A day for doing the right thing. For shipping, creating, and learning. Starting anew. With a fresh mindset, sparkled with curiosity, and grit with a mission to solve problems.
This epiphany came to me after I met with David, my previous project colleague, over lunch last month. He has been building stuff for decades and is a senior and super-professional developer with a solid, nimble approach to shipping the right stuff.
Thanks to his relentless way of narrowing things down to the minor possible components and his skeptical approach, I picked him as one of my programming mentors (I am spoiled with two now). He is an honest skeptic who seeks the truth and understanding in every moment. That is what I needed in my journey. A truth-seeking, honest guy who is optimistic but skeptical. Without fluff.
During our lunch discussion, I realized how much of my success depends on focusing relentlessly on one project at a time. One crucial thing without being distracted by the obsession for learning a new cool framework or language or starting a new initiative. Keep it simple. Do great work. Finish projects and get the feedback needed to grow.
And to have the energy to fulfill that daily, we require the spark of a fresh mind.
That takes us back to day 1. I believe in the continuous renewal of our minds, and by adapting Amazon's "Day 1" mindset into our roles as contributors, employees, and practitioners with entrepreneurial spirits, we can be freed from the chains of legacy.
It is as much a cultural and philosophical approach to work as a working strategy. But I like to see it as a baseline for creative work.
When you open your mind to questioning the status quo and start to think in new ways instead of being chained in proxy behavior and legacy solutions, you expand your alternatives to make the right decision.
Every day is "day 1."
And this is what it means to be nimble. Approaching the challenge ahead with a fresh perspective, innovative mindset, and grit that will move you forward—without being held back by proxies.
Some might mix this message up with never look back. That might be a trap. Learning from experience and history is essential, and we should never neglect the power of reflection.
We better learn deeply how things have been implemented in the past and why. But we cannot let it hold us back if a more innovative way leads to our goals: happier customers, more growth, or a more time-efficient way to do stuff.
So, what does this mean for you and me in our daily lives?
The short answer is adapting a beginner's mind. Get comfortable being uncomfortable as a beginner.
We open our inner creative dialogue when we approach every day as day one. The source for doing meaningful work. One day at a time.