Dear John,

I believe how you start your day is key to your success. The good news is creating what I call the Perfect Start doesn’t have to be overwhelming, complicated, or time consuming. Here is my 2024 Perfect Start - I encourage you to use this as a guide and create your own version that works for you.

1. I decide the day before what time I am going to get up and allow 7.5 hours for sleep.
2. When I get up, (5:00 a.m. for me almost every day) I get my cup of coffee and then go to my distraction free place.
3. I don’t check my phone or email or do anything that could derail me before I complete my Perfect Start.
4. My Perfect Start has 4 things in it: Gratitude, Study, Goals, and 2 Chairs.
5. Gratitude - 3 mins. I review my gratitude list each day and then add 3 new things to the list each day. This puts me in the right mindset.
6. Study - 10 mins. I read a chapter from the book of Proverbs and then dig into it. I will switch it up with other books or readings.
7. Goals - 7 mins. I review my goals for the week and then update what I accomplished the day before and write in my goals for the day. I also review my calendar and reflect on meetings or events for the day I need to prepare for.
8. 2 Chairs - 5 mins. I learned this from Bob Beaudine in his book 2 Chairs. I have one chair for me and one for God. Every morning I ask God 3 questions: God, do you know what’s going on in my life? (yes) God, are you big enough to handle it? (yes) God, what is the plan? And then I just listen for His direction. Some days I get a major download from God and some days I wait in silence. But this I know, God always answers in His perfect timing.

This 25 minutes is life-changing! I encourage you to do your own version of this even if you start with just 5 minutes - it will change your life!

Choose To Win!

Tom

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