There are two basic ways to live your life. You can let life happen to you and drift with the current. Or, you can make choices and take action, attempting to live a life worth imitating. I’ve seen both. Intentional living is better.
The Consequences of Drifting
The danger of drifting is that you’ll wind up somewhere you don’t want to be. In the process, you’ll waste time and money zigzagging through life. There are psychological consequences, too. When you realize you’ve been drifting or that your life is not what you want, it can affect your self-esteem and mood.
The Benefits of Intentional Living
Of course, the big benefit of living intentionally is that you get to live the life you choose, a life worth imitating. Our plans do not always work, but we can recover and move on. There are other potential benefits as well.
Living intentionally significantly enhances mental health and emotional well-being. Several research studies concluded that individuals who live intentionally sleep better and are happier and less likely to be lonely.
Some Simple Ways to Live More Intentionally
Define the life you want to live. Different people will want different things. You may want better health. Someone else might want a better marriage, and others want financial independence. Make your own list of things you desire.
Walk the walk. Defining the life you want is not enough. To achieve it, you must take actions that move you that way. Try for a small improvement every day.
Reflect on your life and your choices. Not everything will work out the way you hope. Take time to reflect on the way you’re living. A journal is a fabulous tool for gathering and sharpening your insights.
Course correct. You stray off course from time to time. When that happens, change your behavior till you get back on track.
Even a dead fish can drift with the current, but you have no control over where you wind up when you drift. Be intentional.
~
What will you do today to move closer to living the life you want?
What will you do tomorrow?
-o0o-
Terry Moore, CCIM, is the author of Building Legacy Wealth: How to Build Wealth and Live a Life Worth Imitating. Read his “Welcome to My Blog.”