How To Create a Remarkable Life


Edited by Raymond Salas

Imagine it’s 5 years from today (or 10 years)...

Envision the life you could have if you pursued everything you wanted with the certainty that you would succeed at every single thing you chose. In other words, you would have no failure or possibility of failure.

What does your life look like? What are you doing? Where are you living? Who are you living with? What kind of house are you in? Is it an apartment or a house? Do you live in the city or are you in the country? What does your furniture look like? What are your clothes like? Do you have a significant other? What is your significant other like? Do you have children? What are your children like? Do you have pets? What are your pets like? Do you have a car? What is your car like? What is your career like? What excites you? What is your health like?

Write out all of these details of your life for this one day ten years from today. What does all of the details of your entire day look like from the beginning when you first wake up to the end when you lay down to sleep?

Dream big. Dream without any fear.

Write it all down (on a computer or paper). Do NOT edit.

Put your whole heart into it.

Write like your life depends on it.

Don’t share any of this with anyone other than yourself.

Revise whenever the need arises.

Review it regularly (weekly, biweekly, monthly or whatever works best for you) and see what happens.

This exercise came from Debbie Millman, a successful writer, artist, designer, and educator, who learned it from the celebrated American graphic designer Milton Glaser, creator of the famed “I Heart New York” logo. He used to give a “5 years from today” version of this exercise to his students. Over the years, they would report with amazement how much of their vision became their actual life experience, with great detail and accuracy. Debbie's students had similar results.

This exercise has a magical quality to it so be careful what you wish for.