These 24 intentional living quotes will inspire you to hold fast to your goals to be more mindful and make decisions to live every day in a way that matters… to you, and therefore to those around you.
These quotes about intentional living are the perfect complement to my collection of hundreds of seasonal and motivational quotes.
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What does it really mean to live your life with intent? How is it even possible when unexpected things pop up every. single. day. to derail whatever plans you made?
The thing is, intentional living isn’t always about working every single second toward just one goal. It’s about appreciating the good, reflecting that good back into the world in an even brighter way, and consciously choosing our actions and reactions — including how we handle those unexpected distractions.
There are many moving parts to living intentionally and mindfully, but for now let’s get to those quotes on being intentional. Remember to keep reading after the quotes… there are some ideas and resources for how to put it all together.
Be Intentional Quotes
“Choose your intention carefully and then practice holding your consciousness to it, so it becomes the guiding light in your life.”
— Roger Delano Hinkins
“Intentional days create a life on purpose.”
— Adrienne Enns, Intentional Days: Creating Your Life on Purpose
“It takes me living an intentional, mindful, and quiet life to hear or see what’s here. Great art doesn’t necessarily create something new, it helps you appreciate what’s already here.”
— Eric Overby, 17: Haiku Poems
“Also, think about your intentionality – are you getting lost in the method? or coming from the intentionality, the purpose? You don’t want to do the mechanics without the consciousness.”
— Marshall B. Rosenberg
“It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ Paradigm shift.”
— Brené Brown
“Most people want to hear or tell a good story. But they don’t realize they can and should be the good story. That requires intentional living.”
— John C. Maxwell, Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters
“Until we make the unconscious conscious, we will be dictated by it and call it fate.”
— Jerry Colonna
“No, we don’t need more sleep. It’s our souls that are tired, not our bodies. We need nature. We need magic. We need adventure. We need freedom. We need truth. We need stillness. We don’t need more sleep, we need to wake up and live.”
— Brooke Hampton
“The busier you are, the more intentional you must be.”
— Michael Hyatt, Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop Drifting and Get the Life You Want
“Over time, even the tiniest meaningful actions add up, each one bringing you closer to a life that is truer to your dreams and free of regret.”
— Jane McGonigal, SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully
“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us.”
— Richie Norton
Quotes About Intentional Finance
Intentional living means paying attention to everything we do, including how we think about and handle money — whether it’s finding ways to save ‘little money’ or cut the overwhelm of a no-spend month.
“If an opportunity is not aligned with that matters most to you (your core values), let it pass. The opportunities that don’t make your soul sing, or that you can’t be excited about, just end up taking space where a better opportunity could be. Don’t settle for something fine―wait for something great!”
— Leanne Jacobs, Beautiful Money: The 4-Week Total Wealth Makeover
“Deposit your best in people, not your bank account, to leave a legacy that counts.”
— Terrie Davoll Hudson
“Impress people by being intentional with your money. It’s way better than trying to impress people by wasting your money on expensive stuff you don’t need.”
— Joshua Becker
Why Is It Important to Be Intentional?
Simply put, NOT being intentional means giving up on our purpose and hopes of building the life we WANT to live. The following quotes drive that point home quite well.
“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.”
— Søren Kierkegaard
“Most people don’t lead their own lives – they accept their lives.”
— John Kotter
“Positive thinking is powerful thinking. If you want happiness, fulfillment, success and inner peace, start thinking you have the power to achieve those things. Focus on the bright side of life and expect positive results.”
— Germany Kent
“Open your arms to change but don’t let go of your values.”
— Dalai Lama
“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”
— Oprah Winfrey
“Every action has an impact, choose wisely the impact you want to have.”
— Mindy Hall
“1. Stop.
2. Breathe.
3. Remember what you love to do, and what you want to do better.”
— Julie Hage
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
— Oscar Wilde
“When your intention is clear, so is the way.”
— Alan Cohen
More Help for Positive Living and Intentional Goal Setting
Stop Thinking and Start Doing: A Goal Setting Starter Plan
20 Free Printable Gratitude Quotes
Your Key to Success: How to Stop Being Lazy
Ordinary and Extraordinary Mindfulness: What’s the Difference?
How to Use a Dreams and Goals Worksheet to Begin Goal Setting {Free Printable}
What Stress Does to the Body — and How Mindfulness Can Help
More Thoughts on an Intentional Life
So you’ve read the quotes… what’s next when it comes to living an intentional life?
There are several things you can do today, such as:
- Brain dump everything from your mind so you can evaluate and prioritize
- Create pretty wall art featuring your favorite intentional living quotes
- Start a simple gratitude journal
- Consider unplugging from technology for a while
- Stop multi-tasking and have real conversations
- Start your intentional goal planning for next year
- Use these quotes about being intentional as the basis for deep journaling
- Realize that it’s okay to ‘fall behind’ and begin seeking simplicity
- Declutter and simplify your home and life
As you work these things into your daily living, you will discover even more opportunities to pause and make positive, fully-consious choices as you Build Your Best Life.
You’ve got this!
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