Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church in seven locations, NCC owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, The Miracle Theatre, and the DC Dream Center. NCC is currently developing a city block into The Capital Turnaround. This 100,000-square-foot space will include an event venue, child development center, mixed-use marketplace, and co-working space. Mark holds a doctor of ministry degree from Regent University and is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books, including The Circle Maker, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Play the Man, Whisper, Double Blessing, and, most recently, Win the Day. Mark and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children: Parker, Summer, and Josiah.

Get Ready to Win the Day

Hey friend!

If you’ve picked up this book, chances are you may have read or at least heard of the book that inspired it—Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More. In that book, I introduce readers to the power of living in day-tight compartments and explain the habits you can form for winning today, every day. But most habits require practice, and that is exactly where this journal comes in. As you write and reflect your way through the pages that follow, you will learn practical tips for reframing your past, stewarding your present, and facing your future with confidence.

Before you dive in, here are some suggestions on how to achieve the best results. First, take it one habit at a time. If you try to make too many changes at once, your chances of success go way down. It’s important not to take on too much too quickly. Instead, pick a habit and go to work on it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? It’ll take consistent effort over weeks and months and years to win the day. I hope this book comes to feel like an old friend that you pick up off the shelf and turn to often.

Second, I recommend going through this book with a friend, a team, or a small group. You’ll certainly benefit if you tackle it all by yourself, but there is synergy when you set goals within a community of accountability. It gives you a built-in sounding board to bounce ideas off of while encouraging each other to keep at it.

Lastly, the most important step to remember is to approach every habit with a day-tight compartment mindset. If you start to feel overwhelmed, just ask yourself, Can you do it for a day?

Mark Batterson