The Complete Guide

Do you want to start practicing Realistic Intentionality but don't know where to start? 

Here we have an 18 page complete guide on how to establish this intentional practice in your life. I highly recommend downloading it and working with it as you start this journey!

DOWNLOAD HERE!

The Complete Guide

 mind·ful·ness 

/ˈmīn(d)f(ə)lnəs/

noun: mindfulness

1.
the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something."their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition"

2.
a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

in·ten·tion

/inˈten(t)SHən/

noun: intention; plural noun: intentions

1.
a thing intended; an aim or plan."she was full of good intentions"

“Intentional living is any lifestyle based on an individual's or group's conscious attempts to live according to their values and beliefs. These can include lifestyles based on religious, political or ethical values, as well as for self-improvement.”

• Intentional Living on Wikipedia

 

Table of Contents

What is Realistic Intentionality?………………………………………………………………..3

Why begin this practice?………………………………………………………………………4

Understanding Your Worth…………………………………………………………………….5

Tapping into Awareness of Control…………………………………………………………..6

Addressing your Strengths and Weaknesses……………………………………………….8

Considering your Dream Life…………………………………………………………………10

Establishing the Goals of your Journey……………………………………………………..12

Realistically Arranging your Everyday……………………………………………………….13

Mindful Exercises to Keep you Motivated…………………………………………………..16

Things to Consider…………………………………………………………………………….18 

Foreword

I want to take a moment and commend you for even being here and reading this. The reality is, a large portion of humanity feels so disempowered that they believe they are unworthy for the pursuit of personal improvement. It is a disheartening truth that I have personally lived at many different points in my life. By reading this, you are actively deciding that your time and attention should go to something positive and something that will help you create the life you exist for. That is major and should not be overlooked. Just showing up for yourself and giving something like this consideration is a massive step many do not even get to in their life. So congratulations, you are officially ahead of the curve and approaching something incredibly fulfilling and inspired for yourself. 

So thank you for being here.

 

What is Realistic Intentionality?

It is exactly what it sounds like. It is the act of living intentionally with realistic expectations. Though it really should be called, Realistic Mindful Intentionality as mindfulness plays just as much of a part, that is just a bit too much of a mouthful.

This practice utilises mindfulness and mindful contemplation to not only help one become present with themselves and their desires, but to also navigate their decision making to align with their intentions. 

To live in alignment with our intentions seems obvious, but unfortunately due to the overall messiness of our reality, a lot of people struggle with it. They want to eat healthy but they can only afford and have time for fast food. They want a healthy relationship but keep running back to their toxic ex. They want to escape the 9-5 workforce but they don’t pursue any opportunity to do that. Why? Because, life is messy and complicated. 

Living intentionally with mindfulness does not eradicate the complexity of this existence, but it helps eliminate the issues within our control.

The practice itself can be summarised as attempting to be mindful during daily decision making so that one’s decisions can be most aligned with one’s intentions for their life. It is not about sudden, risky changes or unrealistic expectations, but daily effort to make sure everyday is a step in the right direction. 

Through this guide, we break the process into steps of getting the mindset to a place where one can recognise their worthiness of a good life, reflecting their strengths and weaknesses in regards to their current circumstances, identifying the life they want for themselves (whether they already know or need to figure it out), breaking down their dreams into doable goals, fine-tuning their daily habits and routine to accommodate their goals while maintaining a realistic, sustainable pace, and then staying motivated to remain mindful through the process. 

Most of the work is mental, addressing the daily decision making and habits is a matter of being realistic, knowing some days will be more aligned than others. The true work is to remain dedicated and mindful with the established intentions. 

Everyone will follow their own path and journey, as everyone’s dream life is wildly different. There is no right and wrong intention, there is no requirements or qualifications outside of simply being mindful and realistic with one’s own personal intentions. Whether someone wants to travel the world or settle down with a family, whether they want to become an award-winning author or want to retire early, whether someone wants to break records for food eating contests of become a monk, whether they are atheist or religious, pessimist or optimist, this is for everyone. 

So, to wrap it all together in a nice package, Realistic Intentionality is a practice of living mindfully with a set intention being the guide and goal. It is truly as simple as that. No gimmicks, no paywalls, no indoctrination, no set beliefs or styles. Just a way to get the life that you exist for the way you want it. 

