Sahil Bloom Profile picture
Exploring my curiosity and sharing what I learn along the way. Gave up a grand slam on ESPN in 2012 and still waiting for it to land.
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Mar 3 5 tweets 3 min read
My entire life changed because of a leap of faith.

There are a lot of people out there who feel stuck, but trust me, you don't have to stay that way.

If you want to take a leap, here's exactly how I'd do it:

The change you want to make in life scary because of two asymmetries:

1. Information Asymmetry: You know exactly what this path looks like, but very little about what the other path looks like.

2. Evidence Asymmetry: You have abundant evidence that you can make it on this path, but very little evidence that you can make it on the other path.

To break through the fear and take the leap:

Step 1: Gather Information

The first step is to solve the information asymmetry.

The questions you should be asking (and answering):

What does the new path look like? Visualize it in detail.

How reversible is a decision to take this new path?

Note: Most people underestimate the reversibility of a big decision. You assume that if you leave your consulting firm, you'll never be able to get another job in consulting. That is usually patently false. Most of these career decisions are reversible.

What case studies exist on successful (or unsuccessful) execution?

What perspectives can you learn from people with real, earned experience on the new path?

Are there any examples of people who have made a similar shift to what you are considering? What can you learn from them?

If you use a thoughtful process to gather information, you'll balance the information asymmetry and shorten the gap considerably.

Step 2: Create Evidence

The second step is to solve the evidence asymmetry.

While still on your current path, you need to create tangible proof that you can build a life on the other side.

What proof points can you generate of your ability to execute?

• Find one customer for your prospective new venture.
• Make $100 selling something on the internet.
• Generate a few client leads to your new coaching practice.

The tiny wins build momentum and help solve the evidence asymmetry.

Step 3: Confront the Fear

Gathering information and creating evidence should get you most of the way there.

But the fear still exists.

Here's how to address it:

1. Reframe the fear as a good thing: It means you care, it means this is something that matters.

2. Deconstruct the downside of action: What is the worst that could happen? How bad is it, really?

3. Deconstruct the upside of action: What is the best that could happen? How great is it?

4. Deconstruct the regret: How much would you regret inaction when you're 90-years-old? Could you live with that regret?

As Seneca famously wrote, "We suffer more in imagination than in reality."

These steps get the fear out of your imagination and force it into reality.

Your Player's Guide to the Leap of Faith

There's never going to be a perfect moment to make a dramatic change.

The leap of faith isn't for everyone, but if you follow this general process, you'll be well-positioned if you decide to jump.

1. Gather information
2. Create evidence
3. Confront the fear

I hope this helps a few people out there take that leap they've been too afraid to face.

A new life is on the other side... The most important piece here:

Recognizing the fear as a byproduct of the information/evidence asymmetry.

It turns something abstract into a solvable problem.
Feb 27 4 tweets 2 min read
4 principles I use to structure my workday:

1. Match energy to output
2. Move
3. Leverage Parkinson's Law
4. Presence is everything

Come along behind the scenes as I walk through my typical workday to see how I manage my time.

I'll break down the 4 core principles I use to structure my day, which you can steal and adapt to level up your life.

Full video here: The Bloom Boys triumphantly posing with the snowman we made in this video. Image
Feb 7 5 tweets 10 min read
In 2023, I ran 2:57:31 in my first marathon 6 months after I started running.

In 2024, I'm training to run a sub-2:50 marathon while building strength and muscle mass.

Here's the exact training plan I'm using:

Note: Long post, so bookmark it for future reference.

I’ll split this post into four main areas:

1. Running
2. Lifting
3. Nutrition
4. Recovery

Let’s walk through each area…

1. Running

My basic weekly structure involves 6 runs:

- 3 easy runs
- 1 track speed workout
- 1 tempo run
- 1 long run

Easy runs range from 3-10 miles and are all done to maintain Zone 2 HR (under 150 for me, ideally in 125-145 range). These build the base engine and avoid injury from overuse because they are low intensity and easier on the body. Keeping the easy runs easy is key.

