Growing up I had big goals for myself, my goals were based on what society told me I should have in order to enjoy life. I had to make sure I graduated high school, graduated college, get a self-sustaining job, move out on my own, buy a car, then buy a house.

There were even smaller goals that I had on top of my long-term goals. They were to take care of my health and wellness, financial goals, and goals to get my master’s degree. I was able to achieve some of these goals, and the other goals I might have tried but then gave up on it like health and wellness.

All of these goals just felt like the right thing to do, the ones I wasn’t able to achieve just didn’t catch my attention enough. So many of us fall into this trap, where all we are doing is trying to achieve the next thing and check it off our list of things that got done.

It wasn’t until I became intentional with what I wanted to feel in my life, did I start to really see changes and movements in my life. When I first started to live intentionally back in my late 30’s I wasn’t aware this was the lifestyle I was living.

I would wake up at 4 in the morning to meditate, then take a bus 45 minutes away from the gym to work out, then go to work. I would do this every day 5 days a week because I knew something great would come out of my consistency.

The reason why I never gave up on that tough morning routine was because I knew that something great was going to come out of it, I wasn’t sure what it was going to be, but I felt in all parts of me that it was.

It wasn’t until later in my journey I discovered what I was doing was being intentional.

Here you can read about how to live an Intentional Life.

In this blog I will go over the difference and how you can become intentional in your goals.

Difference between Intentional and Goal Setting

The difference between living intentionally and having goals is that goals focuses on the future and intentions are focused on the present moment.

Having goals can be limiting, only focusing on achieving the goal with a certain timetable to achieve the goal. Once the goal is achieved you might not feel a sense of fulfillment. If you planned to lose weight by a certain time and you achieved it then what? What will keep you from gaining back the weight?

Intentions give us focus and direction and help us keep an inner reminder of where we’re headed regardless of how much we go astray.

When we set intentions in our lives we see things from a grander picture and not just as a goal. This is flexible and there is no end date, this has become a lifestyle.

You give yourself grace when you’re intentional, there have been times when I have fallen off my diet and workout routine, but I always came back to it eventually because my intention was to have a healthy, strong body.

Being intentional is a lifestyle because it aligns with what is important to you, your values, your guiding principle

Find a Balance between being intentional and goal-oriented.

You can be intentional and goal oriented, which is very effective.

Your goals is the destination, where you are going, and your intentions is the guide through the journey.

By setting your intention first, and combining it with goals, you will become a Creator who enjoys both the journey, as much as the destination.

Striking a balance between setting meaningful goals and living intentionally allows us to aspire, achieve, and ultimately lead a life that resonates with our true selves.

So, let us embrace both, integrating purposeful objectives while staying rooted in the present, enriching our lives with purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.