Habits are repeated actions or an unconscious pattern of behavior. They affect all areas of our lives and determine how we make use of each day.
We all know of good and bad habits and are probably struggling to let go of some bad practices. Unfortunately, there is nothing as hard as fighting against self.
It is who you have been for a while and it takes time to let go of something that has become a part of you.
However, if we are to live an intentional life and be successful in what we do, we will need to cultivate habits that are in sync with the life we want.
An intentional life is one where we carefully choose what to do and how we do it in order to achieve certain goals. It is a purposeful life. Needless to say, one needs to be principled to be able to live such a life.
Below are ten habits that can help us stay principled as we seek to live an intentional life.
Self-introspection
Make it a habit to do a self-check. Sometimes we are our own stumbling blocks and we do not realize it. We behave in a self-sabotaging way.
Therefore, we must learn to first look deep inside ourselves before we find anyone or anything else to blame for anything that is not going right in our lives.
Look for your own weaknesses and areas that need to be improved and work on yourself. This will improve your relationships and your approaches as you work on your personal goals.
Recite your Life Goals
Reciting your life goals remind you of where each plan for the day is meant to take you. Remind yourself of what you want to achieve every now and then.
In other words, stay focused on the goal to avoid wasting time on things that do not bring value to your life.
Be Comfortable with Saying No
Learn to say no to anything that is not in alignment with your goals. This includes saying no to your desires, your friends, and everyone else.
Teach them to respect your routine and working time, and that your interests and goals matter too. Also, do not embrace excuses, they help you feel comfortable in your weaknesses.
Draw a Lesson from each Challenge you Face
Challenges happen for a reason. They could be from our own miscalculations of or from external forces. Regardless of the cause, there is always something to learn from them.
These range from misunderstandings to failed businesses. Identify opportunities too where possible.
Listen More and Talk Less
When you learn to listen more, you learn more from others. You do not only get valuable information related to your dreams, but you also understand them better and improve relationships.
Listening also gives you enough time to think before you talk or react. It also helps you understand the contents of a discussion and lessens the chances of a misunderstanding or conflict.
Show Appreciation
Be grateful for your achievements and growth and learn to express genuine gratitude to others. An intentional life is nearly impossible to follow if one is ungrateful.
The person tends to be driven by their desire to achieve more and they are never content. Such an attitude can drive a person to do anything including things that are out of character.
Following a straight path feels like a burden. Appreciating what we have helps us stay calm and takes away focus from a single goal.
Reward Yourself for Good Work
We need to be easy going and not make everything about the future while forgetting to live in the present. Reward yourself when you achieve a goal or finish a task.
It makes you feel good and motivates you to do more as you realize the results of committing to your goals. This further encourages you to cultivate more good habits.
“When we give ourselves treats, we feel energized, cared for, and contented, which boosts our self-command — and self-command helps us maintain our healthy habits.” Gretchen Rubin.
Do not Spend too much Time on the Phone or Watching Television
Simply put, social media, television, and games can be addictive. We should learn to limit the time we spend on them to avoid losing work and study time.
Rest When your Mind and Body Tell You
Your body and mind require you to rest. Sometimes we stay up late trying to finish a task.
Taking time to rest helps us refresh our minds so that when it's time to return to the task our brains will function more efficiently and makes you more productive.
Resting helps our muscles recover, reduces stress, gives us more energy, and improves our overall mood.
Control your Spending Habits
Create a budget and know how much you need to spend and on what. It is necessary to have a budget and controlling your spending habits can help you stick to it.
Budgeting helps you keep in mind what is worth spending on. As we master how to control our spending habits, it becomes easier to reach our financial goals.
Victoria Parham (VP) is a woman of compassion, vision, faith, and purpose, she believes in meeting people where they are in their lives and offers a no-nonsense approach in her message, training, and coaching style.
Outspoken, wise, direct, thoughtful, and sometimes provocative, her message is always with love and respect. Victoria knows from her own experiences that we all have the power within us to make decisions and choices that can lead to living an authentic life that is enriching, filled with purpose, personal satisfaction, on-going growth, joy, and gratitude.Victoria believes that when we discover who we truly are, only then can we become our most authentic selves.
Outspoken, wise, direct, thoughtful, and sometimes provocative, her message is always with love and respect. Victoria knows from her own experiences that we all have the power within us to make decisions and choices that can lead to living an authentic life that is enriching, filled with purpose, personal satisfaction, on-going growth, joy, and gratitude.Victoria believes that when we discover who we truly are, only then can we become our most authentic selves.
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