By Trent Debth
Welcome to Life Built with Intent, a personal and practical reflection on living a life with purpose, responsibility, and care. This space is a quiet but deliberate corner of the internet, a journal of thoughts and rhythms rooted in the belief that how we show up for the everyday is how we shape our entire lives. It’s not about perfection or performance. It’s about presence.
Today, like every day, began with my morning chores.
The word chore is one that has, unfortunately, drifted far from its origin in the modern ear. We now often hear it with a sigh or eye-roll, embedded in a complaint. “It’s a real chore working with that person.” But I’d like to bring us back to its core meaning.
According to the dictionary, a chore is “a routine task, especially a household one.” But that simple definition doesn’t capture the heartbeat behind it. It misses the quiet dignity that comes from doing what needs to be done, day in and day out, because you love and care for the people, animals, and spaces around you.
I grew up with chores. They weren’t negotiable or seasonal. They were a part of the rhythm of life, like sunrise and coffee and school buses rolling by. They were how the day got started. Not a list to resent, but a calling to answer.
Now, as an adult, they still are.
My own chores begin around 3:30 every morning, weekdays and weekends alike. That time might sound early to most, but to me, it’s a sacred space. It's a head start on the noise of the world. A pocket of intention before the pace picks up.
I included a painting in this post, a portrait of me with my dog Walter. I feel it captured a little bit older version of what I am and certainly older than how I feel now but I still love it just the same. In case you’re wondering, his full name is Sir Walter of Merrywoods, and he’s an English Setter. He is my Good Boy. One of five good boys and girls I care for each morning. Merrywoods is the place where my uncle Curt and Aunt Beth live in Iowa. They are really my godparents but I call them aunt and uncle because they are some of the people along side my mom and dad who have shaped my life. I got my love of the outdoors and dogs from my uncle Curt along with my definition of the word chore.
Every day, I wake, stretch out the stiffness, and begin. I take all the dogs out to run and stretch their legs. I clean up after them. I make sure their water buckets are full and their food bowls ready. I kneel, I pat, I scratch ears and whisper good words into attentive faces. On workdays, it’s a parting moment of affection I know they’ll carry until I return.
I switch out the dishes for my wife, Jana. I put away the laundry, take out the trash, and tend to the quiet little things that need to be done before my day in the professional world begins. Some tasks change daily, but most remain constant.
Do I sleep in once in a while? Of course. I’m human. But even then, the chores don’t go away. They just wait, patiently. If I’m traveling, I still feel the responsibility. I make sure someone else is there in my place. That’s what it means to care for something. You don’t let it slip when it’s inconvenient. You protect it.
Now, I don’t share all of this to impress or romanticize. I share it because I believe we need to reclaim the idea of chores. To raise it from the realm of drudgery and put it back in its rightful place as a virtue.
To me, chores are the physical expression of love and responsibility. They are not mere checkboxes or errands. They are the care we give to the world around us, every single day. They are the tether that holds us to the things and people that matter most.
They deserve reverence. They deserve honor.
I also apply the word to work. My Work Chores.
Each morning, before diving into meetings or problem-solving, I go through my emails with intention. I respond to people waiting for answers, check in with those I want to connect with, and review my day and week ahead. I send out meeting invites. I make sure I’m not just reacting to the day but proactively shaping it. These are my work chores. They're how I show up prepared. They’re not glamorous, but they matter.
I don’t think we need fewer chores. I think we need a deeper relationship with the ones we already have.
Chores, when understood rightly, are anchors. They are habits of service, love, humility, and care. They are proof that we are capable of putting others before ourselves, if only for a few moments, if only for a meal, a clean floor, a walk in the yard.
So I’ll ask you:
What are your chores?
Not just what’s on your to-do list, but what are the acts of responsibility and care that ground your day?
How do you mark the beginning of your mornings, not just with coffee and commutes, but with conscious, intentional acts that say: this life matters, and I’m here for it?
Let’s bring the word chore back into our lives. Let’s honor it. Elevate it. And teach our children that it is not a punishment, but a practice.
A life built with intent starts with a chore.
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