Don’t Wait: Write a Future You’re Excited to Live

On Monday, I had one of those experiences I will never forget. I had the opportunity to sit on stage with Gary Keller at Mega Camp’s CEO Summit and talk about The 10-Year Letter in front of thousands of people. Gary also wrote the foreword to the book, which made the moment even more meaningful. What started 15 years ago with one letter, during one of the hardest times in my life, was now being shared with thousands of people. Pretty incredible.

This morning, I go into surgery. Crazy to even write that. Monday was one of the most incredible days of my life. Today will be one of the biggest. And I keep thinking about the same thing: don't wait.

I’ve spent years talking about getting clear on the life you actually want to live. I’ve written the letters, taught the workshops, coached thousands of people, and eventually wrote the book. Through all of it, I keep coming back to the same question: Where will you be in 10 years? That question means more to me today than it ever has.

We convince ourselves we have time. We’ll take the trip someday. Make the call someday. Fix the relationship someday. Take better care of ourselves someday. Make the change, chase the dream, or finally figure out what we actually want someday. Someday is easy to believe in until it isn’t.

Monday wasn't incredible because I got to sit on a big stage. It was incredible because thousands of people were thinking about their future, the people they love, what matters, and what they actually want the next 10 years of their lives to look like. That’s what this has always been about: write a future you’re excited to live.

As I head into surgery and then into recovery, I have one ask. Keep this going.

If you have the book, please read it. More importantly, write your letter. If someone comes to mind while you’re reading it, give them a copy and have the conversation together. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, you can get The 10-Year Letter here.

If you lead a team, company, Market Center, organization, or community, write your letters together. That’s why we created the 10-Year Letter Workshop. If you want to bring the workshop to your people, order books for your team or organization, or bring The 10-Year Letter to an event, you can find all of it here.

But more than anything, do the work. Take ten quiet minutes today and ask yourself one question: If I keep living exactly the way I’m living right now, will it take me where I actually want to go? Be honest with yourself about the answer.

Today, I begin a very different chapter of my own 10-Year Letter. I don’t know exactly what that chapter is going to look like. But I know what matters. I know who matters. And I know there is still a whole lot of life I’m excited to live.

Thank you for every message, every prayer, every book you’ve bought, every person you’ve shared this with, and all the encouragement you’ve given my family and me. It means more than you know. I’ll be fighting like hell to get back.

Until then, keep this going. And please, don’t wait. Write a future you’re excited to live.