One day or day one?

Time to read: 1 min

Six months ago, I listened to the Lex Fridman Podcast with Jeff Bezos. In this episode Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, reveals his philosophy framework for his company. His is philosophy is like following:

Day 1 “Who do I want to be?”

Day 2 stasis

Day 3 irrelevance

Day 4 excruciating painful decline

Day 5 death

That is why it´s always day one.

Day one mentality is about treating each day with energy and innovative spirit never letting complacency set in. It is the basis for a quest of constant improvement. Because, Bezos reasons, if you lose this drive of day one thinking you will stop getting better. Even though Amazon is one of the most successful companies in the world Bezos wanted his Amazon to act and think like a start-up company with a day one mentality.

We should ask ourselves too whether it is day one or one day. Everyday is a new opportunity to choose how you want to be or you could postpone this decision to the future. Your past successes don´t matter today you have do decide a new. But your failures also don´t count. Day one mentality means you start each day from zero. This can help when you have a bad day because you can accept it without regret knowing the next day will be day one and you will again have the opportunity to make it a great one.

Day one mentality also is about discipline. Life changing decisions and habits are hard and almost always associated with work or discomfort. We tend to postpone our decisions to the future. But it is day one your only chance to make change happen. Will you take the chance you have been given?

Nothing will be accomplished in one day and nothing will be accomplished without day one.

Day one is not about waiting for the stars to align but to create your suitable circumstances for success. Not waiting for a perfect opportunity but starting with change today.

Will today be day one of your journey to a better self?