Why Begin this Practice?

If you were actively seeking out mindfulness, self-improvement, intentional living content and practices… then you already know why. Because you want it or need it. However, if you have stumbled across this and you find yourself drawn into the idea, perhaps you are ready for change in your life. 

   The reality is, regardless of your faith or beliefs, there is truly only one guarantee in this existence, your life as you know it started and it will end. 

    That is the simple, inevitable truth. Even if you believe in life after death, being in this body as this person in this current world is only guaranteed once. You are a unique being full of expression, passion, and desires despite how stifling our society and world can feel. You have things that you want and things that call you time and time again. But, time is ticking and life goes faster and faster by the year. Ten years have went by quicker than you can imagine, and the human average is only 7 decades of life. Its maddening and terrifying. I feel a pit in my stomach and my fingers tremble a bit as I write that, but it is the truth. 

This life is yours, you decide what to do with it. Yes, things outside of us impose their will and make it difficult, but ultimately, with every moment, you decide how to handle it and how to move forward. Shouldn’t you do the things you want? Shouldn’t you experience the things you yearn for? Shouldn’t you leave this life knowing you lived it how you wanted to despite all the bullshit that tries to prevent that?

   You deserve the life you exist for. You deserve the life you dream of. You deserve a life that when you face your final moment, you will feel fulfilled.

And that is why you should begin this practice. You deserve it all.

Understanding Your Worth

Though this may seem a bit silly, to have a whole section about your worthiness of having a life you love, it is actually major. So much of our functioning is rooted in our self-image and self-worth.

If you view yourself negatively, as someone who is not worthy of being successful, healthy, rich, happy… you will never allow yourself to be those things. When we feel undeserving of something, we have a harder time receiving it. When we feel ashamed of ourselves, we shy away from the things we truly want. When we are lacking a foundation of self-love and self-acceptance, we tend to self-sabotage every aspect of our life whether we are aware of it or not.

There are tons of things that have wrecked our self-image. On a societal level, we have media trying to profit off our insecurities as big and obvious as the skincare company paying actors to be repulsed by wrinkles to now everyday content creators pushing that same skincare while using a filter on their video. There is the educational system using standardised tests to label someone as advanced or deficient despite people not being standardised themselves. The hustle, workplace culture that insists that if you do not have a full time job, you are slacking and not living up to your potential. Or the narrative that someone needs to be head over heels in love in a relationship or else there is something sad and wrong with them.

Then, there are the personal ones. Like our parents who told us we should quit the violin because its clear there is no natural talent there. Or our old elementary school best friend who stopped talking to us because they found a cooler friend. Perhaps it is an ex-partner who convinced us that our baggage made us impossible to love and even went as far as falling for someone else… and choosing them too. 

No matter how much love our friends and random people throw to us - it will never feel real unless we really love ourselves. It seems corny, I know, but sometimes there is truth in the cliche. Again, we have a harder time accepting love when we feel unworthy of it. 

And it is a shame we have been taught to pick ourselves apart, because we are truly all we have. We are the only ones who know our every experience, our good and our bad, our justifications and explanations behind everything we do, and ultimately, almost everyone can say that they have tried their best, and they are the only ones who know that to be true of themselves.

It is necessary to understand your worth, your inherent worthiness, no matter what you have went through. You will have a harder time succeeding in anything, let alone transforming your whole life, if you feel you are unworthy of having the life you want. But you are worthy, you do deserve that life. 

You were born into this world and you feel these passions and desires for a reasons, as long as they don’t harm anyone, you should most definitely pursue them because you were meant to. The heart does not call for something you are not meant to chase. Now, we do things realistically here, so not all things you want you will have. But, you can experience the pursuit of them or having them for a moment or even the process of wanting them and coming to realise you don’t anymore. 

Self-love and self-worth is a whole healing journey of its own that can take months to years, some could say all of life is an effort to accept oneself. For the sake of moving forward, just try to tell yourself everyday you deserve the CHANCE to TRY to change your life. And through mindfulness, when you feel low self-worth try to sneak in your thoughts, remember that you are working on yourself, you are doing and getting better. Remind yourself you are worthy of being on this journey towards fulfilment.

