Today I want to talk about an important concept that has helped me immensely in living a purpose driven life. I, along with many others, refer to this concept as "Alignment Before Action", or "Living in Alignment" and it is all about committing to living with intention. Creating intention is a strong spiritual practice that has the potential to propel your growth and provide a road map for you when things get tough. It is a principle I return to again and again when I feel myself stumble on the path, when I feel lost, stagnant, or uninspired.
What is "Alignment Before Action?" Simply put, it is aligning your daily actions and activity with the deeper truth of who you are and your purpose here on Earth. It is aligning your energy to your chosen intentions (or goal). It is saying no to activities that do not resonate with you, and take away your energy. Whether you want to start a new career, get healthier, start exercising, take on a new skill, connect with others, create a spiritual practice, or whatever the intention may be, in order to stay on track we must examine how our actions align and/or agree with these intentions.
Ready to take action on your goals this year? Download my FREE intention setting workbook! In this workbook you'll receive a detailed account of my 4 step process, PLUS helpful journaling prompts, exercises, and a customizable action plan to keep you in alignment while accomplishing your biggest goals.
It can be easy to get off track. Life happens and there always seems to be something less important that demands our attention. Ever feel like this? Like there isn't enough time in the day to do the things you actually want to do? There always seem to be "shoulds" floating around in the back of our minds. "I should start eating better..." "I should start working out... "I should call that old friend..." "Should, should, should." So...how do we DO instead? How do we start living a life that feels truly aligned to the life we want to be living? How do we align our actions with our intentions effectively and consistently to create real and rewarding change?
1. Decide
This first step is the most essential. Once we firmly decide what it is we actually want, we shift the energy around that intention from one of "I should" to "I do." We move from a cerebral, airy energy to one that is grounded and rooted in action. By deciding to set a specific intention, we are given a direction to go in, an assignment to fulfill. It is much easier to act from a place of clarity and commitment, than a place of uncertainty. And although deciding may sound simple to some, it can be a journey for others. Some of us struggle to get clear about what we want, because we are so preoccupied doing things we think others want us to do.
In order to get clear and decide, create some space for yourself. I call this "the space making ritual". It is a ritual performed each day that exists just for you. Here are some ideas:
- a 5 minute meditation
- a short work out or yoga flow
- free flow journaling
- taking time to have a cup of tea or coffee
- reading an inspirational book or listening to an inspiring podcast
- spending time in nature
These activities will clear space in you mind, allowing you to explore the true desires in your heart. And once you are clear about what it is you are needing in your life...DECIDE to do it!
2. Take Inventory
Once you decide on an intention, take inventory on all the ways you spend your energy. One of the most common reasons people loose sight of their goals is that they claim they don't have time. Sound familiar? Instead of turning to this simple excuse, get honest with yourself about how exactly you spend your time, and more specifically how you're spending your energy. We all have responsibilities that must be dealt with throughout the day. Some of these are non negotiable. However, some activities have the potential to drain our energy more than others. Once we understand the difference between tasks that give us energy, and tasks that take our energy, we can begin to modify our routines to actually create more time for ourselves and our goals.
For example:
- I spend ten minutes after work doing a quick yoga flow, I am filled with enough energy to last me the rest of the evening, freeing up my time to accomplish whatever I wish.
VS.
- I choose to spend those same ten minutes in front of the television, my energy is shut down, robbing me of my time and motivation to get anything done.
This is because watching tv in that moment, is not aligned with my intention to have the energy to work on my goals whereas a ten minute yoga flow is.
It is up to you to find the practices that energize you, and deciding to do them over things that do not serve you. By prioritizing these practices everyday, you create more energy (and therefore more time) to work with to accomplish these goals. This technique allows us the space to fully live in alignment without the "I don't have time" excuses.
3. Get Creative
Now that you have rearranged your time and energy to align with your intentions, it's time to get creative. Igniting your creative side is a great way to take challenging situations or goals, and make them exciting and fun! For example, say our goal is to eat heathier.
- Without Creativity: We think in order to eat healthy, we have to stop eating all the foods we like. Instead we must deprive ourselves and eat boring foods we don't like, and although it will be hard, we have to do it to accomplish our goal and live in alignment. What a bummer.
- With Creativity: We make a list of fruits and vegetables we already love, and research fun, new ways to eat those foods. We try new foods as well, and learn how to make foods we already love, but with healthier ingredients. We share these new foods with family and friends, so we don't feel left out when eating with others. This new lifestyle is exciting, not only are you learning a lot, but you feel better than you ever have, all because you got creative with your approach and came up with solutions that felt good for you.
Creativity transforms our energy from one of fear and lack, to one of abundance and excitement. It keeps us inspired and motivated to create choices that are aligned. When we are looking forward to accomplishing our goals, instead of dreading them, it is easier to make better choices and be ourselves every day.
4. Take Action
Now that you have come up with some creative solutions for living in alignment, it's time to take action! Map out the steps you've created to accomplish your goal, then split them into smaller, doable tasks. Get out a calendar, and make a timeline for when you will complete each task, being careful to pace yourself, and not expect to do more than you can handle. Next you must commit to following through with these tasks each and everyday. Use your space making rituals as a time to remind yourself of your intentions, and take inventory on whether or not you're following through. Refer to your action plan if you need a push in the right direction.
Remember each moment is an opportunity to live in alignment, to live with integrity, and to make choices that allow you to be yourself and feel your best. If you ever get off track, return to these steps again and again to draw inspiration. We all have the right to live aligned, purpose driven lives, now it's up to you to make that happen.
Ready to take action on your goals this year? Download my FREE intention setting workbook! In this workbook you'll receive a detailed account of my 4 step process, PLUS helpful journaling prompts, exercises, and a customizable action plan to keep you in alignment while accomplishing your biggest goals.
To Your Highest Alignment,
The Homemade Sage