Meditations on Becoming More Deliberate in Daily Life

It’s easy for hours or even years to slip away unless we pay deliberate attention to the choices we make. Meditation is a proven technique for leading a more intentional life. These are four meditations that will help focus your attention so you can enjoy more happiness and success.

Meditating On Slowing Down

1. Create a peaceful setting. You can create a serene meditation space wherever you live. Pick a corner in your bedroom or living room. Clear away clutter and put down a cushion or chair. Light a candle or burn incense.

2. Relax your body. Take deep breaths. Scan your body from head to foot. Sit up straight. Lower your shoulders and loosen any tension spots. Close your eyes or hold them slightly open.

3. Quiet your mind. Observe your thoughts without pursuing them. Gradually turn your attention to your breath. Count your breaths if it helps you settle down.

4. Streamline your schedule. Bring your new sense of ease into your daily routine. Pare down your to do list. Give your full attention to one activity at a time.

Meditating On Setting Specific Goals

1. Define a meaningful life. Consider what a meaningful life means to you. Think about what achievements bring you the greatest satisfaction.

2. Target priority areas. Identify what you feel most passionate about. You may want to spend more time with your family or advance your career. Maybe you want to go back to school or take up a new hobby.

3. Visualize where you want to go. Picture what you want your life to be like in a year or five years from now. Start setting short term goals that will make your new path a reality. Writing them down in your journal and looking at them again down the track in a year to tick off the ones you have achieved. And then celebrate.

4. Be flexible. Life is full of surprises. Be prepared for obstacles and detours. View them as opportunities for learning and growth.

Meditating On Repetition

1. Consider the value of repetition. Progress usually requires persistence. Make a commitment to being diligent and consistent. Look forward to how good you’ll feel when the behaviors you desire become automatic.

2. Identify new habits you want to adopt. Form tendencies that are good for you. If you’ve been watching television to relax after work, come up with a list of alternatives like taking a walk or playing ball with your kids.

3. Make an action plan. Figure out how to implement your resolutions. Sometimes it helps to take it one day at a time and give yourself rewards to reinforce your motivation. Writing out your plans will clarify them in your mind. You can also post your resolutions somewhere as a reminder to stick to them. Maybe a new career in teaching others to meditate. Creative Mind Body College runs Face to Face and Zoom Immersive Meditation Teacher Training.

Meditating On Evaluation

1. Review your progress. Once you start living more deliberately, keep track of your results. Use your meditation time to gauge how things are going and where you want to improve.

2. Reflect on your daily activities. Look at the situations where you succeed in becoming more deliberate and the times when you falter. Try to find the triggers that help to keep you on course.

3. Listen to feedback from others. Other people can give us valuable insights into our own conduct. Use praise, criticism and reactions from others as resources to help you develop.

4. Refine your resolutions. Becoming more deliberate is a lifelong process. Schedule ongoing reviews to make mid course corrections and to stay up to date with your changing needs.

If you feel like you’re just drifting through life, take control by becoming more intentional. Meditations that train you to become more deliberate will help you identify your personal priorities and get the results you want.