Tapping into Awareness of Control

Upon understanding what mindfulness is, it is then a matter of implementing it. For each person, its going to be a little different. We all have different patterns of thinking, cognitive and psychological predispositions. Some people use meditation, others use mantra, some utilise their senses and use what they see, hear, feel, and smell to bring them back, and others use certain substances or supplements. How you cultivate your mindfulness is up to you, again, this practice relies on you tuning it according to what works for you. 

Do not be discouraged if it seems impossible to remain mindful and in the present moment, it takes weeks to rewire the brain’s patterns. Even slight improvement, reminding yourself to be mindful only three moments a day, makes a huge difference overall. 

My mind loves to wander and I love to daydream. I very often pace around my house while having deep, vivid daydreams. I even allow myself a certain amount of time to do so everyday as it fuels my creativity. However, throughout the day, I remind myself of my intention, remind myself to be mindful, and approach my next few steps with that awareness. Seriously, just doing that a few times a day is good enough to begin the journey with. 

For the sake of this guide, we have not gotten to declaring an intention yet, but I am sure as you read you can feel ideas start to surface. That being said, when you do set intentions, they are great ways to remind yourself of your goals and journey. You can make a vision board, write your intention on a post-it note in your car, or set a related image as your phone lock screen. The moments you look at these reminders bring you to mindful awareness, now that you are tapped in, you can use it to control your thinking and consequently, your decision making.

Having the awareness that you can control your thinking and decision making to cater to your goals, intentions, and dreams is massive. So many are letting their intrusive, unideal thoughts plague their mind, warp their emotions, and then as a result, highjack their decision making. It is essential to prevent that as much as possible. Thoughts are thoughts, the mind is always going to fire off thoughts both helpful and annoyingly unneeded. 

I find it best to acknowledge that you cannot control the thoughts you have but you can control what you do with them. 

If you try to do something positive but the outcome is not up to your expectations, you may have thoughts about how it is a waste of time or that you are unworthy of succeeding. The thoughts came, its annoying but it is what it is, however, you can either validate them, let them ruin your day, and stop you from doing something good for yourself or you can hear them and acknowledge that they are a thought, but rebel against them. Keep doing the thing despite the thoughts. 

Thoughts are incredibly helpful despite being quite bothersome. They show you how your brain currently operates, they show you what you like and don’t like, they can fuel creativity and innovation, and they can remind you of what needs to be worked on. Even the horrible intrusive thoughts of kicking babies or throwing your phone off a bridge can make for good jokes or twisted movie scenes and art. Not every thought is a winner and not every thought is a representation of who you are. You can choose which ones are worth further consideration.

Having awareness of your own control, that you can control what thoughts get power and what decisions should be made will change your life more than any self-help book (or blog lol). It will liberate you from the things that don’t serve you. 

I treated my chronic anxiety attacks with this alone over the course of a year. I have adapted to my obsessive compulsions through this understanding. Anytime I had an unnecessary anxiety or compulsive thought pattern, I acknowledged that my mind is prone to those thoughts but they do not reflect my reality and I actively reminded myself of the life I want, a life unhindered by my anxieties and compulsions. They are a part of my mind scape, they creep out to my emotions and body sometimes, but they will not hinder my life. Sure, I may skip a coffee if I am feeling predisposed for anxiety that day but I will not allow it to hijack my day otherwise. 

The point is, you have more control than you may think, you just need to bring yourself to awareness. Remind yourself you are the active leader of your own life, not a passive participant. The more often you do this throughout the day, the more aligned decision-making you will do, and the more positive change you will experience. 

Addressing Your Strengths 

and Weaknesses

I mentioned previously that I suffered from anxiety and obsessive compulsions, I want to mention that I am not ashamed of these things, they are just a reality of my situation. They are a weakness in my functioning, I am prone to anxiety, I am prone to compulsions. There is nothing wrong with not being a perfectly functioning person. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. The only thing wrong is when they are unaddressed and are having a negative effect on your life. When those things stopped me from leaving my house for months… that was bad. But, when I addressed them, they simply became a weak spot, a situation I have to work around and acknowledge. 

