How much of daily life is just living a monotonous life, going through the motions? Just doing things because we are in the habit of doing them. Habits built over many years out of obligation or because we have responsibilities towards our family, employer, or because society dictates?
Very little forethought goes into these actions or habits.
We eat because we need food; be it for sustenance or simply
We drink fluids to either get our caffeine fix or so that we at least do not dehydrate.
We sleep. Definitely not enough. Just enough to get by or, to not fall asleep at our desks by 11:00.
Day after day, we get dressed, we eat, we drink, we sleep. And in between we run errands, fit in some mindless internet surfing (where do we even get time for this?), we drive the kids around, we wash dishes, make food, do laundry, spend 8 hours or so in an office, reach deadlines, attend meetings, etc. And not necessarily in that order.
Tomorrow we get back into the hamster wheel and start all over again. Even just typing this exhausts me. This is what daily life consists of for most economically active individuals worldwide.
More and more of us yearn for a simpler, yet more meaningful life. A life that is aligned with our deeply held values and purpose. What if we can get out of the hamster wheel? What if we can transform our lives? What if we could go from not giving our daily actions much thought, to living a more intentional, joyful life?
It IS possible. In 2 mindful steps:
- Recognise the areas of your life or the actions where you are not mindfully engaged with intention.
- Ask WHY and reframe with intention.
For example, something as simple as washing dishes. Most of us do it out of habit and because it is probably not socially acceptable to let them pile up. Who didn’t grow up with a mother who bemoaned an untidy kitchen in the morning? Either way, it is a mindless activity.
The difference between boring, mindless activity and a more meaningful life is
Intention makes the difference in every mundane task or mindless, habitual action we engage in. This way we eliminate the unnecessary daily actions we partake in and life become simpler, calmer, and more joyful. Mindful living is a life lived in the moment, fully engaged and in your Flow. It is the WHY behind your daily actions.
This is Intentional Living.
Start slowly. It is a daily, simple practice in intentionality. It is living less out of habit and more from intent.
Before you do the next action at home or at work, pause and ask yourself WHY am I doing this? Then mentally state your intention. Is it out of love or compassion for myself or others? To improve life or processes? Do I want to make myself proud or someone else happy? Is it out of obligation? Not all of the answers will be easy to hear. But this way we eliminate the unnecessary and make room for purpose and meaning.
Keep the intention in mind and then engage in the action. And this way single intentional moment will turn into an Intentional Life.
