It’s easy to coast through life. Here’s how a few bold decisions – and a dead-simple tracking system – defined my intentional living with purpose, energy, and adventure.
The Turning Point – Choosing Intentional Living
Let’s get something straight: I’ve never been unhappy or stuck in a rut. My life, especially during my New York years, was full – travel, friends, business, experiences, you name it. But even in the middle of all that momentum, I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of it was happening to me, not by me. There was plenty of activity, but not enough intentionality.
That’s when I met Jack Daly and discovered his Life by Design philosophy. Jack isn’t your average self-help guy – he’s lived intentionally for decades, and it shows. His message was simple but powerful: if you don’t architect your life, it’ll get built by accident.
It wasn’t about fixing a broken life – it was about trading autopilot for intentional living. Jack’s approach pushed me to go beyond “busy” and start asking what I actually wanted from my days, my years, my experiences. It challenged me to become the designer, not just the passenger, of my own story.
Jack Daly’s Blueprint – What Living By Design Really Looks Like
Jack Daly’s approach is brutally pragmatic. Forget vision boards or vague resolutions – he’s all about taking control and living with intent. Jack’s “Life by Design” means identifying what you want more of (and less of), mapping it out, and then tracking your progress like your life depends on it – because it does.
Intentional living isn’t about micromanaging every minute or sucking the spontaneity out of your days. It’s about refusing to drift. It’s the difference between coasting through another year on autopilot and consciously building a life that actually lights you up.
When I first saw how Jack tracked everything – his workouts, adventures, relationships, milestones – I realized this wasn’t about control. It was about making sure the stuff that matters most actually happens. If you don’t make space for it, the rest of life will crowd it out. Simple as that.
Adopting intentional living means putting purpose at the center, and being ruthless about what you allow on your calendar. That’s not rigid – that’s freedom.
How I Practice Intentional Living – My Real Tracking System
I took Jack’s idea and stripped it down to something brutally simple. No complicated apps or color-coded dashboards – just a running note on my iPhone. This is intentional living with teeth.
Each year, I set clear, measurable targets for the things that actually matter to me:
- Strength training: 80 sessions
- Cardio: 40 sessions
- Swimming: 40 sessions
- Yoga/Pilates/Stretching: 40 sessions
- Sauna/Steam: 50 sessions
- Massage: 12 sessions
- Average daily steps: 8,000–9,000+
- Blood pressure: Keep average <135/85
- Events (concerts, shows, experiences): 12 minimum
- Date nights: 12 minimum—each one planned, not left to luck
- Trips, vacations, adventures: Every single one logged by month and year
Whenever I knock out a workout, book a trip, or do something memorable, it goes in the log. Some categories are ahead of schedule, others fall behind – but there’s no guessing and no hiding from the truth. That’s the beauty of intentional living: you always know exactly where you stand and what needs to change.
My Mid-Year Reality Check
So how’s it working? At the halfway mark, my log tells the truth – no room for ego, no place to hide. Some targets (strength training, sauna, events, travel) are right on track or ahead. Others – like cardio, stretching, or massages – could use more focus. That’s not failure; that’s the point.
The power of intentional living isn’t in perfection. It’s in the awareness and the ability to course-correct in real time. Instead of drifting and hoping I’m “doing okay,” I know where I’m crushing it and where I’m falling short. When I see a gap, I adjust. I book the trip, schedule the date night, call the trainer, or make the time for what matters.
This level of honesty and ownership means less regret, more momentum, and a sense of agency that just doesn’t exist when you leave your life to chance.
Why Intentional Living Matters (and What Actually Improves)
Here’s what’s changed for me: my life is less about “did I stay busy?” and more about “did I do what actually matters?”
I’m investing more in health, relationships, and real experiences. There’s less regret, less autopilot, and a hell of a lot more stories to look back on. Even when I fall behind in a category, at least I know and I can act, instead of just drifting.
Intentional living isn’t about squeezing joy out of life – it’s about squeezing more joy, meaning, and purpose into it. It’s about building a life worth remembering, not just letting the calendar fill itself.
Here’s my version of the classic Peter Drucker line:
Peter said, “What gets measured, gets managed.”
But I think it’s simpler: What gets measured, gets done.
If you don’t track what matters, you’ll fill your days with things that don’t.
Your Move – Design Your Own Year
Here’s my blunt challenge: Where in your life are you just hoping things will get better, instead of making sure they do?
Pick two or three things that actually matter – your health, your relationships, your adventures, your creativity. Track them for the next 90 days. No fancy tools. No perfection required. Just keep score, adjust as needed, and watch what happens.
You are always just one decision away from a totally different life.
That’s what Jack Daly’s Life by Design approach has given me: not a perfect blueprint, but the permission to live intentionally, measure what matters, and build a year that’s actually worth living.
So what are you waiting for? Start living with intent and make the next chapter one you’ll actually remember. If you need a coach to help you with this, book a call with me.
