Intentional Living Unveiled

Shaping Your Best Life The Way You Want To

Hello Friends! Our community has expanded by over 50% in just one week, and we now boast a substantial total of 62 subscribers, haha! Some of you did hit me up with your thoughts after my first newsletter and I am extremely grateful for that since I am still new to this and it helps me to get into the habit of writing more and better. Also, if you find this content helpful, please share it with anyone who might benefit. Your support in spreading the word is much appreciated! 🌟🙌

Before we delve into this week's discussion, I'd also like to extend my apologies for the lack of a structured format in my initial newsletters. I recognize the room for improvement and assure you that I am committed to refining it as we progress. I want to be fully transparent, and moving forward, I want each of you to have a clear understanding of what to expect from these newsletters hence, I want to set a deadline for myself and promise you all to have a better and more informative structure by Jan 15, 2024. Having said that, starting today, I have finalized two sections that you will see in most newsletters going forward (not an exhaustive list currently and I will most probably add more sections soon) and the names are pretty self-explanatory: Things I loved this week and Ideas that are changing my life. And now, let's dive into it:

Ideas That Are Changing My Life

How Intentional Living Is Changing Everything For Me

A year ago, I felt stuck in various aspects of my life—work, personal matters, and my ambitions. I lacked motivation and yearned for a sense of freedom, although everything was going well. Despite the apparent success, I felt disconnected from my life. That's when I discovered Intentional Living. By understanding what truly matters to me and what I want, I can confidently say I'm now moving in a direction that brings me more freedom.

What's Intentional Living and How has it impacted me? Simply put, it's a lifestyle that matches your core values and beliefs. It's about making choices that align with what truly matters to you. I have had to put in a lot of time into reflection to understand what matters to me and I plan to continue to do this for the rest of my life because I haven't felt more driven in my life than now, but more importantly, I feel like I am living a more fulfilling life than I ever had been and if I was asked to name one thing that helped me achieve this, I would most definitely say - Intentional Living.

How can you live an Intentional Life? It isn't a straightforward answer. You will need to start by reflecting upon what your core values/beliefs are, what things you like or dislike, the things you've been doing, and understanding whether or not they match your core values or beliefs. The key is to constantly push yourself for answers, urging introspection and self-awareness. However, it's equally important to grant yourself the time needed to unravel the complexities of who you are and clarify where you aspire to be.

For example, in the years 2021 and 2022, I traveled more than I ever did but not all of it was bringing me happiness or satisfaction. This realization challenged a preconceived notion that any form of travel would inherently bring joy, highlighting the importance of mindful decision-making. I understood all of this only in hindsight. To address this, I pivoted my approach for the current year. Instead of mindlessly agreeing to one travel plan after another, as I had done in the previous two years, I intentionally delayed my decisions. I adopted a more in-the-moment mindset—evaluating proposals when friends suggested plans or when travel opportunities arose organically.

This resonated with my value of living and deciding more in the present, based on my current circumstances, rather than just coping with a mindless travel schedule that I had unintentionally prepared for myself. It also resonated with my value of wanting to holistically view things in my life and make more informed decisions. In this case, I wanted to decide on the trip as a whole, this way I gave myself the option of sacrificing a trip if the destination didn't appeal to me, if I was crunched for time, if the place of stay wasn't where I wanted to live in or if I wanted to use the money for something else like buying things that would make my life more comfortable. Although I traveled less frequently—exploring destinations like Cancun, Hawaii, NY, Chicago, and weekend getaways around Seattle—I found immense satisfaction in each trip. I invested my time, money, and energy intentionally, ensuring that every journey contributed significantly to my well-being.

Another example from my life is my approach to reading. From the time I started reading, I've been purposeful about the types of books I choose at any given moment. I follow a simple principle—I don't pick up a book just for the sake of it. Instead, I select a book when I'm genuinely curious about the topic and when it addresses a current challenge or problem in my life. For instance, around October last year, I was keen on understanding how and where to invest my money, seeking a safe strategy to grow my finances. Having experienced gains and losses in trading stocks and options for over a year without a clear understanding, I dedicated the next six months to reading and re-reading some of the most renowned books on investing. Similarly, in the past six months, I've been focused on enhancing my productivity. Consequently, my reading choices revolved around books that explore and offer insights into productivity strategies.

I would have liked to share how intentionality has impacted my work life as well, but I chose the examples above for two reasons. Firstly, my journey toward intentional living is still a work in progress in my professional sphere. Secondly, I wanted to highlight that this approach can be applied to every aspect of our lives, not just significant areas like our careers. This intentional living approach has brought about greater satisfaction, demonstrating the transformative power of mindful decisions across various aspects of life.

My advice to all of you is to consider implementing the idea of intentional living in 1-2 aspects of your life, much like I did with travel, reading, or my lifestyle. Then, take the same methodology and apply it to other areas. You might be pleasantly surprised by how effectively it works across the board. It's essential to understand that intentional living doesn't have a one-size-fits-all formula. It's about discovering what suits you best and making deliberate choices that align with your values and comfort. The magic lies in finding your unique path to a more intentional and fulfilling life.

Things I Loved This Week

After discussing with you all the importance of planning last week, I thought I would find some content that encapsulates ideas that help in effective time management and I found some:

• How I Manage My Time by Ali Abdaal

• How to Plan your week effectively by The Art of Improvement

Also, some advice on How to Read More from one of my favorite authors, Ryan Holiday:

That is all I have for you today! As promised, I will iteratively improve upon this newsletter so please comment your thoughts below. See you next Monday!

-Mehul