How do you want your school, workday, or a day at home to look like? How do you want to feel? What do you want to accomplish? What will it take to hit your pillow at night with peace and gratitude?
To flourish in life, we must live with intentionality and cultivate habits that guide us toward becoming the person we aspire to be and have the life we desire. If we live without direction, we will have a status quo life and drift through it aimlessly. However, if you want to reach your potential and live the best life possible, it is essential to approach every day with intentionality and discipline.
Fifteen years ago, I would wake up whenever I felt like it (I work from home and am my own boss). The first thing I would do is grab my iPhone next to my bed and scroll through the lives of strangers, friends, celebrities, and influencers. This is the worst way to start your day, and it but me in a state of discontentment and envy which made me bummed out and anxious.
Next, I would linger for a while and then get a random workout in for however many minutes I felt like. I would never have quiet time to connect with God and prepare me spiritually for my day. I would work sporadic hours for various durations of time, and every eight minutes, pick up my phone and scroll. Or every time I got a notification.
I then made one commitment that set me on a path that has allowed me to accomplish my dreams, experience vibrant wellness in body, mind, and spirit, lead a life I live and enjoy the woman God has shaped me to be. I broke my social media addiction and committed to going to the gym three days a week at the same time every morning. That became my cornerstone habit that led to dozens of other habits such as 45 minutes of quiet time that have changed my life.
Only you can decide what actions you are going to take, how you are going to spend your days, the thoughts you’ll think and the habits you’ll choose that will make your life better or worse. Here are five tips to reflect on that will help you live intentionally so you can be happier and more successful.
Steps to Creating A Successful and Flourishing Life
- Ask yourself these questions:
What kind of person do I want to become? What do I want my legacy to be? What do I want to be the best at? - Examine your life
Pinpoint the habits, people, and things that are keeping you from this, such as nightly Netflix binges, drinks, or scrolling for hours. - Create a cornerstone habit
This is a significant daily action that can move you toward your goals, creating a cascading effect that makes it easier for other positive habits to follow. Start with one habit like having five minutes of quiet time in the morning instead of scrolling. - Take notes from the people you admire
Who inspires you? What qualities do you like about them? What habits help them be successful and flourish? What can you learn from them? - Reflect on the person you want to become and have faith you can be the best version of yourself
Get quiet and take intentional time to reflect on what you want your legacy to be and the lasting imprint you want to leave in this world and the people you love. This will empower you to take actions and create habits that will allow you to become your best self in God.
Here are some quotes from my book Social Media Reset: A 30-Day Guided Journey to Unplug, Reconnect with God, and Reclaim Your Joy to inspire you:
As we make small incremental changes through habits over time, such as limiting our time on social media, the changes are compounded, and we can have huge breakthroughs and get remarkable results that enhance our lives. We must decide who we want to become before we choose to break bad habits and create good ones.
– Me (Allie Marie Smith)
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
– James Clear
Every small or big decision you make, and every action you take will influence who you become in the future. Are your habits and decisions moving you to your full potential.
– Me (Allie Marie Smith)
Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Your life is short. Live intentionally and build a life you love that makes you excited to wake up every morning!
Get my 5-week course that will walk you and the girls and women you love through your reset.
Take my free quiz, How Is Social Media Affecting Your Well-Being.
With Joy,
Your Friend, Allie
P.S. This pic was taken in Nashville at the cutest jewelry store!
