Preparation – Extract

Pack Your Utility Knife

Our Manifesto says…

‘You’re headed into the wilderness, and only a fool walks out there without essential tools  strapped to their belt.  you’ve got to be ready to tackle each day, patch up your own wounds, and saw through the trees that fall in your path. NO EXCUSES.’

Recently there’s been a spate of superhero movies. These tales tend to use an extraordinary circumstance to account for the hero’s exceptional powers – a DNA mutation, a science experiment gone awry, exposure to toxic chemicals, coming from a different planet. But there’s one character that uses none of these gimmicks: Batman. He’s fairly ordinary, albeit fabulously wealthy. So what makes him a superhero? Being insanely, methodically, obsessively prepared. Think boy scout on a sugar high.

If you want to slay the metaphoric villains in your life – obstacles that stand between you and the world you want to create – it would do you well to take a cue from this infamous Gotham resident. What’s that you say? You don’t have a bottomless asset pool, a trusted butler, or a bat cave ? Well then you’ll just have to go about this the 3rdNut way.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” – John Wooden

CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES.

We mean all of them.  As a 3rdNutter, you’re playing the long game, and for that you need physical, mental, and emotional energy.  First, the daily basics: eat right, exercise often, sleep plenty. Are we saying you need to go vegan, get a bodybuilder’s physique, and clock in eight hours of shut eye every night?  Unless that’s your goal, absolutely not (though we bet adding more veggies in your diet wouldn’t hurt).  But do take stock and see where you can take better care of yourself. It’s amazing how much extra mileage you can get out of a little old-fashioned self care.

EXAMINE THE GAME PLAN.

We know, we know.  This isn’t the first time we’ve told you to look at your plan. And you know what? It won’t be the last. That’s because having a plan is probably the single most important step to earning your 3rdNut. Yes, your plan is likely to morph over time, molding to accommodate new discoveries and circumvent obstacles. But having the plan will allow you to keep your eye on the end prize, no matter how many walls get thrown up.  

So go ahead and whip out that plan so we can take it a step further. No shame if it’s sketched on a napkin – in our tribe we judge on results, not looks. Examine every step of your plan, and think to yourself, “What will I need to get the job done?” List those things out and then set about getting them. Some things will be simple, like purchasing a hammer. Others will require time and tenacity, like taking night classes to learn the skills needed to get out of the dead end job that sucks your soul dry.

Whatever you need to be prepared, do it. And if you don’t know what you need, turn to the tribe for help.

ACTIONS TO TAKE THIS WEEK.

• Do a self battery check with these three questions. If you answer no, then write down some steps you will take THIS WEEK to make a change.
  • • Are you eating right?
    • Sleeping enough?
    • Getting physical activity?
• Flesh out your game plan by listing out what you need to do to be prepared to get to your goal.