How to Be More Intentional

Often times, we back down from the challenges that could transform us inside out, into the person we wish to be. Whether it’s committing to long-term weight loss goals or making the effort to be a better friend, we often forget that before we execute, we must have intent. It can be extremely helpful to explore these questions: What are the reasons behind why I want to do this? How can I be more intentional in carrying out these personal promises? In what ways can I attach intent to all things that I do?

A wise, soulful Black woman named Solange Piaget Knowles once said, “Do nothing without intention.” The dictionary further defines intention as: a thing intended, an aim or plan. Most of us are familiar with goal-setting and committing to those goals, since they often are categorized as the “peanut butter & jelly” of execution. However, thinking of intention as “Why did I even gain the urge to put this sandwich together in the first place?” is a great analogy to learning how you can transform your intentional approach towards things moving forward.

What does acting with intention mean in the context of self-care? Personal goals? Relationships? Recently in this pandemic, we’ve been challenging ourselves on a daily basis to train our brains to act intentionally, despite how hard it is to simply act at all. However, start meditating on what can encourage you to act more with purpose.

Self-Care

It can be awfully hard to find the proper, yet needed time to carve out self-care practices in the midst of a pandemic. However, the intent lies in your ability to proactively be and feel like a better version of yourself. The next time you wish to allocate your personal time to you, ask yourself: Is my intent of practicing self-care to learn how to be more in-tune with me, or am I doing it for the sole purpose of goal avoidance?

Personal Goals

It’s so easy to slip into the chaotic cracks life throws our way. But despite how challenging life is, we still continue to set personal goals for ourselves because we rather not allow life to define our capabilities. Take your current internship, leadership role, or job for example and ask yourself: Do I show up fully present and engaged? Am I easily distracted by other things I wish to be doing? Am I intentionally showing up because I want to be here, or because it is my obligation? These questions can help you identify why you started this race in the first place, and if pivoting in another direction is worth it. When applying intention to personal obligations, it becomes easier to calculate your thoughts in a way that pushes you to accomplish the personal goals you wish to gain from them.

Relationships

Do you ever sit and wonder “why” you are friends with certain people, and why they chose you, of all people, to be theirs? What about the same for non-platonic relationships? Hopefully, this makes it increasingly clear that intention is integral to all facets of life. Becoming total strangers to friends you imagined forever with can cause you to question their intentions throughout the entire friendship, which is why we will always appreciate clear intentions from the beginning. Granted, some things come to an end due to external factors outside of our control like time, distance, and life simply running its course. Nonetheless, it is important to ask yourself: Am I honest in all my relationships about my intentions? Are there any current relationships in my life that continue to leave room for mixed signals, miscommunication, misunderstandings, and confusion? How can I be more forthcoming about what I want from someone else? Simply going with the flow may not always be enough, as it is important that you navigate situations within the control you’ve been given over them!

Let’s live more intentionally, starting today.

1. Download “Mantra” in the App Store and practice waking up to a positive saying daily.

2. Start your mornings off with a list of things you wish to accomplish.

3. Focus on being present by completely one thing at a time, whether it’s homework or having quiet time with yourself. You deserve to run on a clock that you can control!

So how are you going to live intentionally?