If you've ever felt exhausted, lost, or like you’re just going through the motions every single day, you are not alone. Many of us search for purpose and happiness. But what we do not realize is that achieving a meaningful and happy life requires that we lead an intentional life. 

Living an intentional life means that you must learn how to make better decisions for yourself, in which you are consciously aware of the actions you are going to take and why. Your actions must be aligned with your goals.

Before taking any action, it’s essential to reflect first on your intention. Once you zero in on this, all your decisions will be made in alignment with it and you will be able to see clearly what distracts or steers you away from what you want to build.

These 10 questions can help you live intentionally and empower you as you embark on a new phase of your life:

1.  What is your intention for the year or this period of your life? Think of a positive and empowering word that can anchor your intention. Some examples are Power, Growth, and Faith.
2.  How do you plan to live that intention? Now that you’ve verbalized your intention, think about the steps you will take to help you stay true to it. How will you embody this word? Are there things, situations, and people that are holding you back from living your intention?
   
3.  How do you want this year or period to be different? If you keep doing the same things, the result will always be the same. The change you want lies in how much you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone and stretch yourself. Be open to new possibilities and allow yourself to dream again. When you are clear about what you want, the steps you have to take to get there become clearer, too!
   
4.  How do you want to improve your life? Think of how you want to improve your life in terms of yourself, your work, and your relationships. Do you want to be more confident? Are you ready to pursue a different career or passion? Do you want to be more present with your loved ones? You might have been on survival mode for the past years – claim that this year or new phase will be your time to spread your wings and thrive.
   
5.  What changes are unfolding in your life? Become more aware of the changes, both big and small, that are happening in your life by listing them down. This will help you realize how far you have come and will remind you that you can adapt and adjust.
   
6.  How will you adjust to these changes? Once you’re more aware of the changes happening in your life, think about your reaction to them. Are they met with openness or resistance? How would you feel if you simply allowed them to happen? What if you loosened your grip or simply let it go completely? When you let go of how you think things should be, you make space for what’s trying to come into your life.
   
7.  What limiting beliefs are holding you back from living your best life? Have you ever stopped and questioned why you believe in certain things? Examine if these beliefs are holding you back from being happier, more abundant, and more at peace with yourself. Believe it or not, I had limiting beliefs that were holding me back from becoming financially abundant! I was literally giving my money away because I had the idea that money was evil and that having a lot of it will make me evil! Through my training and mentors, I was able to pinpoint where they were coming from. The key is to identify what your limiting beliefs are and create affirmations that will help you reverse them.
8.  How will you reframe these limiting beliefs? Think of affirmations that can counter your limiting beliefs. Write them down and repeat them to yourself as many times as you need in a day to reframe your mindset. Affirmations can help you stay calm and positive even during moments of fear and self-doubt. Think of this as a tool to help you grow into the person you want to become!
   
9.  In what way do you want to deepen your spiritual life? We sometimes get too busy that we don’t have time to stop, reflect, and nourish our spiritual lives. Just like our minds and bodies, we also need to take care of our spirits. Spirituality can mean different things to different people – what does it mean to you and how will you nurture it?
   
10. In what way do you want to deepen your relationship with yourself and others? This is a question that’s meant to examine your relationship with yourself first and your relationship with the people that are most important to you. Too often, we focus more on our relationships with others, but we can only nurture those when we have nurtured the one we have with ourselves.
    

Answering these questions will allow you to get to know yourself deeper and tell you what you need to work on internally. I hope this list helps you live the life of your dreams!