There are few things as frustrating in the world as feeling stuck.

If you’ve ever gone through a day just floating along…you know what I’m talking about.

You’re not making real progress.

You’re not growing, developing, blossoming. You aren’t living fully or becoming your best self.

You’re just…existing.

Put an end to those feelings of stagnation.

Live intentionally.

Intention is the roadmap to success. It is the guiding light that lets you know where you are, where you’re going, and what route you need to take to get where you want to be.

Intentions give you clear direction—direction to make positive changes to your health, your career, your relationships, and anything else you can imagine.

So how do you get started?

Here are the three ways to live with intention.

Set Intentions

Living with intention starts with setting intentions.

An intention is any conscious decision that directs your behavior and action. For example, if you said, “I’m going to write a book, and I’m going to write it in the next six months,” that decision becomes your intention, your guiding light. It is the beacon on the horizon that you slowly make your way toward.

If you’re new to the idea of “intention setting” maybe start with something less grandiose than writing a book, such as:

• I intend to be more present in my relationships.
• I intend to be more joyous.
• I intend to exercise daily.
• I intend to drink 32 ounces of water per day.

These are things you easily can incorporate into your daily routine—if you commit to them.

Be Intentional

With intentions in-hand, you can be intentional.

That means behaving in an intentional manner, taking specific actions that drive you closer to your intention. If your intention is to be “more joyous,” being intentional means asking yourself “How am I going to be more joyous?”

The “how” is essential. By discovering the “how,” you outline steps to take.

For example:

“I am going to be more joyous.”

“How am I going to do that?”

“Every morning and every evening when I’m brushing my teeth, I’m going to think of something positive in my life—a friend, a complement given to me, a family member I care about, my health, something—and I’m going to cultivate joy from that positive thing.”

That’s being intentional. That’s living intentionally.

But there still are two steps missing…

Take Action

Your actions must reflect your commitment to living intentionally.

If you set the intention of “being more joyous” and you answered “how” you’re going to be “more joyous,” now you need to determine if you are taking the necessary actions to execute.

Action is the most difficult element of living with intention. It is the “put your money where your mouth is” step.

Think of it like this…

You can have the best driver and navigator in the world, but without the car, you’ll never reach the destination. The car is what gets you there. It allows you to drive forward toward the place you want to arrive.

Intention is your driver, intentional living is your navigator, but action provides the vehicle, your means of motion forward.

Commit

I’ve mentioned commitment several times. Commitment provides the fuel for your car, the gasoline to keep you moving forward.

Once you set an intention, you must commit to it. Decide that you will do this thing no matter what.

Get in the car. Put your foot on the gas. Drive to your destination.

Taken independently, the four parts are relatively useless; together they’re incredibly powerful. When you incorporate these four steps into your life, you’re going to see a huge difference in the quality of your life. And you’ll start making progress. You won’t be stuck any longer.

Get in the Car

Now it’s up to you. Drive away!

That’s how you get unstuck.

Develop a readiness to live intentionally. Use intention in the minutes, hours, and days of every week.

Incorporate intention into every aspect of your life—your health, career, relationships, hobbies…everything.

When you bring intention into your life, joy and success follow. And you’ll quickly arrive at any destination.

How do you live intentionally?

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