Building Better Days: The Impact of Simple Intentions

Outside Insights

Our daily choices craft your life’s story — what will today’s chapter be?

I have a long list of goals, life ambitions, projects, and tasks I want to accomplish. I bet you do too. No matter the goals someone has already achieved, it’s human nature to crave more — to want to be better. That’s why everyone I speak with has at least one goal or idea that haunts them — a nagging sense that they just can’t find the time to do it all. Sound familiar?

The answer to doing and achieving more is actually pretty simple — perhaps annoyingly simple: Live intentionally.

Let’s look at an example. One of the most cherished parts of my day are the mornings and that’s because of the sacred morning routine I have carefully established for myself.

For most of my early working years, I sprinted out the door, putting on my tie at stoplights, and skipped breakfast entirely unless a meeting demanded it. While a younger me thought I was saving time and being incredibly efficient by rushing through my mornings, the fact was I was killing my mind and body — and I sure as hell wasn’t more productive because of it. I wasn’t living with intention.

Fast forward to the day we brought two Aussie puppies home. Just what my life of chaos needed, right? The two perfect cherries on top. Turns out, their presence in the home was just what I needed.

During the first few weeks, I kept the same old routine; the only difference was that my two wide-eyed and yapping puppies chased me around the house, adding to the morning dysfunction as I frantically looked for my tie and jacket. They knew I wouldn’t be home for hours and their puppy dog eyes instilled a new level of guilt in me — what’s a guy to do?

I begin waking up early to spend time walking Ziggy and Gracie. It wasn’t just for them; it was for me, too, I soon discovered. I started to appreciate the quiet space before the day’s chaos. It became more than a habit — it was a ritual. I learned to savor my coffee, move my body, plan my day, and enjoy the morning before everything else took over.

I love my mornings now. I walk the dogs, meditate, plan, and sip my first cup of coffee long before the younger me would have even thought about waking up. Yes, I get more done, but it’s not just about productivity. It’s like defragmenting my mind, resetting for whatever the day might bring. For me, it’s carving out intentional time so that I can bring my best self into the rest of the day.

While curating a morning routine is one way I live intentionally, I’m able to identify other ways by taking the time to review my progress towards my goals and holding myself accountable.

Read the full blog here: https://myplacers.com/building-better-days-impacts-simple-intentions