Living with Intention: How to Align Your Daily Actions with Your Life Purpose

Why Intention Matters More Than You Think

Living with intention isn’t about chasing a picture-perfect life. It’s about showing up each day with clarity about what matters, and making choices that reflect your values.

Nancy Kalsow’s REAL Framework™ — Reflect, Engage, Align, Lead — offers a simple yet powerful guide for turning those good intentions into tangible results. It helps you move from “someday” thinking to “right now” action, one small, consistent choice at a time.

1. Reflect — Get Clear on What You Value

Every intentional action starts with reflection. Without knowing what you stand for, you can’t steer your life in a purposeful direction.

How to apply it:

• Ask yourself: What brings me energy? What drains me?

• List your top three personal values.

• Keep those values visible on your phone, your desk, and your bathroom mirror as a daily reminder.

Remember: “Who you are is more important than any role you play, rule you break, or responsibility you have.” — Nancy Kalsow (BRAVA Magazine)

2. Engage — Be Fully Present in Your Choices

It’s not enough to know your purpose; you have to live it in the moment. Engaging means actively participating in your life instead of letting it run on autopilot.

How to apply it:

• Swap multitasking for mindful focus, even for 10 minutes a day.

• Build micro-intentions into your day: choose one thing to do with full presence.

• Ask before saying yes: Does this align with my values?

Tip: Use the one breath rule. Before you start a task, conversation, or meeting, pause for a single deep breath and ask yourself: “What’s the most intentional way I can show up for this right now?” This tiny reset can pull you out of autopilot and into full presence, even on a busy day.

3. Align — Match Actions to Your Goals

If your habits and your purpose are out of sync, burnout, and frustration follow. Alignment means making sure your daily actions move you toward what matters most.

How to apply it:

• Audit your time for a week to see if it reflects your priorities.

• Eliminate one commitment that drains you and replace it with something that feeds your purpose.

• Protect time in your calendar for your most important work and honor it.

  Related reading: About Nancy and her REAL Framework™

4. Lead — Take Responsibility for Your Path

Leading with intention means being the driver of your own life, not the passenger. You make the hard calls, set boundaries, and own your direction.

How to apply it:

• Communicate your priorities clearly to those around you.

• Set boundaries to protect your energy and focus.

• Celebrate small wins; they prove you’re moving in the right direction.

Tip: Create a non-negotiables list. Write down 3–5 boundaries, priorities, or habits that you commit to protecting no matter what. Examples:

• No work email after 7 PM, or heck, go 5 PM!

• Sunday family dinner is always on the calendar.

• 20 minutes of movement daily.

By making your non-negotiables visible, you’re leading your life on your terms instead of letting circumstances lead you.

The Takeaway

Living with intention is a practice, not a one-time decision. Coach K’s REAL Framework™ reminds us that purpose is built in your day-to-day reflection, engagement, alignment, and leadership. When you live this way, your daily actions don’t just fill your schedule; they build the life you truly want.

Live with purpose every day—Get REAL by Nancy Kalsow and turn intention into action. Grab it here.