In the first half of the 20th century, the urgent national crisis and the modernization pressure in China have profoundly shaped the governance and development pattern of the grassroots society. In order to adapt to the new situation and meet the new requirements for development, mobilized governance, which is guided by catchup theories of development and reforms society and individuals with state power, has become a more inviting choice of governance. As a typical microcosm of mobilized governance, the New Life Movement in Shanxi Province in the 1930s showed two aspects at the same time. It was both the “movement of daily life” and the “mobilized daily routine.” The former refers to the extension of the scope and objects of governance to daily life, which was manifested as a “life revolution,” covering the daily lives of various social members; the latter was manifested as the “mobilization” of social governance strategies and mechanisms, trying to mobilize a wide range of social forces to build a landscape of “active governance.” However, for some reasons, such as too high governance goals, insufficient revolutionary will of the governors and participants, lack of a firm organizational foundation and strong relevant social mobilization and governance capabilities, the New Life Movement in Shanxi Province was gradually distorted in its implementation, which caused troubles to people’s lives instead. Its vision of leading a reasonable and orderly modern life and cultivating modern citizens was finally shattered.