I begin each day of my life with a ritual: I wake up at 5:30AM, put on my workout clothes, my leg warmers, my sweatshirts, and my hat. I walk outside my Manhattan home, hail a taxi, and tell the driver to take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st Street and First Avenue, where I work out for two hours. The ritual is not the stretching and weight training I put my body through each morning at the gym; the ritual is the cab. The moment I tell the driver where to go I have completed the ritual. — Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit
We do not decide our futures, we decide our habits. And our habits decide our futures. — F.M. Alexander
[7:56] – Why Optimize for the Starting Line?
[11:46] – How optimizing for getting started fits in with the 5 components of a focused life.
[13:08] – What can you do to build your habits and routines in such a way that supports your goal?
[13:30] – Habits are the safety net that keep you going
[14:36] – Examples of Optimizing for the Starting Line
Weekly Babysitter Already Booked
Meal Planning
Automatic Saving & Investing
Book by Your Bed, Read One Page
Queue for Podcasts, Just Hit “Play”
Plan Tomorrow’s Most Important Tasks
Floss One Tooth
Set Out Your Workout Clothes Ahead of Time
[25:17] – Focusing on just one area of your life at a time
[29:35] – Your life is not a Microwave
Q & A
[30:56] – Justin has been helping brands, companies, and teams clarify their purpose and develop purpose-driven strategies for the past decade. He has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers developing marketing strategies for global leading companies across industries including automobile, aviation, consumer goods, startups, and digital contents. Previously he worked as a baker in Paris and Tokyo. He collects recipe books and his favorite is Pierre Hermé Pastries, a collection of recipes of modern reinterpretation of classic pastries. He currently lives in Los Angeles and Tokyo. — Justin
[33:45] – Just read your email “When Tips and Tricks Do Help.” I also have this problem – “Ideas, working drafts, finished articles, bits of inspiration… all roaming wild and scattered about.” Can you explain a bit about how you consolidated everything into Ulysses? (How long did it take? Did you do it in one sitting or spread it out?) And what is your work flow from idea to final draft? — Justin
[40:00] – What is your current pen recommendation or favorite pens? Also, do you still buy used books on Amazon or do you utilize the library or do you buy new? Do you listen to books through audible or iTunes or do you just read? — Hollie
