Simple Ways to Make Your Life More Intentional

Guilt is an emotion that keeps you from living the life that you were meant to live. It can be a crippling, negative force on your life and it is not good for you in any way.

When you feel guilty, it’s easy to believe that the only way out is to take control of the circumstances and people who are causing you discomfort. That may be true in some cases, but most of the time guilt is rooted in a misunderstanding or fear about yourself or other people.

There is never really a reason to feel guilty. It’s just an excuse people use to justify their inaction and laziness. If you don’t do something, it’s because you are afraid of the unknown or because you don’t have the heart to take action, not because you are a bad person or a failure.

Life is yours to live. Take control of your life and make the most of it. Because when you do, you’ll feel happier and more at ease with yourself than ever before.

Why It's Okay to Feel Guilty

Guilt can be a useful feeling. It lets you know that you've made a bad choice and helps you to learn from it so that you can make better choices in the future.

The ability to feel guilty is something we all have—it's part of having a moral compass, which is what helps us determine if we are making the right decision or not. If you feel like you have done something wrong, then it means that your values are strong and that your sense of right and wrong is working properly.

Guilt can also be useful for getting us to make changes in our lives. But sometimes guilt works against us—we may spend so much time worrying about what we should do that we never actually do anything.

Guilt is often exaggerated by others—your parents might tell you that they feel guilty if they don’t help out around the house or finish their homework. But the truth is that most people don’t really feel guilty unless they’ve done something wrong or failed at something important.

The problem with guilt is that it can sometimes keep us from doing what we want most, and it might stop us from doing too much of what we don’t want to do! But if we use guilt correctly, it can help us grow as people and make better decisions in the future!

Moving Past Guilt to Empowerment

When you're trying to make a big change in your life, like taking the steps towards decluttering, getting rid of all the stuff that's weighing you down, or simplifying your life, it can seem like everyone around you is doing the opposite. They're buying new clothes and shoes, decorating their homes with more stuff they don't need, and adding more commitments to their already busy schedules.

It can be hard not to feel guilty about making these changes—especially when people are questioning your choices or offering advice that feels counterintuitive (or even wrong!). It's easy to get caught up in other people's ideas of what's right for you and forget what feels best for YOU.

But when you make the decision to remove the unnecessary from life could require ruffling a few feathers. Learning to set goals, and then boundaries to protect those goals, could trigger feelings of guilt. It takes practice and self-respect to live a more intentional life without feeling guilty.

How do we get past the guilt and self-doubt that come from breaking our own rules? How do we stop feeling like we're disappointing ourselves when things don't go as planned? Here's how:

Own Your Choices

Once you’ve determined your goals and identified the roadblocks, take a look at what is unnecessary and needs to be removed from life. You may find you don’t have everyone’s agreement with your choices, but if you know they are the right ones for you, don’t feel guilty.

You might have to make some tough choices, but it will be worth it in the end. Once you find yourself on the right path, it’s important that you stay there.

Stop Letting Others Influence Your Decisions

One of the biggest challenges we face is letting the opinions of others influence our decisions.

It's easy to get caught up in what other people think, but if you're not careful, it can lead to a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety.

We all know someone who thinks they know what's best for us, but maybe their priorities are different than yours? It's important to consider who is influencing you and not allow the wrong people to have an opinion. Don't feel guilty creating a boundary and holding it when you know you are focused on what matters most.

Don't Be Afraid Of Being Wrong

You will make mistakes.

It's OK. You're not perfect, and you don't need to be.

If you're constantly worried about what could go wrong, or how mistakes will affect your life, then you'll never be able to start anything worthwhile. Let go of the fear that you must do everything right and recognize that mistakes are part of the process.

So let go of the limiting belief that you must do everything right and recognize that mistakes are an inevitable part of the process.

Be aware of your motives

We all want to live intentional lives, but it can be hard to know if we're really doing that.

The best way to know what you're doing right is by checking your motives. Are you acting with integrity? Are you acting with a sense of purpose? Are you acting in accordance with what's important to you?

Ultimately, it’s important to check what’s driving you towards your intentional life. Reflect on your thoughts and ideas and scrutinize them against your morals and values. If you know you are operating in good faith, you can be free from feeling guilty about your choices.

Sometimes, life is just a roller coaster of activity. You wake up in the morning, and before you know it, it's already time for bed again. But there are simple ways to take back some control over your life and make it more intentional.

Rather than feeling like a pin ball in a machine, you can be intentional about how you spend your time and energy. Learn to focus on your goals and actions and remove the unnecessary aspects of life that block them.

Tune in to the next blog series: Quick Tips to Simplify Life and Minimize Stress