Today’s challenge is focused on defining your target.  As the old adage, states “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there”.  Natalie’s prompt is:

• What’s does your perfect day look like?

This one’s tough as I don’t have a perfect day, but rather perfect days…  I’d go crazy living the same “perfect day” over and over.  That said, there are some elements of the perfect day that are always there. So..

• I wake up around 5:00 to get things going.  Early AM is the best time for me as my mind is sharp and crisp.  The ideas flow freely and I’m able to make connections between different concepts quickly and easily.
• I review my aspirations in light of how the previous day went and how I want today to go.  The aspirations serve as reference point for the me I want to be.
• Next my attention turns to my “intellectual” plan.  The plan has short, middle, and long term goals on it.  It outlines things I want to do from an intellectual growth and business perspective.  I reflect on where I’m at with the goals and then move right on to today’s tasks.  As things are aligned and I’m fresh, the tasks come easily.  Before I know it two hours have gone by and I’ve completed the days tasks and it’s only 7:00.
• I grab a quick bite to eat (orange juice, banana, peanut butter) and then pop back in the bedroom to find Sonya waking up.  We talk a bit about what we’ll do today.  I listen actively and together we decide what we’ll do.
• I turn my attention to exercise.  For the next couple of hours I work on my physical well being.  Whether it’s swimming, biking, running, resistance training or something else my focus is on my health.  I end the time stretching and taking a nice hot shower.  9:00 and I’ve exercised my mind and body?
• The next couple of hours are spent consuming information.  Books, magazines, papers, internet, podcasts, and so on.  As I digest the material, I take notes and log all of the information in a systematic manner so that I can access it easily.  11:00 and I’ve refueled my brain with new material.
• The next two hours are spent reaching out to others.  It could be socially, it could be business wise — although even here it’s only working with people who share my love of learning growing, and living.  One PM and I’ve reached out to my extended family.
• For the next three hours Sonya and I spend time together exploring.  It’s her call on where this time takes us.  Four PM and I’ve spent time with my partner
• From four until six, I’m back in touch with the external world.  This could be actual calls, meetings, or conversations.  It could also be working on things for them — be it specific tasks or new content for them.  The key here is that the focus is on helping them grow during this time.
• Six until eight is dinner with friends.  A chance to see what’s going on with those I care about.
• Finally, from eight until ten it’s another dose of information consumption.

What’s the insights here:

• While the structure of the day is repetitive, the exact tasks are not.  I get bored with doing the same thing over and over and my ideal day reflects the opportunity to change things up a bit.
• The day needs to be organized.  I need to have the goals and aspirations outlined so that I can keep the focus.
• Consuming new information is critical.  Probably my most basic “need” is to learn which feeds my desire to grow.
• The day is incomplete unless I involve others.  They feed me.  And they give me the opportunity to create things for them.  The opportunity to help others grow.

The above insights are all more “tactical” in nature.  There’s an even bigger insight that’s more “strategic” in nature:

• My choice of “learning, growing, living” as a blog/website/focus/whatever you want to call it, is aligned with how I want to live my life.  That’s great and why it’s been such a fun few months!

The biggest challenge I face right now is in figuring out how to combine the above vision of the perfect day in to a business.  While I’m not worried, I am frustrated that the solution is not coming more quickly.  However, that’s a good thing as I’ve always taken the next “easy”, short term step versus focusing on what makes sense over the long term.  I need to take my time, continue to write, continue to work with others, and focus on where I can help folks live a better life.  Eventually the solution on a business will become clear.  I just need the patience to stay the course through the journey.

If you want some more information on the challenge, check out the post on day five at:

http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/blogchallenge/blog-challenge-day5