In contrast, I have a strength in being very emotionally intelligent. I know what I am feeling, I know why, and I know how to handle it properly and improperly. That is a strength that allows me to process things easier and hold space for others. In fact, when loved ones actually ask for advice on how to address their emotions, I usually have decent thoughts to offer. Almost like I should make content to help people… 

    When being mindful and on a journey of self-imrovement, you need to be realistic with yourself. That is huge thing for me which is why its in the title instead of Mindful Intentionality. Being aware and being real is acknowledging not everything is sunshine and rainbows. 

You have weaknesses (and strengths luckily!) that need to be addressed to properly find a process that works for you. If you have a chronic illness that debilitates you often, trying to do mindful jogs every morning is not realistic. If you have co-dependency issues, rushing into relationships or swearing them off completely is not realistic. If you have compulsive thinking like me, trying to sit in thoughtless mediation for a whole hour is not going to be realistic. 

That is one thing that drove me nuts with a lot of the teachings I learned was how strict and “one size fits all” they were. You NEED to do this THIS way. I watched myself and others fall off and become discouraged because there was no wiggle room for circumstance. It was unrealistic. 

    Play into your strengths and acknowledge your weaknesses. If a strength is that you are a highly disciplined person, you can make your goals very steady and consistent. If you, in opposition, are someone who struggles with steady and consistent routines, rotate your goals every few days or pick which one works for the current day. 

    There is no set schedule or routine with this, you make it work for you, but you remind yourself you are moving towards your intentional goals everyday by keeping them in the forefront of your mind.

If you struggle with identifying your strengths and weaknesses, think about projects, situations, or passions that you failed and succeeded in. 

    What made you fail that class, what made that relationship fall apart, what made you quit piano? Did you fail because you didn’t take good notes or because you didn’t study outside of class? Did the relationship fall apart because you weren’t receptive to their feelings or because you got too stagnant and you grew apart? Did you quit piano because you didn’t practice or because you didn’t find a style of playing you liked? 

    Now, what made you pass another class, what helped you nourish a relationship, what helped you learn to bake? Did that class offer study groups or did you watch videos about that subject? Did that relationship do well because you were able to be honest with them or because you kept it interesting? Did you learn to bake because you liked following instructions or because you liked the reward of eating it after? 

There are no right or wrong answers, there are only honest and aware  or dishonest and deluded answers. You don’t need to shout your failures from a rooftop or pin a ribbon of your strengths on your shirt. They can simply exist in your mind and help you formulate a plan where you will actually succeed. You being honest with yourself and really reflect is going to make a difference in whether you succeed or not. They need to be addressed before moving on, how can you know what your dream life is if you don’t truly know yourself?

Considering Your Dream Life

Finally, the fun part. What is your dream life? I’m the kind of person who could answer that in a heartbeat. But, that’s not always the case. This section is mostly for those who are not sure, but even if you know, stick around as I may mention something that can help you add elements to your dream.

I find it easiest to break up a dream life into categories, so below I will list a few categories to consider what you would like for each of the aspects of life.

1.) Basic Survival and Health

• What kind of financial security do you want?
• What kind of home do you want and where?
• What kind of body do you want?
• What kind of food do you want to eat?
• What kind of healthcare do you want?

2.) Sexuality and Reproduction

• What kind of sex life do you want?
• What kind of sexual partner(s) do you want?
• What do you want from your own sexuality?
• Do you want to have kids? If so how and how many?

3.) Hobbies and Action

• What hobbies do you want to have?
• What kind of job would you want?
• What do you want your daily life to be like?
• What do you want to spend your money on?
• What projects do you want to get involved in?

4.) Love and Relationships (Platonic, Familial, and Romantic)

• What kind of social life do you want?
• What kind of friends do you want?
• What kind of romantic relationship(s) do you want?
• What kind of friend do you want to be?
• What kind of partner do you want to be?
• What kind of relationships do you want with your family?
• What kind of family do you want for yourself? 

5.) Self-Expression 

• How do you want to present yourself?
• What kind of lifestyle do you want?
• Do you want to express yourself in another language or through a hobby?
• What kind of energy do you want to bring?

