Just doing the basic things you know you have to do: get up, prepare yourself for work, get dressed, go to work, come home, and do whatever you plan for the evening. Or do you make plans? Are you intentional? How do you start your day? Do you have a morning ritual to greet the day? Do you do anything to set your mindset for the day?

“These are elements of intentionality. ”

You might wake up with your mind set on completing certain tasks, perhaps taking one step further towards a long-term plan, or just setting your mood and motivation for the day. You see a lot of videos about people meal prepping; that’s intentionality. But do you do that kind of work for your mind and spirit? Do you work to accomplish goals in your life?

We can use the idea of intentionality to direct our lives, to mold and shape the attitude we carry. Often, people think things just happen—and sometimes they do; sometimes you can’t predict what life will throw at you. It could be a loss, a change, someone moving away, or a broken friendship. You don’t control every little thing that happens in life, but that doesn’t mean we don’t make plans or have expectations for the life we want. Intentionality helps us achieve that.

Start with how you wake up in the morning. Set some rituals for yourself. Will you wake up and walk a few miles on a treadmill? Will you pray or meditate? Perhaps stretch and do some yoga? Maybe there’s some self-help or self-improvement reading you’d like to do, or meditate and open a book of reflections. Anything that helps set your day and frame your mind.

The second thing: set aside some time for reflection. Think about what you want to achieve. Are you working on being more patient, or on overcoming procrastination? It might be something that normally hinders you, but it could also be something you're good at and want to expand. How do you do that? Increase your strengths and work on your needs by setting aside time for reflection. Write down what you’d like to change and how you plan to go about it. Make a checklist, get a planner or journal, and hold yourself accountable.

Lastly, set aside time to work on something that will get you closer to your goal, whether it’s gaining new information, seeking out a resource or a mentor, attending a class or workshop, or following someone online who provides helpful information. Be intentional about who you want to be, how you want to be, and where you want to be. We all have goals; how do you go about achieving them? Are you more of a 'wait and see' person, or do you map it out, speak it into existence, and do the work to make it happen? Think about it. Your answer will hold a lot of power.