"You don't drift into purpose. You choose it, one intentional decision at a time."
Reflection:
I've been reading Go One More by Nick Bare and one chapter on intentionality made me stop reading and just sit with my own thoughts for a while. The central idea was simple: intentions drive decisions. At first, it felt almost too obvious. Of course our intentions influence what we do but the more I reflected on it the more I realized how often I move through my day making decisions without ever asking myself why I'm making them in the first place. That's where autopilot takes over.
Most of us don't wake up intending to drift through life but it's surprisingly easy to do. We react instead of respond. We follow routines without questioning them. We fill our calendars, check off tasks and stay busy, all while assuming we're moving in the right direction. We convince ourselves that because something feels easy or familiar, it must also be the right choice. Before long, we're living by habit instead of intention.
The problem is that autopilot rarely feels like laziness. It disguises itself as practicality. It's choosing comfort over growth, convenience over purpose and then creating a story afterward that makes the decision seem justified. We tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow, have the difficult conversation next week, skip one workout because it won't matter, or settle because "now just isn't the right time." None of those decisions feel life changing in the moment, but they do accumulate. Day after day, they quietly shape the direction of our lives.
What challenged me most was realizing that the right decision usually asks something of us. It demands discipline when comfort would be easier. It asks for courage when fear would rather stay silent. It requires sacrifice today for something greater tomorrow. The easy decision feels free in the moment but eventually sends you the bill. The intentional decision requires you to pay up front, while the comfortable decision often costs far more over time. It's a tradeoff we make every single day, whether we recognize it or not.
Since reading that chapter, I've started asking myself one simple question before making decisions: Why am I doing this and how does it affect my "why"? (refer back to previous blog posts)
It's a small question but it creates a powerful pause. That five second moment interrupts autopilot and forces me to become present again. Sometimes I realize I'm acting from purpose and other times I catch myself making a decision simply because it's easier, more comfortable or because it's what I've always done. Neither realization is meant to produce guilt. The goal isn't perfection. The goal is awareness because awareness is where intentional change begins.
The chapter also made me think differently about opportunity. We often imagine opportunities arriving with flashing lights and obvious signs but in reality they rarely do. They appear quietly; in conversations, challenges, relationships or moments most people overlook. The people who seem "lucky" are often just the people who have trained themselves to pay attention. Living intentionally isn't only about making better decisions today. It's about becoming the kind of person who's prepared when opportunity eventually shows up, instead of being so distracted by habit, comfort, or routine that it passes unnoticed.
When I zoom out, I realize intentional living isn't built through one massive life changing decision. It's built through hundreds of small ones. The decision to get out of bed when the alarm goes off. The decision to put the phone down and be present. The decision to train when motivation is gone. The decision to speak honestly instead of avoiding discomfort. Those ordinary moments are where our character is forged. Those seemingly insignificant choices become the foundation of the person we're becoming.
So here's the challenge I'm taking with me this week, and maybe you'll join me. Before your next decision whether it's big or small, pause and ask yourself: Why am I doing this and is this decision coming from intention or from autopilot?
Because if intentions truly drive decisions, then those decisions will ultimately shape your habits, your character and the person you become so make them count.
3 Actionable Steps you can apply today:
-
Pause Before You Choose
Ask yourself: "Why am I doing this?" -
Choose Purpose Over Comfort
Pick the decision that aligns with who you want to become not what's easiest. -
Reflect Daily
At the end of the day, ask: "Did I live intentionally or on autopilot?"
Step into the Forge. Listen, reflect, and grow.
This week, we're exploring a simple idea that's easy to overlook: intentions drive decisions.
Most of us don't make bad decisions on purpose we simply stop making intentional ones. We slip into autopilot, choosing what's easy instead of what's aligned with who we're becoming. In this episode, I share my reflections from reading Go One More by Nick Bare.
Hit play on the YouTube video below to watch the full episode or listen on the go using the Spotify link below.
Ready? Step into the forge. ⚔️
MindForge Podcast Episode 13 Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3UkFvwDJqmz6nGej9zjBGr
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