6.) Mental and Idealogical

• What kind of mindset do you want?
• What kind of things do you want to learn?
• What are things you want to do for your mental health?
• What are things you want to do to stimulate your mind?
• What are your interests?

7.) Spiritual, Religious, Belief-Centered

• What do you believe in?
• What do you want to believe in?
• What do you do based off your beliefs?
• What do you do based off your religion (if applicable)?
• What do you do based off your spirituality (if applicable)?
• How do you want these things to make you feel?
• What can you do to nourish your connection with them (if applicable)?

So, sit with that. What where the gut instinct answers as you read through? What are the elements you’ve never considered? Again, these answers are just for you to consider. They are all part of a interconnected life, by knowing where you stand with each thing, you can better understand what you truly want in all aspects. 

If you feel overwhelmed, take a breath, all these things are already existing in your headspace and life, this is just putting words to them so you can organise your thoughts. Even if most of those answers were “I don’t know”, that is okay. Work with the things you do know and moving forward, you can now know what things you may want clarity on through mindful contemplation. 

Establishing the Goals of Your Journey

This is where shit gets real. How exactly are you going to get your dream life? What are the realistic goals to set to get where you want to go? I wish I had a nice little breakdown to this like in the last section, but I don’t. Only you can know your limits and expectations.

A few key points to consider is not trying to get the whole life at once, understanding what is realistic in chronological order, and knowing that they are always open to change.

Those were a lot of questions in the last chapter which hopefully provided a lot of clarity. However, that is a lot to prioritise at once. Trying to overhaul your entire life in a few weeks is a recipe for burn out. Just having newfound clarity and mindfulness is going to help you do the work towards what you want subconsciously. Really, when it comes to establishing your goals, you may find it helpful to pick one or two to try to accomplish over a set amount of time, a REALISTIC amount of time I should add. 

For example, there’s a lot of things I want to do, but starting and maintaining this blog and podcast were the chief goals for this year. I am also doing other things such as learning Spanish, teaching my homeschooled son to read, and healing my childhood traumas, but the biggie is this blog. All the smaller ones are just bonus wins. 

Now, also its important to understand chronological order of your goals. Some things will lead to others or pave the way to make it easier. It would be wise to look at you goals and consider which ones would just make sense to do first.

For me, a huge goal for me is to travel and live in Central America. However, to go ahead and move before learning Spanish or making a living running this platform would not be realistic. I need money and to speak the native language before doing that. So, even though it is one of my biggest and most desired goals, I am doing other things first that will allow that to unfold easier and more realistically.

Lastly, please please please know that these are always subject to change. Life will throw curveballs and your desires will change and that is okay! It would be crazy to think that you know exactly everything you want forever. You are a growing and changing human being, allow it to be flexible. If you start a goal and realise its not working out right now, put it aside and do something else. Or if you find you don’t even like it the way you thought you would, there is no shame in going back to the drawing board. 

One of my dreams a decade ago was to have a family and live on an intentional, spiritual, commune… and I did it. I lived at a yoga mission with my partner and son for five years and guess what? I realised that I actually did not want that truly. We even considered living there for a large chunk of our lives to help run it if needed, we set the goal and tried to do it, and then we realised, it was not for us. There is no shame in developing and changing. The lessons and experiences I had there were so beneficial even if they were not the end goal. I insist that you allow yourself flexibility. 

Establishing your goals should be an inspiring and motivating process, no matter how daunting it may seem. Work on it until it feels right and follow the pull of passion. In the next section we will discuss how to approach them in small, realistic, daily steps. So, if it feels too big, remember we will make it much more doable.

Realistically Arranging Your Everyday

Now, here is the nitty, gritty part where it will all come together for you. How are you going to arrange your everyday routines to realistically cultivate mindfulness for your decision making and to allow empowered action towards the goals? It is not concrete and believe me, it will take trial and error, so do not feel like this is a life sentence. This is just a jumping off point for you to play with until you get a feel for your natural rhythms of your own style of mindful, intentional living. 

How much you want to change and take on is totally up to you. Some people like doing the “New Year, New Me” mentality while others like to just focus on one thing to dedicate to everyday. 

