The 10-Second Life Hack

Read time: 4 minutes

You can never place too many intentions.

Whether it's at Yoga, in a coaching session, or even at your next music festival.

Having an intention in mind before the activity takes place subconsciously primes you & every action you take during the activity to match the intention in one way or another.

I've been noticing this in everything I do.

The best part?

It only takes 10 seconds.

If that.

Yet, the effect it has on the entire practice & activity is 10-fold.

You can't underestimate it.

Last week, I had a first coaching session with a new client.

At the very beginning, I asked them what their intention was for the next 1h30 that we had together.

Was it to gain more clarity on the next steps?

Or to feel more excited and eager?

By just adding this one question at the start — I noticed how the entire session's conversation topics, discussions, & perspectives were all filtered through the lens of the stated intention.

Because the client could know if they were feeling more excited or not.

They knew what it felt like to be more eager or to have more clarity.

We all know what that feels like for us (in our own unique ways).

Therefore, a stated intention can serve as a powerful metric to make sure the activity you engage in is the most productive, effective, & fruitful.

This can be applied & used everywhere.

Try it before your next gym workout.

Or the next time you sit to read.

Or even on your next date.

For each, I've been setting intentions like these:

• "I want to feel more motivated & full of energy in 1h after the gym"

• "I want to be fully present, actively learning as I read for 30mins"

• "I want to be open, kind, and truly present with my partner"

I communicate it to myself before the activity.

It doesn't take long.

What do you lose?

Maximum, it doesn't work.

But, what if it does?

What if your date goes 100x more smoothly?

Or if your 30 minutes of reading time allowed you to wind down in the best possible way?

The beauty of setting "small" daily intentions like these is that you can check-in with yourself even if that activity isn't done.

Just like I did in that coaching session with my client.

At the half-way mark, I paused our conversation & checked-in with them to see if we were getting close to fulfilling those intentions that were set at the start.

If the answer is "no" — we still have half the allocated time to work on doing just that (with an added plus of more clarity on what has been missing in the first half).

If the answer is "yes" — we keep moving & perhaps even have time to go over & summarize most of the conversation for maximal comprehension & impact.

It is no different in your next holiday trip or cinema experience.

Set whatever it is you're aiming to gain from the experience you're about to immerse yourself in and stay mindful throughout.

It's not about judging yourself if you don't.

It's about noticing & course-correcting where needed.

This exercise can be all the more powerful if you set a shared intention with another.

For example, like I did in the coaching session with the client.

You can also do so at a family dinner with the entire family — "Let's listen deeply & show appreciation for one another tonight".

Or while doing your groceries with your roommates — "Let's only choose and buy healthy, nourishing foods".

You can do this everywhere, at any time, & with anybody.

That is the true beauty.

Intentionality will allow you to live your days with more purpose.

More presence.

More awareness & consciousness of your movements, activities, & environments.

It can only enrich your lives.

Setting intentions isn’t about overanalyzing or adding stress.

It’s simply about bringing a little more awareness to what you’re already doing.

You’re not dissecting every action; you’re just giving yourself a mental nudge to stay focused on what matters to you at that moment.

Nothing more.

Like any new habit, it will take a little time to build.

You can start small by setting intentions for key activities, like your morning routine or an important meeting.

Over time, it will become second nature.

You could also set reminders on your phone until it becomes a natural part of your routine.

But remember — intentions are different from goals or affirmations.

They're about setting a mindset rather than an expectation.

Instead of focusing on the outcome, you’re focusing on how you want to feel or show up in the moment. It’s less about achieving something specific and more about guiding your experience in a way that feels right to you.

The effects of setting intentions are subtle but meaningful.

It’s not about magically transforming your entire experience, but about making small shifts in how you approach situations. Over time, these small shifts can lead to bigger changes in your life.

At the end of the day, it’s about improving your experience, not guaranteeing perfection.

And if you feel like your routines "already work" & you don't need to change them... consider this as your next upgrade.

You don’t need to overhaul your current routine.

But, adding the intention will definitely enhance what you're already doing.

It can help you get more out of it.

That is the power of a small tweak like this one.

It makes a huge difference.

Don't take it for granted, my friends.

You have nothing to lose.

But everything to gain.

Thank you for reading!

Much love,

Julian

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