Shifting my focus from future aspirations to the present moment is such an important piece in my happiness journey. However, holding the dichotomy of living in the moment and focussing on working towards higher goals is a reality that I struggle with.
When I spend too much of my time and attention on the gap between where I am now and where I want to be I forget to celebrate my progress.
This is where intentionality fits for me.
You can bring meaning into the menial daily tasks you need to complete if they are approached with the your full attention.
Doing mundane chores, like the dishes, can become meditative when you give them the respect of your full focus. If you sink your conscious effort into completing the task at hand to the utmost best of your ability then you bring meaning to it. It serves a life working towards mastery.
To find meaning is to live intentionally.
When you set your intentions you are actively striving to break free of your auto-pilot settings.
You are forced to consider all of the opportunities that are laid out before you and to choose one. This means that you are actively foregoing all other choices. To set the intention for what you’re going to focus on or achieve for the day. This is to find meaning.
To think through on a big picture scale what you want to achieve. This gives you the ability to view your life through the lense of hindsight prior to having the lived experience. You consider what you want to achieve and work backwards to it.
With a daily practice of intentionality you are choosing how you want to live your life rather than just reacting to what gets thrown your way.