Prepare On Purpose”: Clear The Runway For Change (S4) S50:E2

Inspirations for Your Life

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This is John C. Morley—Serial Entrepreneur, Engineer, Marketing Specialist, Video Producer, Podcast Host, Coach, Graduate Student, and passionate lifelong learner—and you’re tuned in to the Inspirations for Your Life Show, the daily motivational show that helps you think differently, act intentionally, and build a life you’re proud to wake up to. Tonight we’re kicking off a brand‑new series, “Reset Week: Second Chances, Fresh Starts, and Daily Do‑Overs” (S4) S50, and in this episode—“Prepare On Purpose: Clear The Runway For Change” (S50 E1)—you and are going to stop hoping next week is better and actually design it to be better, one intentional move at a time.

1️⃣ Look at your coming week and circle the one day that usually gets away from you.
Everyone has that one day—maybe it’s Monday chaos, Wednesday burnout, or Friday drift—where the clock speeds up and your priorities disappear. Instead of pretending every day is equal, be honest and circle the troublemaker on your calendar so you can plan around it instead of getting ambushed by it again.

2️⃣ Decide one thing you’ll remove from that day to create breathing room.
You don’t fix an overloaded day by squeezing more into it; you fix it by removing something. Pick one task, one meeting, or one commitment you can cancel, reschedule, or delegate from that “runaway” day to create real breathing room for what actually matters.

3️⃣ Choose one main outcome you want from this week (not 10, just one).
Clarity beats a crowded to‑do list. Instead of ten competing priorities, pick one main outcome that, if achieved by next Sunday, would make you honestly say, “This week counted.” That single focus becomes your internal compass when distractions show up.

4️⃣ Write it in one clear sentence: “By next Sunday, I want to have ___.”
Don’t keep it vague; name it out loud and on paper. Write a simple sentence that starts with, “By next Sunday, I want to have ___,” and fill in something specific enough that you’ll know, without debate, whether you hit it or not.

5️⃣ List three tiny steps that move you toward that outcome.
Big outcomes are built on small, repeatable actions. Break your main goal into three tiny, doable steps—things you can complete in 10–20 minutes each—so your brain stops seeing it as a mountain and starts seeing it as a staircase.

6️⃣ Assign each of those three steps to a specific day and time.
A step without a slot is just a wish. Take those three small steps and book each one into your calendar with a day and a time, like an appointment with your future results, so “someday” becomes “Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.”

7️⃣ Pick one “non‑negotiable” for the week (sleep, water, movement, reading, etc.).
Your life doesn’t change on achievement alone; it changes on how you take care of the person doing the work—you. Choose one non‑negotiable health or growth habit for the week—better sleep, more water, daily movement, reading—and commit to guarding it.

8️⃣ Block a time on your calendar for that non‑negotiable and treat it like an appointment.
Your non‑negotiable only counts if it lives on your calendar. Put it in with a start and end time and honor it the same way you’d honor a client meeting or a class—no apologies, no guilt, just respect for your own energy.

9️⃣ Look at your to‑do list and mark one item that is pure people‑pleasing with no real payoff.
Scan your list for the thing you’re only doing so someone else won’t be annoyed—even though it doesn’t move your goals, your health, or your happiness forward. That’s your people‑pleasing task, and it’s quietly taxing your energy.

🔟 Cross it off or delegate it—on purpose.
Give yourself permission to stop performing tasks that don’t serve a real purpose. Either cross that item off completely or hand it to someone else, and say out loud, “I’m not building my life around guilt anymore.”

1️⃣1️⃣ Choose one area where you know you’ll be tempted to procrastinate.
You already know your weak spots: the email you’ll avoid, the project you’ll push, the call you don’t want to make. Name one specific area where future you is likely to stall so you can plan to meet that resistance instead of being surprised by it.

1️⃣2️⃣ Prepare a 10‑minute “first slice” you can do before you think yourself out of it.
Procrastination loves big, vague tasks. Pre‑decide a 10‑minute starter action—a “first slice” like opening the document, drafting the email subject, or setting up the workspace—so you can start moving before your mind talks you out of it.

1️⃣3️⃣ Lay out something physical for tomorrow that makes it easier to start (clothes, gear, notebook).
Make tomorrow’s success visible tonight. Lay out workout clothes, your laptop in the right spot, a pre‑opened notebook, or your packed bag, so when you wake up you don’t have to hunt, debate, or negotiate with yourself—you just step into action.

1️⃣4️⃣ Pre‑decide what time you’ll go to bed tonight so tomorrow doesn’t start already behind.
Tomorrow’s momentum starts with tonight’s shutdown. Pick a specific bedtime and treat it like a departure time for a flight—because when you miss it, everything you planned for tomorrow takes off without you.

1️⃣5️⃣ Identify one distraction you’ll limit this week (social media, news, random browsing).
Distractions don’t just steal minutes; they steal focus. Choose one major distraction—social media scrolling, constant news, random browsing—and decide that this week, it doesn’t get unlimited access to your brain.

1️⃣6️⃣ Decide the daily time window when you’ll allow that distraction—and stick to it.
Instead of trying to quit cold turkey, put a fence around it. Give yourself a small, specific window each day when that distraction is allowed, and outside of that window, it’s off‑limits so your attention can actually work for you.

