasks.

For example, perhaps you are building out an email sequence from 9-11 am, taking content photos from 11am-noon, and then spending an hour taking a lunch break.

Time blocking helps you be intentional about your time because each hour is only spent focusing on a specific task.

Turning off Phone Notifications

Our phone notifications sometimes are the biggest distraction that we have.

No matter how focused we feel, a simple ding or pop-up can entirely shift our attention.

In order to live an intentional life, you can’t allow something like a cell phone to control what you do and how you feel.

Keep your notifications turned off, and try to only check them at designated times.

Setting Time Limits for Distracting Apps

Going along with the cell phone discussion, people who live intentional lives don’t spend all of their free time on their phones.

In order to help you with this, set time limits on your distracting apps.

Some apps that usually suck up a lot of time are Instagram, Facebook, Email, and TikTok.

Figure out where you need to limit your time.

Be Bored

Remember when you were a kid and you’d say, “I’m bored!”? When was the last time you felt bored?

That is something we lose as we get older because we have a million things to fill the “bored” feeling.

We have phones that we can always scroll through, music and podcasts to play, and a to-do list to add to.

It’s important to feel okay with being bored because those moments of nothing help us stay in the present moment.

Take Some Quiet Time Each Morning to Center Yourself

Right after you set your daily intentions, try to take some quiet time in the morning for yourself.

You can spend this time meditating, reading, journaling, taking a bath, stretching, or going for a walk around the block.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s something that feels relaxing and peaceful for you.

This time is for you to notice your five senses, focus on the here and now, and set the tone for the rest of your day.

The daily to-dos will kick in soon enough, so this time is crucial for you to start your day with intention.

Final Thoughts

Although our world today makes it difficult, living an intentional life is entirely possible for you.

It may take adjusting some of your habits and adopting new ones, and it may feel uncomfortable at times, but your work and life will dramatically improve.

Focus on working some of these intentional living habits into your daily life, and try to set your intentions each day.

Over time, you’ll notice it’s much easier to focus and feel present in your days.

Here’s to intentional living and a happier, more fulfilling life!