Deciding to have a morning routine, deciding to add more plants in your room because it makes you feel happy, deciding to have a self care routine or eat more consciously—whatever it may be, you’re deciding. Your intention is followed through by your decision. Over the last 30 days I started to be more intentional about what I was doing. It goes hand in hand with mindfulness, and the two together are a power-duo. For example, I made myself aware of what I was experiencing mentally, and made a conscious decision to do something about it. I decided to read more, write more, meditate more just to see what would happen—and the last 30 days have been a step in the right direction. It was not transformative, but healthy transformation takes time.

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              Intentional living comes in two steps—“Defining your values and taking action intentionally” (4). Asking yourself what your values are and then making decisions based on them is essentially what intentional living is. But how does that add any meaning to your life? Intentional living, by nature, will make you more mindful. You are aware of your intention, and aware of your decision. Your conscious effort to do something brings presence to your life because of your decision-making. However, your intention should not be blurred by outcome or goal.

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              In many ways, the goal of getting something out of an action can often ruin your intention. You spend more time focused on reaching the goal, than the actual intention or decision itself. This is where we switch lenses. Instead of looking at decisions, let's take a look at just intentions—specifically about meditation.