Intentional living may sound like a complicated, lofty idea that you hear at a self-help seminar. It’s not confusing, nor is it difficult; rather, it is a way of life that can help you grow as a person and reflect on life in a positive way. What does it mean to be intentional about the way you live, though? Is intentional living available to everyone? It is, and we will do our best to help you do so with the four creative exercises in this article.
Living with intention means that you build your life around your core beliefs and values. Your day-to-day may look different, but you are not acting on impulse or operating in a state of exhaustion. Intentional living is more about taking control of your day. For example, living with intention could involve taking a long walk with your partner because movement and quality time take priority. Make sure that your favorite activities make it into your schedule and prioritize self-care. We hope you can live with more intention by experimenting with the following creative exercises.
Define Your Beliefs: Write A Manifesto
Who are you and what do you stand for? What do you believe in? You can answer these questions by creating a personal manifesto. Intentional living doesn’t mean you have to have your life figured out, but you do need to consider your direction in life. If you don’t know where you want to go in life, one way to clarify that is to create a manifesto. A manifesto can be a collection of ideas expressing what you believe in and daily reminders of how you want to live your life. Write down your values, your code of conduct, quotes and affirmations, and a declaration of who you are.
Describe Your Perfect Day
Think long and hard about your perfect day. Envision your entire day, from the time you wake up until your head hits the pillow at night. What does that day entail? This exercise serves two purposes: to help clarify priorities, values, and dreams, and to find your next step in life. You may dream about having a healthy, active lifestyle, but what does that look like? Are you hiking every day or spending afternoons at the gym? Knowing exactly how you want to be active or healthy can help you understand your motivation. In order to find your next step in life, you have to compare your current everyday life to your perfect day. Do you notice the differences? Now, what small adjustments can you make to have your everyday resemble your perfect day? Not every day will be perfect, but you have to strive for the best!
Write A Letter To Your Future Self
Outline how you want your life to look and feel after a certain period of time, for example, three months or one year. There are many services that you can use to schedule an email to yourself at a certain time. Think about what you want your life to look like by the specified point in time. This exercise can inspire you to reevaluate your current situation, adjust your life, and consider other things that can help you achieve your goals. When you receive your future self email, you’ll be able to reevaluate your life once again and course correct if necessary.
Fill Your Jar
Everyone, whether they like to admit it or not, has a limited amount of time and energy. Life is about tradeoffs, and spending time doing one thing means that you aren’t doing something else. You use the “fill your jar” exercise to create a visual representation of this. You can fill the jar with big rocks, pebbles, and sand. The big rocks represent the most important things in life, while the pebbles are slightly less important, and so on and so forth. What are the big rocks and pebbles in your life? You have limited space in your jar, so make a conscious effort to focus on what matters most to live your life with more intention.
