By Elka Cruz, Exercise Physiologist
Have you ever reached the end of the day and wondered where the time went and what you actually did?
Between the chaos of getting the kids to where they need to be, work, emails, meetings, shopping and every other task needing to be done, you somehow managed to keep yourself and everyone alive.
Then it’s wash, rinse and repeat.
We start to feel trapped in this endless cycle and not actually enjoying life. This begs the question, how many of us are actually living our life intentionally?
What Does It Mean to Live with Intention?
Living with intention means making conscious choices about how you spend your time, energy, and attention.
It’s about aligning your actions with your values and the life you want to create.
An intention is more than a goal.
A goal might be:
Lose weight
Exercise more
Stress less
Spend more time with family
An intention goes deeper. It asks the question:
Is this creating purpose in my life?
When we understand the deeper purpose behind our actions, we’re more likely to stay committed to them.
The Connection Between Values and Behaviour
Every one of us has values. We value health, family, connection, growth, kindness, adventure, security, or contribution in different ways. The challenge is that our behaviours don’t always reflect those values. We can refer to this as cognitive dissonance. For example, someone might say they value their health but rarely make time to eat well, move their body, or rest. Someone else might value family connection but spend most evenings distracted by work or scrolling through their phone.
When our actions don’t align with our values, we often experience frustration, guilt, or a sense that something isn’t quite right. The more aligned our behaviours are with our values, the more fulfilled and energised we tend to feel.
The Pond Analogy
When talking about self reflection and clarity, I like to use the pond analogy.
If you’re standing in the middle of a pond looking down into the water, many of us can’t see our reflection clearly.
Why?
Because there are too many distractions, too many ripples. From kids, to work, to bills and appointments there are so many things that take us away from being able to see ourselves clearly.
Only when we stop splashing around focusing on all of the things are we able to self reflect and find clarity. We are able to stop and ask ourselves:
Am I living the way I want?
Am I the person I want to be?
By asking ourselves these questions consistently we can ensure we are moving in the right direction for where we want to end up.
The Power of Asking “Why?”
One of the simplest ways to strengthen your intentions is to keep asking yourself why. Let’s say your goal is to lose weight.
Why?
Maybe the answer is: “Because I want to feel better.”
Why?
“Because I want more energy.”
Why?
“Because I want to keep up with my children.”
Why?
“Because being present with my family is important to me.” Now we’re getting somewhere. The deeper your reason, the stronger your commitment becomes. Surface-level goals often fade when life gets busy. Deeply meaningful reasons tend to endure.
We often see this with people who have had a significant life changing experience, like surviving a serious accident. But we can still create intentions that have a strong and deeply meaningful impact on us.
Intention Is a Practice, Not a Habit
In James Clear’s Atomic Habits book, he refers to building a practice over a habit. I agree. Here’s why.
Habits become automatic. They eventually require less awareness to perform. Cue bad habits.
A practice however, requires awareness, and asks you to show up everyday with purpose. It’s not about perfection, its about consistency.
Your Environment Matters
Who you surround yourself with matters more than you know. They can lift you up and help you thrive or keep you stuck and stop you from achieving your goals.
Simple Ways to Start Living More Intentionally
Start small.
Pause and Reflect
Create moments of stillness during your day.
Even schedule them in if you have to.
Allow the water to settle.
Identify Your Values
What truly matters to you?
What kind of person do you want to be?
Ask Why
When setting a goal, take time to pause and ask yourself why until you get to the root reason behind achieving your goal.
Write Your Intentions Down
Writing your intentions down creates accountability and becomes more likely that you will action it
Create a Daily Practice
Choose one small action you can repeat consistently.
Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Consistency beats intensity every time.
How Do You Want to Experience Your Life?
At the end of the day, living with intention is about choosing how you want to experience life.
Do you want to move through life on autopilot?
Or do you want to be present, purposeful, and connected to what matters most?
The demands of life won’t disappear.
The responsibilities won’t magically go away.
But we can choose where we place our attention.
We can choose where we invest our energy.
And we can choose to stop splashing around long enough to see ourselves clearly.
Because when we find clarity, we find purpose.
And when we find purpose, we can start living intentionally.
