I Gave Myself This One Rule—And Everything Got Better

For a while, I was cruising through life. Not because it was easy, but because I wasn’t driving. The days just blurred. Wake up, work, handle life, repeat. I hated that feeling. It was like watching someone else live my life from the passenger seat.

Until one day, I gave myself a rule.

"If it's worth doing, it's worth doing intentionally."

That one sentence became the lens through which I started to operate.

I Felt Stuck, and I Knew I Could Do More

It wasn’t burnout. It wasn’t depression. It was that uncomfortable middle ground of knowing I had more to give, but I wasn’t giving it. I was capable, but distracted. Busy, but not productive. Responsible, but reactive.

Something had to change. And it did—when I decided to start doing things on purpose.

I added a second rule shortly after:

"Anything is possible, you just have to break it down into manageable pieces."

That was the game-changer. Because suddenly, big goals didn’t feel so overwhelming. I just had to break them apart and start somewhere. When I zoomed out and laid out my steps, even the big dreams began to feel tangible.

Before the Rule: Letting the Day Control Me

Before this shift, my days were chaotic. I responded to what came up instead of choosing what mattered. I knew the pain of waking up and realizing I was just surviving, not building.

Whether it was balancing fatherhood, work demands, or personal goals, I felt like I was constantly putting out fires. The worst part? I knew I could do better.

That’s where the rule came in. If it was worth doing—being a good dad, progressing in my career, improving myself—then I owed it to myself and my family to do it with intention.

When you’re not intentional, you live in defense. Every moment feels like reaction, not creation. And that constant state of defense? It’s exhausting.

After the Rule: Purpose, Focus, Control

I started reverse-engineering my days. If I had a goal, I didn’t just think about the outcome. I broke it into micro-steps:

• What needs to happen?
• By when?
• What are the barriers?
• What can I control right now?

I used spreadsheets, tables, timelines—not because I love structure, but because I was tired of confusion. Writing things down in my own way gave me clarity.

Each time I felt overwhelmed or lost, I went back to the rule. I asked myself:

"Am I doing this intentionally? Or am I just reacting?"

That question alone resets everything.

And the more I practiced this, the more natural it became. My energy wasn’t scattered anymore. I felt sharper, calmer, and more grounded in my decisions.

How I Stay on Track Now

It’s not a checklist or a morning routine. It’s a mental cue.

When I feel off, distracted, or frustrated, I zoom out and remember that everything—every win I want, every skill I need, every change I dream of—is possible. I just have to break it down.

And if it’s worth doing, it’s worth my full presence.

Sometimes that means pausing. Sometimes it means writing everything out and making sense of the mess. But it always means choosing to respond with intention.

What I’d Tell Anyone Who Feels Lost

Don’t wait for motivation to strike. Make a rule that speaks to who you want to become.

Yours might be different than mine. But it should cut through the noise. It should remind you what matters. It should be strong enough to pull you forward when your emotions try to pull you off track.

And write things down. Seriously. Not just goals, but how you’ll actually get there.

For me, that meant building systems in Excel, outlining timelines, setting micro-deadlines, and tracking progress. It’s not glamorous—but it works.

You don’t have to fix everything in a day. But you do have to start.

Set the rule. Then live by it.

Because when you finally start doing things on purpose—everything changes.