MSS #0144: Why Your Day Needs a Direction (and How to Set It in a Minute)

MSS #0144: Why Your Day Needs a Direction (and How to Set It in a Minute)

11 Oct, 2025

🕒Read time: 2.1 minutes

🚀 In a hurry? Skip to “The 3-Part Intent Ritual” for a reduced reading time of 0.7 minutes.

You wouldn’t get in a car without knowing where you’re going.

But that’s how many leaders start their day.

• Open the inbox.

• Check the calendar.

• Get pulled into 15 priorities.

And suddenly your brain is in reactive mode before you’ve even begun.

Your brain runs best on direction.

It wants to know:
➡️ What’s my role?
➡️ What matters today?
➡️ What does “done” look like?

Without that clarity, your mind spins.
It avoids.
It defaults to old habits.

The good news?
You can give your brain a satnav for the day in less than 60 seconds.

Your Mind First Thing in the Morning

You’ve probably heard the phrase “They must have got out of bed the wrong way today.”

It captures something real: how we show up is often shaped by the state we wake up in.

First thing in the morning, your unconscious mind is more open and accessible.
This makes it the best time to prime your mindset with intention, before the noise of the day takes over.

If you don’t, the day decides for you.
Your inbox, your calendar, other people’s priorities — they set the tone.

But when you take a moment to set your intent, you choose how you want to show up.

The 3-Part Intent Ritual

Each morning, finish these sentences:

✍️ I will focus on _______.
🧹 I will let go of _______.
💡 I will show up as _______.

That’s it.

Simple. Fast. Effective.

It doesn’t need to be perfect.
It just needs to be yours.

Some examples:

• I will focus on progress, not perfection.

• I will let go of overthinking.

• I will show up as calm and clear with my team.

Prime Your Day to Match What’s Ahead

Intent works best when it matches the demands of your day.

• Creative planning session? → Set your intent to be open and playful.

• Important negotiations? → Set your intent to be firm and steady.

• A tough feedback conversation? → Set your intent to be clear but compassionate.

The point is not to always be the same.
It’s to prime yourself to show up as the leader your day requires.

Quick Checklist of Possible Intents

• Calm

• Firm

• Happy

• Focused

• Patient

• Curious

• Grateful

• Courageous

• Energetic

• Compassionate

Pick one or two that support you best today.

The Evening Matters Too

How you end the day influences how you begin the next one.

Falling asleep replaying worries primes your mind for stress on waking.

Instead, close the day by asking:
What went well today?
What am I grateful for?

This simple reflection calms the mind, signals closure and sets up a clearer start tomorrow.

Why It Works

Intent directs attention.
Attention directs energy.
Energy drives results.

When you set intent early — and close the day well — you stop drifting.
You choose your direction.

Mind Leadership in 60 Seconds

Mind leadership starts in the first five minutes of your day.

The inbox and calendar can wait.
Your intent comes first.

Give your brain a compass and let it know where you want to go.

Summary

You wouldn’t start a journey without direction.
The same is true for your day.
A one-minute intent ritual primes your mind, reduces reactivity, and creates clarity.

• Waking moods shape behaviour — prime your mind instead of leaving it to chance.

• Use the 3-part ritual:
  • I will focus on…
  • I will let go of…
  • I will show up as…

• Match intent to your day’s needs: calm, firm, happy, curious, energetic, etc.

• Evening reflection influences the morning — end well to start well.

• Intent → attention → energy → results.

• Mind leadership starts in the first five minutes of your day.

See you next week. One more thought 👇

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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, really hope this helped. Contact me if you think I can help you further at [email protected].

Happy thinking.