Have You Ever Written A Letter To Yourself?



1.8min Read


Over the last week at around 4am every morning, I sat down to write a letter to my future self. Inspired by Sahil Bloom's book "The 5 Types Of Wealth"

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Not as some woo-woo, manifestation exercise… I didn’t follow it with meditation, cold plunge and sauna… although if I had a plunge and sauna, you better believe I’d be there..
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​—But as a gut-check, a compass, and kind of a time capsule—something I could look back on years from now and say:​
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​“Did I do what I set out to do?”​
​“Did I stay true to what mattered?”​
​“Did I get distracted by all the noise, or did I stay on the path?”​
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Because the truth is, we’re all caught up in the grind of today.

We make decisions based on the urgency of NOW, forgetting that our long-term vision should be steering the ship.

This letter is a way to force MASSIVE clarity on what truly matters. Hopefully.

And I think you should write one too.
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So if that’s not your thing, you can archive skip to the next, I’ve gotten you to read this far, so that’s a win.

But if you’re down for the exercise, I’m gonna walk you through it here
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First, why?

It’s simple:
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• To document where you are now so you can see how far you’ve come.
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• To set the direction so you don’t drift without realizing it.
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• To hold yourself accountable to the things that actually matter—not just the day-to-day chaos. (And there’s a lot of that)
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• To remind yourself of your purpose when things get messy (because they will).

Most people have vague, undefined goals like “be successful” or “make more money.”

But success isn’t accidental—it’s engineered. And it’s freaking hard to do, but it’s also VERY possible.

It’s a series of small, consistent actions over time.
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James Dyson put it perfectly:

“There is no such thing as a quantum leap, there is only dogged persistence and in the end you make it look like a quantum leap.”
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Look— If we don’t define what success is for each of us now, we’ll never recognize it when we get there.


The JUICE:

How to Write Your Own Letter

I’ll give you a framework, but seriously don’t overthink it. Just write like you’re talking to yourself. (Because you are)
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1️⃣
Start with the date & context.

• What’s happening in your life right now?
• Where do you feel stuck?
• What are you building, struggling with, or excited about?
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2️⃣ Define the things that truly matter.

• Who do you want to be for your family?
• How do you want to spend your time?
• What are the things you want to do, create, experience, and become?
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3️⃣ Set specific checkpoints.

• What do you want to accomplish by the time you read this?
• What are the big goals and the small, everyday habits that will get you there?
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4️⃣ Leave yourself reminders & warnings.

• What are the things you tend to forget when you get caught up in the grind?
• What advice would you give yourself if you could travel forward in time and slap yourself on the back of the head?
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5️⃣ End with a challenge.

• If you haven’t done these things yet—why not?
• What needs to change today to make sure you’re on track?

It’s simple, but not totally easy. It’s gonna take some good thought. ​
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It took me a week of processing to fully flesh it out. It is imported however.
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If you’re stuck, use some of these prompts to get you thinking:
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What is my purpose?​
​(Also, you might not know yet, and that’s okay. But write down what you think it might be TODAY.)

What am I trying to build?​
​(Is it a business, a legacy, financial freedom, a content empire? Define it.)

What projects actually move the needle?​
​(Are you spending your time on things that matter or just keeping busy?)

What lights me up?​
​(What are the things that make you lose track of time? When time just flies by and you blur everything else out. What are those activities?

What’s important to me?​
​(Because success that doesn’t align with YOUR values isn’t really success, is it?.)

What’s the worst possible outcome I want to avoid?​
​(Sometimes defining what you don’t want is just as powerful as defining what you do.)


A Reminder from the Future

Right now, it might feel like you’re in the trenches. Like you’re working your tail off, but nothing is totally clicking yet.

That’s normal.

I feel it too. I really do.

But I don’t think success is about having it all figured out today. It’s about:

Showing up when no one is watching.

Taking swings, knowing most will miss.

Refusing to let doubt talk you out of the work.

As John D. Rockefeller said:

“Success is a series of struggles. Almost all great figures have suffered a series of merciless blows. Each of them almost surrendered, but they finally achieved brilliant results because of their persistence.”

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So, sit down and write your letter.
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Put it in an envelope or email it to yourself with a future send date.
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I’d say make it 10 years from now. Go big.
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And when you finally read it, let it be one of two things:
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• A celebration of everything you worked for and built.
• A kick in the butt to get back on track.
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Either way, your future self will thank you.


This is a process. Don't rush yourself into figuring out your exact blueprint to get from point A to point Z. It takes time. Doing exercises like this will only help in your search for clarity.

Until next time...

Stay in the fight,
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My best tweet this week:

My favorite tweet this week:

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@naval
1:23 AM • May 31, 2018
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