⚡️ Today’s level up ⚡️

Today’s edition walks you through a simple, but powerful exercise from a former level 7 AWS seller who was able to retire from the corporate world over a decade ahead of schedule.

Let’s go!

Read time: <5 minutes

If you missed last week, read it here.

Working backwards from your future to create the career and life you want now

Last month, for ​Make More Hustle Less Monday #28​, I invited ​Aaron Norris​ on to walk us through a powerful exercise he conducts with his clients – AEs who aspire to sell and live well.

If you don’t know or follow Aaron, I highly recommend that you do.

He and I have been connected for a while now, and as a former Amazon employee and a successful strategic seller closing mega deals with top brands out of the UK, Aaron and I bonded on the power of being purposeful with our performance and the immense leverage that can be gained by ​writing out your future first​.

In the session, Aaron showed us a simple structure for emailing yourself in the future to help you crystalize the career and life you want today.

Let’s dive in.

What’s most important to you right now?

Before we started our session, we polled the live attendees on what was most important to them right now, and here were the results:

– 33%: Spend more time with family

– 26%: Elevate professional performance

– 26%: Boost earnings

– 7%: Improve health

– 7%: Other

From the majority of sellers I speak with, a balance between personal and professional excellence is top of mind for them.

Having more time to do what you want (like spending time with family) while still elevating your craft and earning more income from your deals doesn’t have to exist in opposition to one another. It’s a matter of understanding how to harmonize them in the same direction.

Getting crystal clear on what that looks like is the most important first step. Here’s how it works.

Write an email to your future self

In case you are not familiar, writing narratives (in the form of memos or product plans or even proposals) is embedded in the Amazon culture, Aaron’s former employer.

The founder, Jeff Bezos, is famous for ​banning PowerPoint presentations in favor of writing out narrative-based memos​ to convey ideas within Amazon.

I too was (gratefully) exposed to this when I was at LivePerson, as we had a lot of Amazonians come over to the company, and with them, came this powerful writing habit.

As Aaron noted in the session, this takes some getting used to. Instead of getting by solely on using your charisma and leaning on slides to convey your ideas, writing well-thought-out and structured memos forces you (and others) to think deeper about what you’re trying to accomplish.

A part of Aaron’s success was embracing this writing culture head on. Not only did he leverage this internally to get promoted multiple times, but he also used the power of writing to architect large transformation deals with some of the largest brands in Europe.

That has put him in a position to leave the corporate world for good, spend more time with his family, improve his fitness, and now run his own coaching company where he helps other AEs do the same.

One of the first exercises he completes with his AE clients today is what he calls “Craft Your Big Vision.” It entails writing an email to your future self with vivid detail. Here are the steps to completing this exercise. I encourage you to try it for yourself.

Step 1: Set a date in the future.

Start by zooming out ten years from today.

Example: August 7th 2034

Step 2: Detail the story highlights (personal and professional):

Next, list out 5 – 10 of your biggest accomplishments (past and future) that will make you the most proud as both a human and a professional.

Examples:

1. Recognized as the MVP at a public tech company

2. Averaged 200% quota and attended presidents club for five years in a row

3. Earned $3M in commissions over my career that enabled me to pay off our mortgage and pursue my own business

4. Asked to become an advisor for an exciting startup

5. Ran 1 ultra-marathon and completed 2 Ironman events globally

6. Traveled across the world with my family for 6-weeks straight

7. Covered the costs of a private university for our daughter and son

Step 3: List the 2-3 people that matter most (personal and professional):

List out the select few trusted advisors you have in your career and life that will tell you the truth, make the most impact, and whom you want to make the most proud with your hard work.

Examples:

1. The CEO of your company

2. A mentor you admire

3. Your significant other or kids

4. A customer executive from a prestigious company

Step 4: Create a fictional quotation from each person:

For each trusted person, write out a quote from them.

Example quote:

Spouse: “I am so proud of your incredible career accomplishments. You have worked hard in sales and earned more than we could have ever imagined to provide us with the dream life. Yet you’ve always maintained a healthy work-life integration and put me and the kids first.”

Step 5: Summarize the story into 3 sentences for the intro :

Craft a few lines of your hero’s journey.