The principle behind mindfulness is that the more you tap into that state, the more aligned you will operate at. So, a lot of pivotal change will happen within those mindful moments, you do not necessarily need to write down and organise every element of change you hope to experience (but if that is how you want to, that is totally up to you!)

I wrote a blog post last month with a hypothetical day of someone implementing this practice, I am going to include it here as it summarises the general mindset you can use to figure out what your ideal days may look like. But, again, there is no requirement or set way. Follow your own insights and intuition above all else.

Excerpt from the blog post, A (hypothetical) Day of Realistic Intentionality:

 “Paul wakes up, yesterday he decided he was going to begin the path of intentional living with realistic means and methods. Upon waking up, he takes a moment to remember his mission. So, he sets the immediate intention that today would be different, today was new. 

Already just by choosing to embody something different, he is setting a new intention within the first few moments of consciousness. 

Instead of doom scrolling, he takes a moment to be grateful for the sleep he had in his comfortable bed. It’s not a full meditation by any means, but it sets a tone of gratitude and acknowledgement of the blessings he already experienced. 

He does his morning duties mindfully, doing the morning routine he had always wanted to do. Every step from washing his face to brushing his teeth he knows is enhancing his day. Paul prepares his breakfast which is nourishing and delicious. Because food that is healthy feeds the body, but food that is tasty feeds the soul. 

Paul gets ready for work, he puts on a special cologne that gets him a lot of compliments, he dresses for his job and goes to work listening to his favourite songs. He considers how good he has done so far.  

During work he makes an effort to make a positive impact. It doesn’t matter what his job is, he makes a difference by complimenting his coworkers and customers. It costed nothing yet improved his relationships and workplace morale. Paul is mindful of his tasks and his well-being, he prioritises the things that are necessary and adequately hydrates throughout the day. 

Paul leaves work accomplished, hydrated, and knowing he made at least someone’s day a little better. On the way home he listens to his favourite podcast, the drive is enjoyable despite the traffic. 

Upon getting home, Paul sits down and writes down his goals for the evening, they include his obligations, his intentional disciplines and his hobbies.

• vacuum rug
• do dishes
• call Grandma
• meal prep for tomorrow 
• work out
• study Spanish
• read finance book
• scroll social media 
• play online game 

Paul decided to get his obligations and intentional practices first and to relax on his phone and game in the evening. His night is well balanced with things he needs to do, things he wants to do, and things he enjoys to do. He strayed from the list a few times, knowing that he is human and had some various things, but he always went back to it. 

He maintained his space, catered to a relationship (calling his grandmother), set himself up for tomorrow with his lunch, took care of his body and mind with exercise and learning, and enjoyed his night with his self-care of hobbies. 

He didn’t NEED to make a list, but it helped him prioritise and organise his evening. Everyday will be slightly different, but the thing that will be consistent is his consideration. He is being mindful of how he spends his time. 

Finally, after gaming and talking to his friends, Paul gets ready for bed. His place is clean, his meals are made, he accomplished all the things he wanted to do with intention. He is going to bed fulfilled. He is one step closer to his ideal daily routine and his ideal life. Paul is thankful for showing up for himself and being considerate of every moment’s potential. 

It took no extra time as he did it moment to moment and no additional money was spent, yet he is going to bed feeling better than he has in weeks. 

What’s the big deal, Paul had a productive and seemingly normal day? Well, Paul is gunning for a promotion at work and showing up to work healthy and in a good mood impressed the higher ups. Also Paul dreams of a vacation in Spain, and he is now actively learning their language. He wants to be fit so he feels good and he wants to understand finances to invest. Luckily, he read his book all about it and did a work out. Because Paul’s ideal life is to have a high ranking job, a wide investment portfolio, a vacation home in Spain, and to be healthy and happy. Everything he did that day, contributed to that dream. He can feel success that though the progress was only a days worth, it was still progress.”

The main point is that he is using mindfulness to navigate through this day which allows for each moment to have potential to work towards a goal and his dream life. He does not neglect the things he needs to do, instead he finds balance within his day.

You know what your days are like. You know your obligations, needs, and style of function. This is completely up to you how you go about the day, the only thing you need to do is add mindful intention. 

