Living With Intention: Why I Created My Integrity Intention List

Hey friend,

Have you noticed the horse chestnut trees lately? One outside my window has burst into flower—proud pink-and-white blooms standing tall against the green. It stopped me in my tracks the other day. There's something about this season—how nature quietly returns to life—that invites us to pause and reflect, to unfurl something within ourselves, just like those blossoms: slowly, gently, without force.

This theme of slow, steady unfolding has echoed through my life recently.

As some of you know, I've been diving deeper into my training, working toward further certifications in health coaching. Professionally, it's been exciting — but personally, it's stirred a much more profound shift.

As part of my training, I set new health goals—not just for physical vitality but also for emotional consistency, energy regulation, and routine. It sounded simple on paper. But in practice, I came face-to-face with something I know many of you will resonate with: how difficult it can be to create new habits when you live with ADHD.

Neurodivergent brains often resist structure in the traditional sense. For many of us, what might look like laziness or inconsistency from the outside is a nervous system challenge — an issue of overstimulation, difficulty with transitions, executive dysfunction, or even shame. I had to meet myself with compassion and curiosity instead of pressure or perfectionism.

That's when I began paying closer attention to the "invisible rules" I lived by. In psychology, these are cognitive scripts or schemas — internalised belief systems that shape our automatic behaviours. In the world of disordered eating and emotional health, we often talk about maladaptive rules — the kind that say, "You don't deserve to eat until you've earned it," or "You can't rest until everything is done." These rules can create toxic loops of guilt, shame, and burnout.

But here's the nuance: not all rules are bad.

I noticed that some of my internal guidelines were working for me. They felt like little rituals of care — simple intentions that anchored me in the day and made me feel more regulated. For example:

"I have breakfast before I enjoy coffee"

"The kitchen is clean before I get dressed for bed."

"Before I turn my laptop on to start work, I'm dressed to impress!"

On the surface, they're just habits. But underneath, they are statements of self-respect. They say, "I prioritise nourishing my body." And "I want to wake up to a calm space."

These intentions aren't about control. They're about alignment.

So, I started writing them down—not as rigid rules but as Integrity Intentions—quiet commitments to myself that feel supportive, spacious, and sustainable. This became my Integrity Intention List—a personal practice to help me return to my centre when life feels overwhelming or scattered.

Living with ADHD has taught me that I don't need more discipline — I need more compassion and structure that works for me.

If you're also navigating a period of change, healing from disordered eating, or trying to develop healthier patterns but feel overwhelmed by the noise of external "shoulds," I invite you to try this approach.

What if the goal wasn't perfection, but integrity?Not controlling yourself, but leading yourself — gently, intentionally, and with love?

🌿 If this resonates, I'd love to support you.

In my private coaching practice, I work with clients to:

Identify their unique health goals

• Explore internal belief systems and subconscious scripts

• Reframe unhelpful patterns

• Create personalised wellness routines — including your own Integrity Intention List

  
  

You don't have to figure this out alone.

👉 Click here to book a free clarity call — let's explore what support might look like for you.

With warmth and integrity

Willow Woolf