About 13 years ago, I worked with a Navy chief at Cyber Command. Every time you asked him how he was doing, he gave the same, great answer.

"Best. Day. Ever."

Every single time.

Usually, when you hear somebody say the same thing over and over, it gets old. For some reason, this never did. The way he delivered it, the look on his face, the tone, the cadence. It always made me smile.

Cyber Command was a hard assignment. People were worked to the bone. Do I think he was always having the best day ever? No.

I think he was using self-talk to get through it, and even though he was being a little silly, I think he was also carrying a lot.

I didn't know it then, but I'd end up needing my own version of that daily answer.

By early 2020, I had no full-time income after losing my position in Cyber Command. I was trying to figure out what I could build out of everything I'd learned and everything I'd done.

When the pandemic hit, it was brutal for a lot of people, and I don't take that lightly.

Two weeks in

Two weeks into it, the boys were already talking about going back to school. And I said, "Guys, I would actually start to look at longer than two weeks, maybe two years."

They both thought about it. "What do you mean, daddy?"

"Well, we could be home for a very long time."

So we were going to have to pay really close attention to the way we handled the difficulty, and stop looking at it like it was difficult. The goal was to get a little bit better each day.

On the days the boys or Megan or me had a really tough time, we'd go back and ask the same questions:

Did you move your body?

Did you do something helpful?

Did you do something nice for somebody else today who wasn’t expecting it?

Did you learn something or read a book?

If they answered no to any of them, we started the day over. If you haven't done those things, what kind of day did you expect to have?

We had to leave less to chance. We taught them how to cook, too. Now both of our sons can do their own grocery shopping and cook six, maybe seven good meals. Decent variety, even.

That mentality, at the same time I was building a business, changed my life.

I still have the same stress as everybody else. I still have the same work that has to get done. I still have to figure out how to get paid and take care of the needs of my family, just like you.

I just happen to love everything I'm doing to do it.

When the stress of business comes in, I draw the hell out of something and I do a workout. When the stress of business comes in, I volunteer for my church. That approach has made the hardest days bearable and helped me answer those four questions above for myself.

Because if I haven't gotten my head screwed on straight, if I haven't set an intention, none of this is going to work.

We can systematically make things way more complicated than they need to be. We pile up the reasons.

I was going to work out, but I ran out of time.

I haven't been able to do ___________ in six weeks.

I've got to figure out how to get paid first.

Every one of those is real. But when I skip the four questions, I can almost always predict what kind of mood is coming.

I don't know if that Navy Chief meant it every time he said it. I know what it takes for me to mean it.

I think about him differently now. Best. Day. Ever. is something you build before anybody asks how you're doing.

Run the four questions today. If you get four yeses, you'll know what to say when someone asks about your day.

Best. Day. Ever. And you'll mean it.

Grateful you are here,

Wade

P.S. The Draw for Hope store is going away later this month. If there's something you've had your eye on, now's the time to grab it at drawforhope.com.

Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Subscribe here to get these messages each week right to your inbox.