Track speed workouts generally involve a 1-2 mile warmup jog followed by 4-8 miles of track work (starting on the low end of that and building up over time). This is usually a combination of 800s (two laps around a standard track) or 400s (one lap), though occasionally includes 1200s or 1600s as well. Rest periods between the work sets are typically 1-3 minutes.

A standard track workout I do is 8 x 800m with a 400m slow jog to recover between rounds. Another standard track workout is 10 x 400m with a 1 minute slow jog between each round.

Tempo runs are harder middle distance (6 to 12 mile) road runs done at or near anaerobic threshold HR (peak HR before it burns too much to battle through). Usually a 1-2 mile warm up and then the rest of the miles at hard effort (at or better than goal marathon pace). These build the top end effort and are generally representative of the HR exertion level on race day.

Long runs range from 10-22 miles and generally incorporate easy miles (low HR, low intensity) and tempo miles (high HR, high intensity). As I build closer to the marathon, these long runs will be 18-22 miles with at least half of the miles done at or faster than my goal marathon race pace. For now, they are ~10-14 miles as I focus on base building.

So a standard week early in my training cycle right now looks like this:

- Monday: 4 mile easy run
- Tuesday: 6 mile track speed workout
- Wednesday: 4 mile easy run
- Thursday: 4 mile easy run
- Friday: 6 mile tempo run
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: 14 mile long run

By the peak of my training, the weeks will build to something like this:

- Monday: 8 mile easy run
- Tuesday: 10 mile track speed workout
- Wednesday: 8 mile easy run
- Thursday: 8 mile easy run
- Friday: 12 mile tempo run
- Saturday: Off
- Sunday: 22 mile long run

My rough idea is to increase overall mileage load by about 5-10% each week, assuming I feel good and healthy (more on that in the recovery section).

If I were training for a shorter race (like a half marathon or 10k), I'd probably replace the long run with a shorter tempo interval run (example: 3 rounds of 1 mile easy, 2 miles hard).

2. Lifting

My biggest challenge last marathon prep was losing weight and muscle mass from all the mileage. I’m 6’2” 185 pounds and this time around, I want to make sure I stay at that weight (and look great).

In other words, I want to be a great runner, but never look like a great runner.

My current weekly lifting plan is aligned with this desire:

- Push/Pull/Legs split
- 4-6 lifting sessions per week

I like the Push/Pull/Legs split because it allows me to hit up to 6 lifts in a week if I feel fresh and well recovered, or scale that back to just the 3 lifts at higher intensity if I'm drained from the increasing running mileage.

The sessions all follow the same general format:

- Compound movement - 4 sets x 3-8 reps
- Secondary superset - 3 x 8-12
- Accessory work superset 1 - 3 x 10
- Accessory work superset 2 - 3 x 12-15
- Core work

Push compound movements are either bench press or military press. Pull compound movements are a deadlift variation or row variation. Legs compound movements are a squat variation.

Push secondary movements include dumbbell bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, and dips. Pull secondary movements include pull-ups, seated cable rows, and dumbbell rows. Legs secondary movements include lunges, Romanian deadlifts, glute bridges, and split squats.

Push accessory movements include flys, tricep extensions, and shoulder raises. Pull accessory movements include face pulls, straight arm pulldowns, and bicep curls. Legs accessory movements include hamstring curls, leg extensions, leg presses, step ups, and calf raises.

Core work includes hanging leg raises, reverse crunches, stability ball rollouts, side planks, ab wheel rollouts, and more.

Programming Note: "Superset" just means two movements done back-to-back before resting.

