10 Small Ways Intent Has Changed My Life: A List

Here at Intent.com, we are bombarded with tons of great advice from great people. How many of them actually stick in your head and become a permanent part of your everyday life?

Here are ten small things I started doing from being a part of the Intent community. I hope they also inspire you to apply some small changes into your life as well. After all, it is always the accumulation of tiny, seemingly insignificant life changes that snowball into something greater and more far-reaching.

1. I buy myself fresh flowers every week. Thanks to Norma Lehmeier Hartie’s article on "Why You Need Flowers in Your Home," I’ve become addicted to decorating my bedroom with a vase of fresh flowers (see photo above). Now I can’t imagine myself without them. I've made personal connections with the flower vendors at my local farmer's market and flower shop. Week by week, I've come to learn the names of the flowers I've always loved but never took the time to know: delpheniums, freesias, orchids, gerberas. Every week is a joyful anticipation of what colorful, breathing living things will decorate my desk next.

2. I drink a lot of water now, and I used to be a camel. I used to hate drinking water. It always felt like a chore, and water tastes so boring. Don't you love how Michelle Schoffro Cook makes these tedious health chores seem so easy? Thanks to "Drink More Water," I've been making myself drink more water every day, and I feel good about it. Plus, standing up, going to the bathroom and sitting back down constantly also makes for some good office exercise.

3. I log how much time is spent working on my goals. Last January, M.J. Ryan posted a month-long series on achieving your intentions. One of the tips that stuck with me was the idea of writing down how much time you spend each week working on your goals to give yourself a very tangible idea of how productive you actually are. As described in "Become a Tracker," it makes me feel more accountable and more motivated to focus my efforts towards a more productive path.

4. I start every morning with an intent. Not only do I start every morning with an intent, I get to post it online and get wonderful comments from Intent community members from all over the world. As Mallika wrote in "The Power of Stating Your Intent," there is just something almost magical about saying an intention outloud and releasing it out into the wild, instead of keeping it secret to yourself.

5. I finally made that massage appointment I’ve been wanting to do for ages. I've been wanting a good back massage for ages. What convinced me that it was finally time? Reading Andrea Kane's blog post "Touch... May It Never Go Out of Style." It was worth every penny, and I think I am now a lifelong addict.

6. I started volunteering. Back in December, one of our Intent team members asked, "What do you see yourself doing on this day next year?" In response, I wrote that I hope I will be able to look back on 2009 with the pride that i have become a regular volunteer for good causes. After I wrote that response, I thought to myself: so, what is holding me back from doing it? Now I'm a proud Sunday volunteer of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Sometimes all it takes is the right question to get us going to manifest our own answers and dreams.

7. I am more mindful of my eating. Ever since reading Pavel Somov's article on "Counting Experiential Calories," I would like to think that I have become more mindful (or at least aware of how UNmindful I sometimes am) when eating, especially when I am alone. Am I focusing all my attention on relishing every flavor of my meal, or is my mind frantically racing through a million to-do lists and completely blocking out the sensory joy of eating? Some things, especially expensive chocolates, deserve every precious iota of our awareness!

8. I bought myself a box of baking soda. I can't wait to start using some of the 13 beauty tips that clevelry incorporates this kitchen staple into doing just about everything.

9. I know what to make for my friend’s birthday this month. My friend's birthday is coming up later this month. I think I just might surprise her with some baked goods. One yummy possibility is Rebecca Pacheco's recipe for Super-Easy Vegan Muffins. It will be my first time baking vegan treats, and cooking for loved ones always makes me feel good about myself. Yum!

10. There is a yoga class by my apartment. I just might be tempted to start going. After listening to Yeah Dave talk about how his first yoga class inspired him to live more mindfully, I have become more and more curious about the yoga studio by my apartment, which always has a huge line of scruffy-looking people toting rolled-up yoga mats because each class is funded by donations only. I just might have to try it at least once...

Readers, have any Intent articles or community members inspired you to make some changes in your life? Don’t be shy; share them in comments below!