Live Like It Matters: A Gentle Guide to Living Intentionally
You wake up late and immediately reach for your phone. You scroll through Instagram, feel behind before the day has even started, and skip breakfast. You dive straight into work tasks without a plan, spending the day reacting to emails and notifications. You feel scattered and drained. After work, you scroll again or binge a show without checking in to see if it’s actually helping you unwind. By nightfall, you’re exhausted but not rested. You stay up late and head to bed feeling anxious, but unsure why.
What is Living Intentionally?
“Live with intention.”
You hear this phrase all the time, but what does it actually mean?
Imagine you have an inner compass quietly pointing you toward what really matters to you. This compass is guided by your values, the qualities you want to embody and the direction you want your life to go. Values aren’t checklist goals you achieve once and move on from. They’re ongoing touchpoints: if you value growth, you might try something new even when it’s uncomfortable. If you value connection, you might carve out time for relationships even when you’re busy. When you’re in touch with your values, it becomes much easier to make decisions that feel aligned, regardless of what life throws at you.
Living intentionally means regularly checking in with your values, your energy, and how they’re aligning with your actions.
What does living intentionally actually look like?
You wake up with enough time to take a few breaths and check in with how you feel. You jot down your top three priorities and sip water while making a simple breakfast. You structure your workday around your energy levels, taking short breaks to stretch or move. After work, you take a short walk and call a friend you’ve been meaning to reconnect with. After dinner, you watch a show you genuinely enjoy, then journal or read before bed. You go to sleep feeling grounded and clearer about what mattered today.
The difference? In this version, you're an active participant in your life, not a passive bystander. You’re connected to your body, your emotions, your time, and your values. That connection helps you move through life in a way that actually feels like living.
Here are a few prompts to help you get clear, deepen self-trust, and align your energy with what matters most:
What would make today (or this week) feel meaningful or well-spent?
What’s one thing, if accomplished, that would make everything else easier or less important?
Where did I spend my energy last week, and would I spend it the same way again?
What are my top 3 priorities for today, this week, and this season?
What am I currently doing that feels aligned with who I want to become?
How do I want to feel at the end of this week? What would support that?
If I were to live today like it mattered, what would I do or avoid?
What task or commitment am I avoiding, and what might that be trying to tell me?
What do I need to stop proving, and to whom?
What am I proud of that I haven’t acknowledged?
If you’re ready to start living more intentionally and want support aligning your actions with what truly matters to you, therapy can help. Reach out to our Client Care Coordinator today to get started - our thoughtful therapists are here to support you in building a life that feels more connected, grounded, and meaningful.
With love,
Kalie Pham, LMFT
