Most people feel busy. But busy doesn’t always mean productive.
Being intentional with your time means you choose what matters most and act on purpose — not just because something popped up in your day. When you start using your time on purpose, you’ll feel more confident, more at peace, and more in control of your life.
As Google puts it, “intentional” means done on purpose and deliberate.
And as my pastor often says, “God is a God of order.”
All my fellow planners out there should be so happy right now!
Why Being Intentional With Your Time Matters
We’re designed to have goals and a purpose. Without them, life can feel aimless.
Think about it, you wouldn’t start a road trip without putting an address into the GPS. Yet so many people go through life without a clear destination. No wonder they get stuck after landing their first “real” job; they have nothing else to work toward.
Or they stop dreaming and don’t have the drive to get better at the skill.
When you know where you’re headed, your daily choices feel less scattered and more meaningful.
Practical tip: Set aside 10–15 minutes once a week to review where you’re headed and why it matters. Keep that purpose in front of you, because intentional living requires constant re-focusing.
Any time I feel overwhelmed. a little aimless, or like I am not making progress, I pull out my dream life asana board and look at how far I have come. Where I am headed. And choose the next task or project to get me a little bit closer to that dream life.
The One or Two Goals Rule
Trying to change too many things at once is the fastest way to burn out.
When you pick one or two main goals to work on at a time, you build momentum faster and you will feel motivated to keep going.
Here’s how to make it work:
- Make a Master List — Write down every goal you’d love to reach. This could be a habit you want to start, a side hustle you want to launch, or a home project you’ve been putting off.
- Order by Importance — Rank them by the impact they would have on your life.
- Pick One or Two — Choose either one high-effort goal or one high-effort + one easy-to-implement goal.
- Work Top-Down — Once you finish the first, move to the next on the list.
It’s no wonder people can’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions because they blow up their entire life and habit structure and expect themselves to stick with it. Thats just unrealistic.
How to Choose the Right Goal to Work on First
If you’re not sure which goal to start with, use this quick scoring method:
For each goal, answer these five questions and give each answer a score from 0–3 (0 = not at all, 3 = absolutely true):
- Will this goal prevent something bad from happening? (It could be illness from being overweight or saving money to stop a spending habit that has you going into debt)
- Will it make me feel more confident or give me purpose?
- Will it improve my relationships?
- Will it give me more joy in my daily life? (This could be something like going on a walk every day or sitting on the porch just listening to nature. Joy is different than happiness from buying stuff.)
- Do I have to do this first before another goal can happen?
Add up the points. The goal with the highest score is your starting point.
If there’s a tie, ask yourself:
- Which is more time-sensitive?
- Which would I enjoy more?
- Which is easiest to start?
Pro tip: Keep this scoring method somewhere visible so you can re-use it anytime new ideas pop up.
Also keep your current goals infront of your face at all times. Not hidden way in a notebook.
Cut Out the Distractions
Distractions are sneaky because they feel urgent, but they pull you away from what matters.
For example, my current main business goal is to grow my email list. Growing Instagram feels important, and other people seem to think the same thing. But it doesn’t move the needle as much as creating more SEO-friendly blog content.
To stay focused:
- Keep your goals visible — in your phone, on your desk, or even taped to your bathroom mirror.
- Schedule set times for optional activities like scrolling social media.
- Remove temptations when you need to focus — for example, I only check out DVDs from the library when I want TV in the house. We don’t have streaming services or cable.
Stat: According to RescueTime, the average person checks email or chat every 6 minutes during the workday — and it takes over 20 minutes to refocus afterward.
Use Anchored Time Chunks (Not Rigid Time Blocking)
You’ve probably heard of time blocking — where you assign exact tasks to exact times. But for moms and busy women, that can backfire.
Life changes fast. Kids get sick. Appointments run late.
That’s why I created this system using Anchored Time Chunks, a flexible planning method I teach in my Strategic Week Planning System.
Here’s how it works:
- Anchor Your Day — Start with routine types of time chunks that are already set in your schedule (morning routine, nap time, evening work hour).
- Assign Task Groups — Instead of scheduling “Write blog post at 7 a.m.,” you assign that task to the “Morning Work Hour” chunk.
- Stay Flexible — If the morning gets derailed, you can move that task to another chunk later in the day without blowing up your whole plan.
Why this works: It gives you structure without locking you into an unrealistic plan. You still make progress even when life throws you curveballs.
Use Your Micro-Moments
You don’t need a two-hour block to make progress.
Waiting 30 seconds for the microwave? Unload a few dishes from the dishwasher. Don’t stand there scrolling on your phone. Its just a dopamine hit that makes you feel better but does nothing for you.
Bonus tip: Keep a “micro-task list” in your phone — small, 1–5 minute jobs you can do when you find unexpected pockets of time.
Batch Similar Tasks Together
Batching means doing similar tasks in one sitting so you save time and energy.
Example: Instead of writing birthday cards one at a time, write the next 3–6 months’ worth in one session. That way, you just drop them in the mail when needed.
The one myth of batching is that it cuts your time in half. And really its not true. It saves you the prep time and maybe a few seconds of context switching. But it still takes you just as long to write one card to the next.
But what it does to is keep you from forgetting and takes one more thing off your plate down the road.
Batching also works for errands — group your stops so you only go out once or twice a week.
Use Tools That Work for You
Don’t force yourself to use a tool just because it’s “popular.” Notion is insanly popular and it is beautiful. BUT it is such a slow website and we don’t have strong internet so thats not going to work for me.
Some people thrive on digital planners. I need to write things down on paper before transferring them to a digital tool. That helps me clear the tasks out of my mind so I can relax.
Find what works with your brain and stick to it.
Pro tip: Experiment with one new tool at a time. That way you don’t overwhelm yourself with too many systems.
FAQ – How to Be More Intentional With Your Time
Q: How do I know if I’m using my time intentionally?
A: If your daily actions align with your top priorities and move you toward your goals, you’re on track. If you’re constantly reacting instead of planning, you may need to reset. But if you find yourself scrolling often in avoidance of the actual work. Then you need to step up and acknowledge it.
Q: Can I still relax and be intentional?
A: Absolutely. Rest is part of intentional living. The key is to plan it so it’s guilt-free and truly restorative. But also realize that there are seasons of push and building something amazing is hard. You aren’t going to reach your goals by starting off every nap time with your favorite show every weekday.
Q: What if I keep getting off track?
A: Ask yourself why. Is it because you don’t want to do it? Are you trying to do something that is completely out of alignment with your life? Are you expecting too much of your life season? The goal isn’t perfection, it’s consistent course correction. Keep coming back to your priorities. But you also have to assess the problem and ask why.
Final Thought
Learning how to be more intentional with your time is a skill. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.
If you fall off track, don’t beat yourself up. Just start again — one small step at a time.
Ready to Create Your Own Flexible Weekly Plan?
My Strategic Week Planning System will help you set up Anchored Time Chunks so you can focus on what matters most while staying flexible. It’s just $37 and will give you the structure you need without the overwhelm.
