Pause. Breathe. Explore. Seek. Remember what you love to do and want to do better.

Living intentionally, mindful of who we are is the opposite of living a mindless or robotic life. Many of us move from one activity to the next without much thought. Habit and reflex move us. Living intentionally means that we stop, breathe, and choose our path.

Western culture encourages a “go, go, go” mentality. Resting is seen as lazy and unproductive. Following our dreams, if they don’t make us money, is viewed as foolish. We often hear that we need to “grow up” and that growing up usually comes with stress, and worry. We lose our sense of joy and playfulness often before we are even out of childhood! Choosing to live a simpler and more intentional life can be a challenge, not only within ourselves, but also within our community, but it’s important we master this.

So what is intentional living? Intentional living is about asking yourself the hard questions - hard because they may be new to you. It’s doing that internal search and being happy with your answers or having the willingness to create change if you’re not satisfied with your answers and where they’re leading you in life.

Here are some questions to consider as you embark in the journey of living an intentional life:

Who am I now?

What do I want now vs. 5 years ago?

What’s important to me?

Are the people in my life aligned with these values? Do they fill me? Or drain me?

Why did I choose my job/career?

Why did you buy {insert latest purchase]?

These questions will help you begin to examine your life in a curious and dynamic way instead of a critical and belittling one.  The exercise of answering these, whether you like or dislike the answers, is the key to start living a more intentional life. Without asking yourself questions, you cannot evaluate where you are or decide what you want to shift.

People often avoid this process because change is scary for many of us. Change means having to accept something new. We are creatures of habit, and we tend to hold on to habits because they are familiar to us, not necessarily because they are good for us or even work for us!

Living intentionally is all about purpose. It does not mean we have everything figured out. It means there’s a willingness to pursue our dreams and rediscover our authentic Self.

Here are 7 ways you can start living more intentionally:

Create the space.

Both a physical space (as in a quiet corner of a room or a special area outdoors), and an emotional space (as in doing some intentional breathing and writing in a notebook to help record your thoughts and feelings.)

Start with your values.

‍What’s important to you now? If you are not sure, think of a time that you were happy or proud of yourself, what were you doing? What did it feel like? We usually are happiest doing what we like.

Own your values.

Take responsibility for your choices. If you are struggling with defining them or managing them, ask for help! A big part of intentional living is recognizing that we have choice, that every day is a new opportunity to pick new ideas and choose your attitude. We can see the same situation in a variety of ways. So, we have the power to change. Scary, but doable! Life is hard for many of us, but by focusing on what we can control we may discover new paths and ways to manage.

Take daily steps.

Small, regular shifts in your thinking and in your actions can help create change. Consistency tends to happen by using stepping stones. For example, If you want to be a writer, you have to write. Often and regularly. If you want to be a painter, you have to sketch, draw. Practice. Practice.

Say “No.”

‍The art of saying YES to yourself means saying NO to others. Sometimes. Often. You will have to allow yourself the space to be judged and distracted by other opinions and definitions, and still choose you.

Take a technology break.

Staying on your path requires that you take the time to envision it as clearly as you can. Comparing yourself to others is a surefire way to feel distracted and discouraged. Set a limit to your news intake, social media and gossiping so that you can hear your voice more loudly.

Use old school paper and pencil.

‍Writing your thoughts, dreams, goals help to make them clearer, and therefore, more real. Pencils also let you “erase” and evolve. Redirecting your energies as you clarify what’s important for you at each stage.

Intentional living is a journey, it’s like creating a road map of things that make your heart sing and following that map every day. It is not about perfection. You will have days, maybe weeks and months, where you will fall off the road, get lost in the expectations and demands around you, but giving yourself permission to endure these obstacles can be one reminder to return to your center.