Start 2026 With What Matters Most.
When Jeff Bezos was asked what worried him most about Amazon’s future, his answer was simple: Day 2.
“Day 2,” he said, “is stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by excruciating, painful decline. Followed by death.”
The only way to avoid it? Live every day like it’s Day 1.
Day 1 is full of energy. It’s urgent. Scrappy. Vision-driven. You move like everything depends on what you do today—because it does.
That philosophy stuck with me because I’ve lived my own version of a Day 1 reset.
Years ago, I was in the kitchen—laptop open, stirring dinner with one hand and typing with the other—when my daughters, then in grade school, looked up and asked:
“Mom, when do you stop working?”
Their words stopped me cold. I had left a demanding retail career to be more present with my family, but here I was again—working nights, weekends, and every in-between moment. I wasn’t leading my life with focus. I was letting old habits run it.
That night became my Day 1. I drew a line: no more nights and weekends. I hired help. I protected my time. And in that reset, I learned what Bezos was talking about—if you don’t stay intentional, if you don’t protect your focus, you slide quietly into Day 2.
And that’s why, as we step into a new year, I believe leaders need more than resolutions. We need a Day 1 reset.
Most leaders walk into January with the best intentions. Fresh goals, new energy, ambitious plans.
But here’s the trap: instead of starting fresh, we drag last year’s habits right into the new one. The bloated calendars. The reactive meetings. The “just one more email” nights.
That’s Day 2 leadership. It’s slow, comfortable, and cluttered. And just like Bezos warned, it leads to decline—not because we don’t care, but because we’re not intentional.
The real danger is subtle: without a reset, you’ll spend 2026 busy but not focused. Working hard but not on what matters most.
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My kitchen-table wake-up call taught me what Bezos meant. Day 1 isn’t just about energy. It’s about choices.
For me, that meant saying no to nights and weekends. For Bezos, it meant fighting bureaucracy and protecting customer obsession. For you, it might mean blocking out white space for strategy, cutting back meetings, or delegating more.
Day 1 leadership requires a shift from reacting to leading. From saying yes to everything to saying yes only to what truly matters. From letting your time be stolen to taking your time back.
It’s not about being perfect—it’s about protecting your Day 1 clarity before it slips into Day 2 comfort.
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When you lead like it’s Day 1, your year feels different.
You make decisions faster.
You protect time for strategy and vision.
You show up more present with your family and your team.
And instead of repeating the same year on autopilot, you create the space to grow into the leader your business—and your life—needs.
For me, that reset in my kitchen years ago didn’t just change my calendar. It changed how I lead. I stopped chasing “busy” and started building a life and business that actually reflected my values.
That’s the real win of Day 1 leadership.
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Why It Helps: It keeps you from sliding into Day 2 habits—old routines, clutter, and distractions—and ensures your schedule reflects your true priorities.
How to Do It:
- Print your calendar from the past month. Highlight what drained you
- Circle the activities that gave you energy and aligned with your values.
- Pick one “Day 2” habit you’ll leave behind in 2025.
- Block protected time each week for your highest-value work.
- Revisit this every quarter to make sure you’re still leading with Day 1 clarity.
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Want to step into 2026 with clarity and focus?
Download my FREE 40-Hour CEO Workweek Planning Guide and design a schedule that reflects what matters most—at work and in life.
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"If you don’t protect what matters, the urgent will always win." - Tricia. |