The quiet shift that transformed how I live, work, and lead
Why living intentionally isn’t just a mindset, it’s a power move. Part five of a five-part series.
This article is the fifth and final part of a five-part series. Click here for part one to read from the beginning.
Alright, don’t take this the wrong way. But statistically, only about 20% of you are living life in the present moment. The here and now.
The rest of you are living life on auto-pilot. Blissfully unaware.
(Although if you’re a subscriber, it’s very likely you at least try to live life more mindfully than the Average Jane. That says something.)
Boy, do I know the auto-pilot life well.
For the first 28 years of my life, I lived life on the terms passed to me. I woke up, went to school which eventually progressed to work, came home, vegged out in front of the television, doom-scrolled, washed my face and brushed my teeth, then went to bed. All the while, never really questioning if that mode of living was all life had to offer.
But something felt off. Was I living for me? Or was I just going with the flow, never wondering if my daily choices or pursuits were aligned with what I wanted?
Somewhere along the way, I was gifted a new approach to life.
I started to practice yoga while living in Berkeley, where I got my first job after graduate school. I had done yoga before, but it was always that kind of workout power yoga, where the goal is to sweat profusely while listening to top 40s music. Not necessarily to go inward.
One day at the beginning of class, the teacher said to everyone:
I invite you to set an intention for this practice.
This simple offer changed everything.
What most people miss about clarity
For many, the answer to life’s biggest questions is sought through thinking harder and doing more. We tell ourselves that once we find clarity - our life’s mission, our reason for being, our motivation - then we’ll act. Once we figure it all out, then we’ll slow down, change jobs, start the practice, say no, speak the truth.
This approach is backwards.
The thing is, clarity comes from living on purpose, even when you’re still uncertain.
The invitation from my yoga teacher to set an intention for my practice that day turned in to a daily habit. This quiet shift, to setting an intention each morning, wasn’t a breakthrough. It was a decision.
A decision to stop moving out of habit, and start moving from intention.
Intentionality is the signal amidst the noise
Living intentionally isn’t about doing less. It’s about being fully present with what you’re doing. It’s about amplifying the meaning of how you choose to life your life.
It’s about:
Asking why before saying yes to things
Putting your energy before your social calendar
Treating your attention as a sacred resource
And it’s not just a mindset. Intentional living is a frequency. You can feel when someone is operating from presence instead of performance.
In life, some call it mindfulness. In business, some call it “executive presence.”
The simple choice to bring intention into your day, week, projects, and relationships is an underappreciated power move.
Since incorporating intention into my life, I’ve noticed that I say no without guilt, I speak more clearly and with more impact, and I’m able to connect with people in my personal life and at work on a deeper level than before.
And most importantly, I trust myself more because I’m no longer outsourcing my choices or my worth.
Three practices to bring intention into your life
Follow these three practices that will help you begin living intentionally. At first they might feel forced or uncomfortably, and that’s OK.
Morning Check-In:
Before you really start your day, maybe when you’re still lying in bed, ask yourself: “What energy do I want to lead with today?”
Before the noise. Before the inbox. Just presence.Energy Audit:
Look at your calendar or to-do list.
Ask: “Is this aligned, or just inherited?”
Start removing what doesn’t resonate. Cancel the family movie night. Move the meeting. Slash it. Be ruthless with protecting your energy.Pause Before Responding:
In the moment, when you feel rushed, reactive, or triggered - pause.
One breath. One beat. And then ask:
“What would the intentional version of me do next?”
Your life experience is always telling you something
Whether you realize it or not, your life is sending a signal:
Your habits
Your pace
Your voice
Your boundaries
Your presence
The question is: Are you the one choosing that signal?
If not, it’s never too late to start.
The shift might be quiet, but its ripple is profound.
See you next week.
Kris
If you enjoyed this read, the best compliment I could receive would be if you shared it with one person or restacked it.
I had a similar shift along the way, Kris. It went from not knowing what intentions were to setting intentions for every part of my day. When I teach BodyAwake® Yoga, there's always an invitation to set an intention because whatever you choose amplified on the mat and then spills out into the rest of your life. Lately, I've also been setting a vibrational intention each day. Today's vibration is vulnerable. I breathe it up and down through my body and energy field in order to embody more of it. I've been amazed at how life continues to shift and evolve with intentionality. Thank you for a super article - very user-friendly.