7 Transformative Steps to Live an Intentional Life

Intention (noun) — “a determination to act in a certain way.”¹

Intentional Living – To live a life on purpose. If this is something you struggle with, I am here to help. I have a strong determination to not let my life pass me by and to fully experience wherever I am in that moment. Below I share the 7 steps I follow to live with intention with you to help you show up authentically in your life:

1. Get Clear
2. Set Goals
3. Be Mindful
4. Learn from Others
5. Follow Through
6. Reflect
7. Gratitude

1 – Get Clear

Define for yourself what you want your life to look like in the current or near future. For those trendy people: what era are you in right now? Intentional living is not necessarily about what the future may hold, but rather a greater focus on where you are now and how you’d like to be living now.

Here are a few examples:

• A college student who wants to ace his classes.
• A person new to town who wants to find their community.
• I am someone who wants to create beautiful art with my body and flow props.

2 – Set Goals

With the defined intention for how you want to live your life, ask yourself if there are any steps or goals you can set to better lean into this version of you. Goal setting can include large, overarching goals or smaller, daily tasks. I find that setting daily or weekly goals works best for me since they are small enough for me to envision achieving them.

Back to the examples:

• The college student plans out their class assignments for the week and when he will complete them.
• The person new to town lists out their interests and researches what clubs or organizations are available in town.
• I set a weekly goal to dance, use my fire props, and apply to perform at a music festival.

3 – Be Mindful (See the Little Things)

This next step has less to do with the specific version of life you chose for yourself and more to do with how everything is connected. When we experience small joys in the day-to-day, they ripple through all aspects of life and overall well-being.

I find that on the days I notice and appreciate at least one thing that makes me laugh or my heart flutter, I feel better about life as a whole and my purpose here. Slow down and notice how these small moments are all around; from the smell of the fresh air to the softness of your bedsheets, a coworker telling a funny story to the stranger who held the door open for you at the grocery store.

Today I spent a few moments looking outside my hotel window in Anchorage, Alaska to appreciate the colors in the sky as clouds covered the Chugach Mountains. It was quite the view, being three stories high.

4 – Learn from Others

Doing research is a great way to learn from others as you step into this new life you intend for yourself. I love turning to Google or YouTube to see what folks have to say about whatever it is I am interested in. This has been valuable in helping me live with intention. I hardly find myself following verbatim another’s process, but rather take bits and pieces from several folks who are doing whatever it is I wish to be doing myself.

Returning to the examples:

• The student reads a book filled with tips on how to be a straight-A student.
• The person new to town looks up videos and podcasts on how adults find community in a new place.
• I connect with friends and those I see on Instagram who inspire me creatively.

5 – Follow Through/Execute

Now the fun part — putting in the work and executing the plan to achieve your goals. I say the word “work” not to make it seem like living out the life you want is a chore, but more so to emphasize that there is conscientious effort to embody the person who lives the life you envision for yourself. Nothing changes in my life unless I change.

Examples of execution:

• The student sticks to his schedule and completes his assignments on time.
• The person new to town attends meetings and events happening around town.
• I spend hours of my week dancing and moving with my hula hoops and fans.

6 – Reflect

After spending some time living out this desired life, it is time to check in and reflect. This reflection occurs at several stages of the process and can be categorized into three types of check-ins: comparison, efficacy, and evaluation.

Sample questions to ask yourself are:

• Comparison (perhaps after a few days, or a week): How did I do this week to achieve the goals I set for myself? Did I achieve what I set out to?
• Efficacy (after a few weeks or months): How are my goals compared to my intention? Do I need to revise anything about these goals?
• Evaluation (after several months or a year): Is my intention still the same?

The responses you give will guide you in reevaluating your goals, plan, and method of execution. Sometimes the weekly goals were too ambitious and it is time to taper back. Perhaps the life you want to live has changed and you need to determine a new version you wish to become. Reflecting and shifting are key to intentional living.

7 – Gratitude

The final step is similar to step 3 in that it is not specific to any intention but rather a helpful tool to live a happier, more full life. Take a moment each day for gratitude. I love writing and see the benefits of having a gratitude journal but, more often than not, this process is internal for me. I take time every night to think about who and what I am grateful for before bed and thank God for all that I have and how blessed I am.

Let me know if these steps help you live an intentional life and continue to stay present in the day-to-day. I am curious about which step you are most excited to try. Thank you so much for reading.

1. “intention.” Merriam-Webster.com. 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com (16 June 2024). ↩︎