Welcome Back! (Prep Week Day 1 of 5)

If your life is driven by the academic calendar, then today begins Prep Week, the week before classes begin. Even if you’re not on an academic calendar, this is the first full work week of 2018. Let’s make it count by spending a few minutes each day setting ourselves up for the best year of our lives.

This week I’ll be posting daily todo items for you to set up the systems that will cause you to WIN in 2018.

I’ll be doing them too! You can follow me on this journey on Twitter and Instagram, @TheTonyFerrar, and join the conversation using #IntentionalPrep. Share your experience, ask me questions, and leave a comment!

Crash Landing

If you’re anything like me, then the end of every semester feels like a mad race to the finish line. We’re juggling so many balls, carrying such a load, (or whatever metaphor you like for having too much on our plates). We buckle up and hope we don’t give out before the end.

I usually feel like Wilbur, everyone’s favorite Albatross from the Rescuers (watch here if you don’t know what I’m talking about http://video.disney.com/watch/big-landing-4c5987a6046a3366de4d0871).

Fresh Start

As we begin 2018, I have a goal: do more of what matters and less of what doesn’t. As @GregoryMcKeown puts it, “Less, but better.” I want to make massive progress in all of the areas of my life that matter most. This is going to take discipline and focus, which is what #IntentionalPrep is all about.

Let’s get the systems in place that will cause us to WIN in 2018.

Today’s Tasks

  1. Design a Morning Routine. My morning routine is one of the most important parts of my day. I leave the house fresh, stress-free, focused, and celebrating the fact that I already made progress on my most important thing. Studies show that high-income earners wake up an average of 2 hours before they need to leave the house. Let’s follow best practices. Waking up at the same time every day, starting with the same ritual, these things get your mind and body in a place of focus and energy. My routine, in 30-minute increments is: coffee and Scripture, read a non-fiction book, breakfast/get dressed, write for Intentional Academy. Need help engineering your routine? Read more here: https://www.tonyferrar.com/2017/08/22/why-i-love-my-morning-routine/ and https://michaelhyatt.com/tag/morning-routine/ If you think this isn’t for you, try it first. Give it one week and let me know how it goes!
  2. Clean out your workspace. How can we hope to make progress if we don’t make any room for it? Spend some time today cleaning out your desk, backpack, briefcase, email, and computer file system. Don’t let the open loops from last year continue to haunt your mind. Let go of 90% of them (straight to trash), do 10% of them, and start tomorrow with a clean slate!!

2018 is going to be incredible! Need help? Leave a comment or join the conversation on Twitter/Instagram #IntentionalPrep.