Taking Charge of Personal Choices (10 Part Series)
This is Part 1 of the “Reclaiming Control” Series — a 10-part guide designed to help you step fully into the CEO role of your own life. Each article will explore a different area where you can move from default mode to intentional living, with practical steps, mindset shifts, and recommendations that support your growth.
The Trap of Autopilot Living
It’s Sunday night, and you’re confused at how fast the weekend has passed. You’ve not done anything that you had wished you could have done, but again, you’re not surprised. Perhaps you’ll get to do it when you go on leave.
On Monday, you wake up tired. You move through the motions of the week from meetings, to work, and more work, meeting your to do lists. As the day ends, there are family issues you need to attend to, supervising homework or checking the diaries, there are some errands that need to be done.
As the week comes to an end, you’re excited to just get into the weekend, hoping that you’ll be able to catch on with some rest and with other things you’ve not been able to do during the week. However, as the weekend sets in, you collapse at your sofa wondering where your energy went. Sound familiar?
This state is best described as “just surviving.” We drift through our days, hoping things slow down or get easier. But does it?
Life won’t slow down. You must choose to live it on purpose.
Living on autopilot steals your power. It replaces choices with reactions, presence with obligation, and intentionality with urgency. And over time, that steals joy, clarity, and even confidence.
I’m here to let you know that you can take the wheel again, starting today.
Driving vs. Drifting: What’s the Difference?
We started by asking ourselves, Are you driving your life or are you drifting through it? When you’re drifting, life happens to you:
- You accept job roles you’ve outgrown.
- You let your days pass without concrete plans of goals.
- You keep relationships out of routine, not resonance.
- Your routines are based on obligation, not optimization.
- You really are not in control of what happens as you go with the flow.
When you’re driving, you act with intention:
- You review what’s working (and what’s not).
- You choose what aligns with your values.
- You say “yes” to what matters—and let go of what doesn’t.
- You are purposeful on what to focus on and when
- Your days are meaningful and working towards what you have planned.
Intentional living doesn’t mean controlling every outcome. It means choosing how you show up, even when the unexpected happens.
3 Ways to Reclaim Control Today
So how can you reclaim control of your life to avoid drifting?
1. Identify Where You’re Reacting Instead of Choosing
Where in your life are you simply “going with the flow” because it’s easier than questioning it? This can include how you’re spending your ‘spare’ time, how you’re choosing to show up to your family, your spouse etc. It could also be who you’re spending time with that’s influencing your flow – are you really doing what’s good for you or what’s popular in your circles?
Start by scanning your:
- Career: Are you energized by your work, or just enduring it?
- Friendships: Are you pouring into relationships that no longer pour back? And are you investing in friendships that you really should invest in?
- Daily routines: Are you defaulting to habits that drain you?
📝 Try this journaling prompt:
What area of my life feels like it’s on autopilot? What would “intentional” look like instead?
2. Start a Daily Intentional Living Check-In
Create intention each day. Your day is a canvas. What you put on it is up to you. I usually set a 5-minute timer each morning to allow me to put down my key areas of focus for the day. What helps me even more is when I place time-slots for each activity – this gives me ownership of doing the thing. Begin each morning (or close each night) with a 5-minute check-in.
Ask yourself:
- What matters most to me today?
- Where do I want to show up with clarity and care?
- What’s one thing I can choose instead of defaulting?
- What do I want to achieve today that will move me towards my personal goals?
📓 The Five Minute Journal – A beautifully designed tool to build a consistent practice of self-reflection and intention.
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3. Take One Small Action That Aligns With Your Intentions
Intentional living doesn’t require massive life changes overnight. One small act of reclaiming your power can shift your entire week. Actions that stick are those that are taken in smaller dozes. They seem insignificant enough to avoid internal push-back, yet they can make all the difference in the long-term.
Examples of small actions you can take include:
- Decline that non-essential meeting and use that time for something more meaningful to you.
- Take a walk instead of scrolling your lunch break away. You’re achieving your health goal at the same time.
- Say no to a favor you don’t have capacity for. It’s quite okay to say no sometimes.
Progress doesn’t need perfection—only direction.
At the End of the Day, Remember This:
🔑 You’re not powerless. You’re just overdue for a pause.
🔑 Intentional living begins with awareness, not perfection.
🔑 Journaling is one of the most underrated tools for clarity.
💬 Next in the Series:
“Your Body Is Not a Side Project — Prioritizing Health & Well-Being”
If your choices reflect your values, does your body feel supported by them? We’ll talk simple shifts to honor your well-being—without the overwhelm.
To ensure you don’t miss out on the 10-part series, make sure you’ve subscribed to my email list, where I share with all my subscribers new content as it comes. Most importantly, though, is that you follow the journey by doing, not just reading. I hope it can change your life like it did mine. See you next week!
