Design Your Life: Beyond Doing, to Being

Ceniva Kai
May 9
2 min read

By Siphokazi Sondishe,

In a recent session, Coach Ceniva Kai shared powerful insights on intentional living, drawing inspiration from The Law of Design in John Maxwell’s book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. His message was a refreshing and urgent call: design your life, don't drift through it.

Coach Kai opened with this profound reminder:

"Be not preoccupied with what you do at the expense of who you are. We are not human doings; we are human beings."

In today’s busy world, it’s easy to define ourselves by our activities, our work, our achievements, our hustle. But the deeper, more lasting question is: Who are you becoming? True growth and fulfillment start not with what we do, but with who we are at the core.

Plan Your Life — Or Someone Else Will

John Maxwell teaches that "design determines direction." Coach Kai expanded on this by warning that if we fail to plan for our lives, beyond just our careers, someone else will plan our lives for us.

Supporting others is good, but it must be by design, not by default. You should assist others' visions because it fits into your life’s blueprint, not because you’ve failed to create one for yourself.

The real task is to design your whole life, spiritually, relationally, vocationally, not just the parts related to visible accomplishments.

Why Motivation Alone is Not Enough

Coach Kai went on to challenge a popular belief: that motivation is the secret to success.While motivation can spark action, he warned that:

"A life lived on motivation is in danger, but a life lived on systems that cultivate discipline and consistency can be fruitful."

Motivation is temporary, it fades when challenges come. Can you really build a life on something you can’t maintain daily? As John Maxwell also writes, "Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing."

When motivation dwindles, systems, structured habits, routines, and accountability, are what sustain you.

Building Systems That Help You Finish

Coach Kai offered practical wisdom for creating systems that help you stay consistent, even when you don't "feel" motivated:

Build with the end in mind: Know where you want to go, then design daily actions that move you steadily toward that vision.
Make use of your time: A good system maximizes time, turning scattered effort into focused progress.
Consistency requires a fight: Being consistent isn’t natural; it’s uncomfortable and often painful. Systems help you push through when emotions fail.
Measure to manage: You can't track what you can't measure. Identify specific areas, spiritual life, family, career, where systems are needed.
Accountability matters: Have a friend or mentor who checks in on you. Accountability strengthens discipline and helps you stick to what you set out to do.

Systems transform dreams into realities. They create rhythms that carry you through seasons of low energy, doubt, and difficulty.

Final Thoughts

The Law of Design reminds us that success doesn't happen by accident, it happens by planning, by intentional living, and by building structures that support our growth. Coach Ceniva Kai’s teaching brings a fresh perspective:Design your life holistically, base your growth not on fleeting emotions, but on sustainable systems.

Be intentional. Be consistent. Build systems. And most importantly — be — don't just do.