1️⃣7️⃣ Choose one person you might need support from this week and plan to message them.
Change is lighter when you’re not carrying it alone. Think of one person—a friend, mentor, partner, colleague—you could lean on for accountability, encouragement, or just a quick “you got this” check‑in.

1️⃣8️⃣ Draft a simple message: “Hey, I’m working on ___ this week—can I send you a quick check‑in on Friday?”
You don’t need a speech, just a simple ask. Draft a one‑line message like, “Hey, I’m working on ___ this week—can I send you a quick check‑in on Friday?” and actually send it, so there’s another human on the other side of your intention.

1️⃣9️⃣ Look at your physical workspace and remove one thing that always gets in your way.
Your environment is either helping you or heckling you. Pick one object that constantly gets in your way—paper piles, random cables, old mail—and remove it so your space stops tripping you every time you sit down to focus.

2️⃣0️⃣ Add one small item that makes the space feel more like “future you” (plant, notepad, better light).
Now give your workspace a subtle upgrade. Add one small item that makes you feel more like the version of you you’re becoming—a plant, a better lamp, a clean notepad, or a simple organizer—so the space says, “You’re going somewhere.”

2️⃣1️⃣ Decide what “done for the day” will look like on weeknights so you don’t just collapse into chaos.
If you never define “done,” you never feel done. Pre‑decide what “done for the day” means on weeknights—maybe inbox to a certain point, one key task finished, or a set shutdown time—so you end the day on purpose, not in a pile.

2️⃣2️⃣ Pick one night you’ll protect as a true recharge night—no work, no guilt.
Rest is not a reward; it’s a requirement. Choose one night this week that is your non‑negotiable recharge night—no work, no side hustle, no guilt—so your brain and body get to reset instead of running on fumes.

2️⃣3️⃣ Ask, “What is one thing I can prepare today that will save me 15 minutes tomorrow?” and do it.
Preparation is borrowed time. Each night, ask, “What’s one thing I can prepare now—lunch, clothes, notes, routes—that will save me at least 15 minutes tomorrow?” Then do that one thing and enjoy the compound interest on your effort.

2️⃣4️⃣ Choose a simple phrase that will be your theme for the week.
Your mind loves a tagline. Pick a short phrase like “One step at a time,” “Finish, not perfect,” or “Prepare, then proceed” and let that be the soundtrack in your head when things feel messy or overwhelming.

2️⃣5️⃣ Write that phrase where you’ll see it in the morning (mirror, phone, notebook).
Turn your theme into a visual trigger. Write it on a sticky note on your mirror, set it as your phone lock screen, or put it at the top of your notebook so every morning starts with that reminder of who you’re choosing to be this week.

2️⃣6️⃣ Decide on one small way you will treat yourself kindly at the end of each day if you show up.
Reward the behavior you want to keep. Choose one small act of kindness for yourself—a cup of tea, 10 minutes with a book, a short walk, a favorite show—that you’ll give yourself if you simply show up for your plan that day.

2️⃣7️⃣ Look ahead at one potential tough moment this week and plan how “future you” will respond.
Scan your calendar for a meeting, deadline, conversation, or late night you already know might be hard. Decide now how “future you” will respond—what you’ll say, how you’ll breathe, what boundary you’ll keep—so you walk in prepared, not reactive.

2️⃣8️⃣ Tell yourself: “Preparing isn’t extra work—it’s how I stop making things harder than they need to be.”
Preparation is not punishment; it’s kindness to your future self. Say this to yourself: “Preparing isn’t extra work—it’s how I stop making things harder than they need to be,” and let that shift how you see every small step you take tonight.

2️⃣9️⃣ Take 2–3 minutes before bed to mentally rehearse tomorrow going smoothly.
Right before bed, close your eyes and play a short mental movie of tomorrow: you waking up on time, doing your “first slice,” honoring your non‑negotiable, and ending the day feeling steady. You’re training your brain to expect smoothness instead of chaos.

3️⃣0️⃣ End the night with this thought: “I’m not waiting for the ‘perfect time’—I’m building it, one prepared day at a time.”
Finish the night with a declaration: “I’m not waiting for the ‘perfect time’—I’m building it, one prepared day at a time.” That’s the mindset that turns this from just another Sunday night into the moment your reset week truly begins.

You’ve been listening to the Inspirations for Your Life Show with John C. Morley—Serial Entrepreneur, Engineer, Marketing Specialist, Video Producer, Podcast Host, Coach, Graduate Student, and passionate lifelong learner—launching “Reset Week: Second Chances, Fresh Starts, and Daily Do‑Overs” with your episode, “Prepare On Purpose: Clear The Runway For Change.” If this helped you see next week differently, visit BelieveMeAchieve.com for more tools and resources, connect with me on Instagram at JohnCMorleySerialEntrepreneur, and keep tuning in on Podbean at podcastscj.podbean.com for your daily dose of momentum. Tonight, don’t try to fix your whole life—just prove to yourself you’re willing to prepare on purpose so your next chapter doesn’t happen by accident.

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