Hi there, it’s Jill!

Have you ever opened TikTok or YouTube Shorts just for a quick break, and suddenly two hours have disappeared? You look up feeling drained, guilty, and wondering: where did my time go?

I’ve been there too. And it doesn’t feel like living life on your own terms.

The shift that helped me escape that cycle? One simple mindset: being intentional.

Today, I want to share how it works—and how it can help you reclaim your time, energy, and focus.

Let’s dive in.

Social media and short videos can easily become our default way to relax, or simply to fill empty moments.

While there’s nothing wrong with taking a break or catching up on news, the harm comes when we do it aimlessly.

When you scroll, you have little control over what shows up next. The algorithm decides based on your past likes, clicks, and watch time. Over time, this becomes a default habit: every time there’s a pause in your day, you reach for your phone and scroll.

Here’s the problem:

This is the ultimate harm of being aimless: it robs you of clarity and direction, one small scroll at a time.

So, what’s the solution?

The antidote to being aimless is intentionality.

I don’t mean you should cut out all short videos or fun content. Instead, it’s about being clear on what you allow to take your time, and what you want to get out of it.

For example:

This mindset shift changes everything. You still enjoy engaging content, but you control how and why you consume it.

Since adopting this approach, I’ve noticed:

✅ The quality of the information I consume is higher.
✅ I learn from trusted, relevant sources while still enjoying my breaks.
✅ I feel less guilty and less empty after spending time online.
✅ I walk away with a stronger sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Being intentional turns passive consumption into conscious choice, aligning your time with your goals and values.

Social media is just one area of life where intention matters. Here are other areas where small shifts can lead to big progress:

Set a clear goal (e.g., strength, flexibility, endurance) for the next 3–6 months and align your workouts to support it.

Set a daily or weekly reading target (e.g., 10 pages a day, 50 pages a week) to ensure steady, tangible progress.

If you want to cook more at home while still enjoying treats, set a “dining out quota” (e.g., once per week, or two healthy takeout lunches) to align spending with your goals.

Over time, these small, intentional shifts will compound into meaningful change. You’ll feel the positive feedback loop of gaining control, and building the life you want—one intentional choice at a time.

Living aimlessly may feel easy in the moment, but it often leaves us drained, distracted, and disconnected from what we truly want.

✨ Being intentional is not about restriction.

✨ it’s about reclaiming your time and energy so you can align your actions with your goals and values.

Notice how it feels to take back that control and how it shifts your energy and clarity!

— Jill

Founder of Anchor Growth Newsletter

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