As days go by and you notice your own patterns, it is important you change what you’re doing if you feel called to. If you notice daily yoga and work outs leave your body too sore to function at your active job, maybe include a rest day. If you have to take care of a family member after their surgery for a month, lighten the load as much as you can. It is about progress, not perfection.

Mindful Exercises to Keep 

you Motivated

1.) To make a vision board, start by clearly defining your goals and aspirations across different life areas, then gather images, quotes, and words that represent those goals from magazines, the internet, or stock photo libraries; arrange them aesthetically on a chosen surface like a poster board or digital platform, ensuring the layout visually reflects your desired future; finally, place your vision board somewhere you'll see it regularly to stay motivated and focused on achieving your goals. 

Key steps to creating a vision board:

Set your goals:
Clearly identify what you want to achieve in different aspects of your life like career, health, relationships, and personal growth. 

Gather inspiration:
Collect images, quotes, and words from magazines, online sources, or personal photos that resonate with your goals and evoke positive emotions. 

Choose a format:
Decide whether you want to create a physical board on poster paper or a digital vision board using design software. 

Arrange your elements:
Intuitively place the images and words on your chosen format, grouping related themes together and considering the visual appeal. 

Add affirmations:
Include positive words and phrases that reinforce your desired mindset and motivate you towards your goals. 

Display your board:
Put your vision board somewhere you'll see it frequently, like on your desk, bedroom wall, or as a digital wallpaper. 

2.) Goal / Intention Reminders

Place reminders for you intentions and goals the places you need it most. Whether a Post-It note in the car or dry-erase marker on the bathroom mirror . Be sure to rotate or change them so they stand out to you!

3.) To "intention journal" means to regularly write down your desired intentions for the day, week, or month, focusing on the "why" behind your goals rather than just the outcome, allowing you to cultivate a mindful approach to your life by setting clear direction and aligning your actions with your values; essentially, it's a practice of actively shaping your mindset through journaling. 

Key steps for intention journaling:

Choose a dedicated journal: Select a notebook that inspires you to write regularly. 

Create a quiet space: Find a comfortable area where you can focus without distractions. 

Reflect on your current state: Begin by taking a few moments to check in with yourself, acknowledging your feelings and thoughts. 

Set intentions, not just goals: Instead of saying "I will lose weight," frame it as "I intend to prioritise my health and well-being.". 

Use positive language: Focus on what you want to achieve, using affirming and optimistic wording. 

Write about the "why": Explain why these intentions are important to you, connecting them to your deeper values and purpose. 

Be specific: While intentions should be flexible, try to outline specific actions you can take to support your intentions. 

Regularly review and revise: Periodically revisit your intentions to assess progress, adjust as needed, and set new intentions based on your current situation. 

Some prompts to guide your intention journaling:

How do I want to feel today?

What positive energy do I want to bring into my interactions?

What are my top priorities for this week?

What small steps can I take to align with my larger goals?

How can I show self-compassion today?

What are my intentions for personal growth this month?

 

Things to Consider

I am so proud of you for getting this far. I want to end this guide with a few things that are important to consider.

One of which is that this process may very well bring up a lot of things that require healing. After years of being on auto-pilot, being mindful and fully processing your life can be a shock. Be kind to yourself when you feel the feelings. It is important to work through them as avoided them can disrupt the progress you are making.

Secondly, patience is key. Sometimes when being mindful, it is hard to notice how much is changing because you are more clued in moment to moment. Trust that in no time, months will have passed and you accomplished more than you realised. 

And lastly, I cannot stress this enough, you are loved. Truly. Even if it feels like no one in this world cares about you, there are so many people out there that honestly want every person to find their happiness. I know because I am one of them. I am tearing up just thinking about it. All 6,000 of these words I have typed are out of love for you, love for humanity, and love for the chance to do something good with my life. You are so loved and you deserve to feel that love everyday from yourself and through all the amazing experiences you will create through the process of self-improvement. I am pouring so much good faith and love in these words for you, the person reading them in this very moment. You will do amazing things. You will feel amazing. And you will live an amazing life that makes an amazing impact on the world. You deserve the life you exist for. All that you have experienced will pay off ten-fold. I believe in you. 

I love you.

Thank you so much for being here.

- Sincerely,

Dani