Hey Reader,
Let me ask you something that most people avoid answering honestly:
Does what you’re doing today actually move you closer to the person you say you want to become?
Think about it - not the version of yourself you talk about in January when you’re feeling inspired, but the real future version you want to live out five years from now.
Because here’s the truth most people don’t want to admit:
We don’t decide our future in one big moment.
We decide it every single day - by the habits we choose to show up for, or the ones we choose to avoid.
F.M. Alexander nailed it when he said, “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits—and their habits decide their futures.”
And right now? We’re approaching the halfway point of the year.
Which means two things:
- There’s still time to change the game.
- But only if you stop putting it off.
I’ve got a simple system I use every morning. Nothing fancy. Just two pieces of paper:
One has my big-picture goals - what I want to build by the end of this year, and where I see myself in five.
The other has three non-negotiable targets I need to hit today. Not a to-do list. Not busy work. Just the three most important actions that directly support the bigger future I’m building.
If one of my daily actions doesn’t align with that long-term vision, it gets cut.
No excuses. No guilt. It just doesn’t make the priority list.
Because you can’t afford to play pretend with your future. It’s too important.
And maybe you’ve been struggling lately. Maybe your routine fell off.
Life got loud. Work got messy. Motivation dipped. I get it. We’ve all been there.
But none of that means you’re done.
It just means it’s time to recommit.
The truth is, you don’t need 90 minutes in the gym to get better today. You need 15 minutes of focused movement. Push-ups on your lunch break. A walk after dinner. A decision to show up, even if it’s not perfect.
You don’t need a weekend retreat or a certification to grow your career. You need 20 minutes tonight with a podcast, a leadership book, or a course that sharpens the edge for the role you want next.
This is what it means to make a daily deposit.
Small efforts, compounded over time, lead to massive change.
But only if you stop skipping the deposit.
If you keep waiting for the perfect day, the perfect window, the perfect feeling - you’ll look up in October wondering where the year went.
So let me ask you again:
What are your non-negotiables?
What are 3–5 actions that reflect the future version of yourself you claim to be chasing?
Make time for them. Prioritize them. And most of all, follow through on them - every single day.
Because your future isn’t built by what you say you want. It’s built by what you consistently do when no one’s watching.
Don’t end May by coasting into the summer. End it with momentum. End it by showing up and stacking one more win on the pile.
Because you're not out of time - but you will be if you keep putting it off.
Let's go, Reader,
Jake Thompson
Your Chief Encouragement Officer
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