From autopilot to aligned: A look at how our habits impact who we are.
Do you ever feel like you're operating on autopilot?
Many different things may have popped into your head here. Waking up and sliding into your routine—skin care, pilates, iced coffee, and driving to the job you hate. A rhythm you may have either perfected with care or accidentally fallen into. Alternatively, you may have been reminded of how you keep showing up in a relationship that does not serve you anymore because it feels “familiar.” But here’s the catch: these habits, as ingrained as they may be, could have been built by a past version of you—one who no longer represents the woman you’re becoming.
As women, it’s essential that we show up for ourselves with purpose. Not the watered-down, survival-mode version of us, but the elevated, evolving, empowered self. And here's the truth I always circle back to: you are your habits.
That’s why our word of the month is intent. I want us to pause, reflect, and reset. Sometimes we must ask ourselves why we do the things we do every day, and ultimately, deliberate on the larger, scarier question of who we are becoming through these habits and relationships. Are your habits serving you, or just sustaining you? When you lead with intention, you reclaim your power. Because it’s not the grand, rare moments that define us; it’s the small, consistent actions we repeat daily.
A book that radically shifted how I think about all of this is Atomic Habits by James Clear. Let me share three key takeaways from the book and how you can use them to weave more intention, and power, into your life:
1. Start with Identity, Not Goals
Forget the long list of goals. Instead, ask: Who do I want to become? Rather than saying, “I want to wake up earlier,” try: “I am a productive woman who makes the most out of her day.” When you shift your habits to align with your identity, they become natural extensions of who you are rather than chores on a to-do list.
2. The Power of Tiny Changes
Don’t underestimate the 1%. Small, daily improvements compound over time. No need to overhaul your life overnight. Just begin with a single, meaningful shift and let it grow. Empowerment is built in micro-movements, not massive leaps.
3. Measure What Matters—and Make It Joyful
Tracking progress helps habits stick. You don’t need a fancy app or spreadsheet. Even a group chat with your girls can do the trick. When you make reflection fun and communal, you stay accountable and inspired.
Let me bring this to life with a personal example.
Back in my undergraduate student days, my “breakfast routine” consisted of an iced coffee and a frozen chocolate chip waffle. Quick? Yes. Nutritionally empowering? Not exactly. One morning, I paused and asked myself: Is this serving the woman I’m becoming? The answer was no. So I decided to move with intention.
Instead of cutting everything out cold turkey, I started small. I swapped my coffee for a green juice. I kept the waffle, because we need balance and a little sweet treat, and added a boiled egg that I meal-prepped for the week. That little upgrade gave me protein, fibre, and antioxidants. I felt better in the mornings, and that energy carried into the rest of my day.
Over time, I began stocking my fridge with other nourishing options like zucchini bread and Greek yogurt, without pressure or perfectionism. I didn’t use a food tracker, because that just wasn’t my thing. But I did send my long-distance besties a breakfast picture in our group chat every morning. It became a fun, supportive ritual, and a powerful form of accountability.
It’s incredible how one intentional tweak to a routine can ripple into your self-worth and confidence. That’s the magic of habit and identity alignment.
🌱 Your Challenge for the Month 🌱
Revisit your daily routines, however big or small.
Ask yourself:
✨ Does this habit serve the woman I want to become?
✨ Am I acting with intent or just out of familiarity?
✨ What’s one small intentional shift I can make right here, right now?
You are so much more than your routines; you are the woman you choose to be every single day. Empowerment isn’t just a feeling; it’s a practice. And that practice starts with intention.
With love,
Jasmine 🌸