Example:

You consistently exceeded expectations as a sales pro, averaging over 200% of quota attainment each year to earn millions of dollars in commissions.

Qualifying for the President’s Club has been a regular occurrence in your sales career and helped you rise to the boardroom as CRO of a multi-billion dollar tech company.

But what really sets you apart is your ability to maintain career success, be there for your family, and take care of your health.

Step 6: Write an eye-catching subject line:

Create a memorable subject that you’ll be excited about reading often.

Example:

My Journey From Struggles to Success: How I Overcame Obstacles to Create a Life We Deserve

Bonus step: Create a visual:

If you feel so inclined, add a visual using a tool like DALL-E to enhance the impact of the story.

Example:

Step 7: Draft your email:

Here’s an example Aaron created for inspiration in creating your own:

Dear John,

I hope this message finds you well and proud of our journey.

Today, I want to share how you achieved unprecedented success in your sales career while maintaining a balanced and fulfilling family life.

Your goals have been to surpass sales targets, earn respect, and achieve harmony between personal and professional priorities.

For years, you’ve striven to meet and exceed expectations, consistently achieving 200% of quota attainment each year and earning millions in commissions. But what truly sets you apart is your ability to avoid burnout and lead a well-balanced family life.

Qualifying for the President’s Club has become a regular feature of your sales career and a testament to your dedication. You’re known for winning new clients and showcasing your ability to drive growth by reaching and inspiring senior customer executives.

In recognition of your achievements, the VP of Sales at Microsoft shares:

“As the VP of Sales, I wish to acknowledge your exceptional contributions to our team and Microsoft. Your consistent overachievement in quota attainment each year is truly impressive.

Your regular qualification for the President’s Club demonstrates your remarkable sales skills and dedication to driving growth. On behalf of the EMEA Senior leadership, I extend my appreciation for your commitment and the positive impact you’ve made.

Your accomplishments inspire us all, and we are fortunate to have you as a valued member of our team. Best wishes for your continued success.”

But perhaps your most significant achievement, John, lies in your daily disciplines, your “foundations” for success.

Prioritizing movement, nutrition, sleep, growth, mindfulness, and proactive planning ensures that you perform at your best every day.

Financial security has been another cornerstone of your success. By paying off our mortgages in the US and Canada and saving diligently, you’ve achieved financial freedom to control your retirement date and provide for your family without constraints.

And speaking of family, your impact on their lives cannot be overstated. Let me share with you the words of gratitude from your spouse:

“I am very proud and grateful for your accomplishments. You have worked hard in your sales career and achieved so much, yet you still maintain a healthy work-life balance and spend quality time with me, John, and the kids.

Your secret sauce is your disciplined daily routine, focusing on winning the mornings, exercise, nutrition, and all-important sleep. Your commitment to these fundamentals is impressive; you always show up even when you don’t feel like it.

Thanks to your focus on financial planning, our family now enjoys financial freedom, with our mortgages paid off and a solid retirement plan, hopefully early! Your hard work and dedication to our family have created a wonderful life for us, full of lifelong happy memories for which we are forever thankful.”

As I reflect on our journey, I am grateful for the opportunities we’ve seized and the lives we’ve touched. But this is just the beginning of what lies ahead. Continue striving for excellence, balance, and fulfillment in all you do.

With gratitude and anticipation for the future,

Future John

Go ahead and try it, and if you want accountability, feel free to copy Aaron (​aaron@aaronnorris.me​) or me.

If you want more, connect and work with ​Aaron Norris on LinkedIn​ and ​join Make More Hustle Less Club​ where you can instantly access this session, along with 27 more sessions + bonus resources.

That’s a wrap! See you next week.

Here’s how I can help you right now (changes coming soon – get these while you can)

1 | ​Unlock the 7 Figure Seller OS​

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2 | ​Download The 7 Figure Open Letter​

Get the creative strategic selling strategy that landed a $5.9M deal with a top 4 major global airline. Bonus inside!

3 | ​Book a 1:1 coaching session right now​

You can book a 60-minute coaching session with me (although the Pro above option provides access to 1:1 coaching with me at a 70% discount.