Create Your Best Life with Intentional Planning

By Galel Fajardo | 05/20/2025 |

What got you here won’t get you free.

You know what I’m talking about: You built the business. You hit the revenue goals. You did everything “right.”

So why do you still feel like you’re drowning in your calendar, snapping at your spouse, and constantly running on fumes?

The answer isn’t another time management hack. It’s not a new app. And no, your problem isn’t that you “just need to be more disciplined.”

The real issue?

You’re reacting. Not planning. And definitely not intentionally designing your life.

“Planning” Isn’t What You Think It Is

Let me be clear: writing down a list of 37 to-dos every morning and checking Slack 14 times before noon is not planning. That’s reacting in advance.

Most high-income entrepreneurs I work with are trapped in this mode, living a life they didn’t consciously build.

Their day is dictated by:

  • What their team needs
  • What their calendar says
  • What their inbox is screaming about

They are constantly in response mode, so you can’t create peace, space, or real leverage.

Because you cannot build the life you want from inside the system that’s keeping you trapped.

You have to exit survival mode and choose to architect something better.

That’s where intentional planning comes in.

What Does “Intentional” Actually Mean?

It means you don’t just plan around your business goals. You plan around your values.

You start by asking:

  • “What kind of husband/father/wife/mother do I want to be?”
  • “How much white space do I want in my week?”
  • “What actually matters—and what am I only doing out of fear, habit, or guilt?”

Then you reverse-engineer your calendar, your business structure, and your commitments to support that vision, not just your next launch or sales quarter.

This is exactly what I help my coaching clients do every week.

And when they do, they go from:

  • Dreading Monday → to looking forward to their week
  • Feeling like a bottleneck → to trusting their team and systems
  • Living for “someday” → to living right now

The 3-Step Intentional Planning Framework

Here’s a simplified version of the framework I teach inside my coaching programs and live trainings.

Step 1: Define the Life You Actually Want

Sounds simple, right? But most people never stop long enough to actually do this.

They chase money. Then freedom. Then visibility. And still end up stuck.

So stop and ask:

  • What do my ideal mornings look like?
  • When do I want to work? For how long? With whom?
  • What kind of relationship, health, and energy do I want?

Write it down. Be unreasonably honest.

Until you define it, you’ll keep optimizing the wrong life.

Step 2: Audit the Life You’re Living Now

This is where it gets uncomfortable—but it’s necessary.

Pull up your calendar, your task list, your daily habits.

Ask yourself:

  • What’s working?
  • What’s draining me?
  • What have I been tolerating that needs to change?

Here’s the truth: most entrepreneurs carry way more weight than they need to. Old systems. Outdated expectations. Legacy decisions they never paused to rethink.

Once you identify them, you can let go of what’s not aligned and start making space.

Step 3: Rebuild from Core Values

Now that you know what you want and what’s not working, it’s time to rebuild your calendar and business systems around what actually matters.

That might mean:

  • Theming your days (e.g., Monday = Marketing, Tuesday = Clients)
  • Blocking white space into your week (and protecting it like a hawk)
  • Delegating or deleting low-leverage tasks
  • Automating parts of your business that are draining your mental bandwidth

Intentional planning is not about cramming more into your day. It’s about finally aligning your schedule with your values so that the life you say you want isn’t just a dream, it’s baked into your week.

Real Talk: Why Most People Won’t Do This

Here’s the hard truth: Most people are addicted to pressure.

They don’t slow down because being busy feels safe. They don’t delegate because being needed strokes their ego. They don’t change their calendar because chaos is familiar—even if it’s miserable.

But the entrepreneurs I work with? They’re different.

They’re not afraid of work. They’re afraid of wasting their life.

And once they realize they can have both impact and peace, they’re all in.

You Don’t Need Another Hustle Season

You need to pause. Zoom out. And ask yourself:

“Is what I’m building actually going to lead me to the life I want?”

If the answer isn’t a hell yes, you’ve got work to do—but not the kind you think.

Not more hours. Not more hustle. Just more intentionality.

Because you didn’t come this far to build a business that steals your life.

Let’s rebuild it with intention.

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