Living with intention. What does it entail?
This is something most of us try to achieve or “sell” ourselves into the idea of but it can be so much harder to accomplish. Why? Because, if you’re anything like me chances are that you spend more time researching ways on how to do it by scrolling through Pinterest ideas or Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, both are great tools but it’s easy to just get distracted for hours and then lose sight of what our goal was. For me this can mean spending an hour (or two) on social media when I could have just done something to be more intentional. Another guilty area of mine, over-planning. I plan for almost everything and again this can be such a time consumer that takes me away from the concept of living with intention.
Stop planning and start doing.
It’s really easy for me to say that I’m going to start making time on the weekends for family or do things like having breakfast with the husband. I found that on weekends when my work obligations permitted, I would make a concerted effort to wake up earlier than my husband and get a head start on breakfast. This used to be such a rushed activity for me, more like a chore. But now, I’ve found so many benefits to it. I get some quiet time to myself, I control the nutrition behind our meals , and we don’t even have to get ready and leave our place. Did I mention how great this is from a budgetary standpoint? On top of all this, we get time to sit down together, converse and make our plans for the day.
Eating with intention at home.
Beautify your space.
I absolutely love this. Doing something such as picking up a beautiful bouquet of blooms works wonders for your mood and the energy in your home. No need for anything fancy, you can get a great find at your local Trader Joe’s or Costco. It completely elevates the level of elegance in your home. I always like to remind myself that I work hard Monday – Friday (and sometimes Saturday’s too), so I like to remind myself of the why behind it. What good is it to earn that extra cash if you won’t give yourself some time to improve your immediate surroundings.
Don’t forget to treat yo’ self.
This one’s really important. I know that I’ve confused this concept many a time with the need to literally go out and purchase something for myself. I first heard of #treatyoself while watching one of my favorite shows Parks and Rec. Anyone with me? Donna looovveed to treat herself like the queen she was! What a beautiful reminder that we are so worth it! While this is ever so nice, I often hear from stay at home moms (or wives) that budgeting is equally important. And I agree! I used to love getting up a little early to make a quick stop through our local coffee shop drive through right before work. After a few years of travelling to places like Spain, France and Italy I learned the value of living with intention. I now choose to wake up and make myself a warm or iced coffee (sometimes tea) and enjoy my surroundings. That can be enjoying the view from my patio or sitting in one of my reading chairs to meditate for the day ahead. It sure beats fighting the drive-through frustrations and dealings of sipping your coffee as you begin to sift through the plethora of emails at your desk.
Well there you have it, a few ways to live life with more meaning. Simple changes you can incorporate beginning now. Whether you work at home or outside the home, don’t cheat yourself out of the delicacies of life.
xo,
The Sun Queen