2x2: Free Time, backwards habits, and the Adventure Bag

Hello friends, Welcome to this week's edition of 2x2. On a personal note, yesterday morning I just finished going through the final details of the all-new version of the Focus Course that comes out next week! I had a moment of shock when I was [comparing the original course videos (circa 2015) to the new ones](. Not only is the quality quite a bit different, but I noticed that the goofball presenter has less hair overall, more grey hair, is now wearing glasses, and traded the button-up for a hoodie… Time stops for no man apparently. 😂 Anyway… As always, below you will find a couple of resources, tools, diversions, books, tools, toys, or other types of recommendations for you to check out; and then, secondly, there are a couple of ideas, stories, or tips from me. Check this out 1: The Summer Adventure Bag I want to do a proper write-up of this at some point, but here’s the TL;DR… Every summer we put together an Adventure Bag. It’s a small pouch that has a dozen or so little cards inside. And on each card is written some sort of adventure: Fire Pit with s’mores; go hiking; Mario Kart party night; special cereal for breakfast; and so on. Each week, on Monday morning, one of our boys gets to draw a card out of the adventure bag. Then, we put it up on the fridge, and that’s the adventure we’ll do as a family on the upcoming weekend. 2: [Free Time by Jenny Blake]( Have I linked to this book already? Maybe. But I’m absolutely loving this book. It’s a time management and systems book for small business owners. And perhaps I love Jenny’s book so much because a lot of what she talks about (aligning your time with your values, building systems, etc.) is very similar to the stuff I teach inside the Focus Course and to our membership community. But Jenny has her own unique spin and approach on things that is very articulate and brilliant, and it’s been eye-opening for me to see a lot of things in a new light. Something to think about 1: Avoid Backwards Habits Amateurs keep their options open. They say yes to everything. They have no boundaries. And they are overwhelmed by the urgent and buried under a million random acts of focus. On the other hand… Professionals and top performers are focused. They design their habits in order to accomplish their goals. If you start with habits, you’re building it backwards. Your habits should not be random… Your habits need to be an intentional part of the bigger picture of your life. 2: Don’t start with habits. Start with why. The 5 components of a focused life are this: Vision → Goals → Strategy → Schedule → Habits The above framework will help you identify where the REAL issues are and exactly what to do about them. YOUR habits should support YOUR goals… And when they do, it is liberating. (A lot more details about this framework at my free, live workshop on Tuesday. [RSVP here]( * * * — Shawn P.S. On Tuesday, I’m hosting a [free training]( (the first one this year!). I’ll be taking you through the entire first module of our flagship Focus Course training, which includes a much more in-depth overview of those 5 Components. You won’t want to miss it! [RSVP here.]( [In-Depth App Training for Power Users]( To unsubscribe, click [here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States