Here’s an example push day:

- A. Barbell Bench Press 4 sets x 5 reps
- B1. Dumbell Incline Bench Press 3 x 8
- B2. Dips 3 x 10
- C1. Cable Flys 3 x 12
- C2. Rope Tricep Extensions 3 x 12
- D1. Lateral Raises 3 x 12
- D2. DB Skull Crushers 3 x 12
- Core Work 3 x 15

Here’s an example pull day:

- A. Barbell Deadlift 4 sets x 5 reps
- B1. Dumbell Row 3 x 8
- B2. Pull-ups 3 x 10
- C1. Cable Face Pull 3 x 12
- C2. Rope Hammer Curl 3 x 12
- D1. Rear Delt Raises 3 x 12
- D2. Seated Bicep Curls 3 x 12
- Core Work 3 x 15

Here’s an example leg day:

- A. Front Squat 4 sets x 5 reps
- B1. Reverse Lunge 3 x 8
- B2. Goblet Squat 3 x 10
- C1. Leg Press 3 x 12
- C2. Calf Raises 3 x 12
- D1. Leg Extensions 3 x 12
- D2. Hamstring Curls 3 x 12
- Core Work 3 x 15

These lifts usually take about ~45 minutes if I'm focused and stay on task.

A typical week of lifting and running looks like this:

- Monday: Easy Run + Legs
- Tuesday: Track Workout + Push
- Wednesday: Easy Run + Pull
- Thursday: Easy Run + Off
- Friday: Tempo Run + Legs
- Saturday: Off + Push
- Sunday: Long Run + Off

Note: I always do my run before lifting on days where I have to do both. My logic is that my primary goal is a running time goal, so doing that first, while fresh and focused, is essential. This is sometimes a grind, but I always get the work in, even if I have to reduce the intensity level.

Depending on schedule, I vary the times when I do these workouts based on their length and my other work and family commitments. I generally try to do them in the mid-late morning.

You can scale up or down this plan to meet your time availability, but full marathon training while maintaining strength and muscle mass is probably not for those who are ultra-strapped for time.

3. Nutrition

My daily macronutrient targets that I use as a guide:

- Protein: 215g (~1.2g per lb of bodyweight)
- Carbs: 200g
- Fats: 125g
- Total Calories: 2,785

I do a bit of "carb cycling" by notching up the carbs on hard training days through adding more around the workout window.

Since I'm focused on muscle mass as the running miles (and caloric burn) increase during training, I'll be scaling up these macros in the coming months.

By the peak of my training, my guess is it will look more like this:

- Protein: 215g
- Carbs: 350g
- Fats: 125g
- Total Calories: 3,385

As long as I hit my protein goal, I'm not concerned with perfection here, just general direction. I try to hit within ~10% of the daily macro targets established.

The important thing is to figure out your current baseline and build from there. Track your macros for a few days and see where they end up. If your weight has been constant, you’re eating to a good baseline at your current training level. If you are losing or gaining weight, you’re eating to a deficit or surplus at your current training level. If you’re going to be training hard, getting 1-1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good baseline. You can fill in carbs and fats behind that based on personal preferences and goals related to bodyweight.

Typical protein sources include eggs, egg whites, beef, chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, whole milk, and whey.

Typical carb sources include quick oats, jasmine rice, sourdough bread, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, raw honey, fruit.

Typical fat sources include olive oil, avocado, grass fed butter, nuts.

As for supplements, I generally keep it pretty simple:

- Fish oil
- Vitamin D
- Creatine (5g daily)
- AG1 + LMNT
- Whey protein
- Magnesium for sleep

4. Recovery

Given the training volume, I need a very deliberate focus on recovery to prevent injury and keep my body feeling strong.

The pillars of my recovery routine:

- Daily recovery work
- Daily mobility work
- Morning cold plunge (3-6 minutes)
- Evening sauna (20 minutes)

Daily recovery work includes foam rolling on the legs and back, lacrosse ball rolling on the feet, and massage gun on any tight areas. This is about ~5-10 minutes.

Daily mobility work is a ~5-10 minute mobility circuit I do before my training that serves a hybrid purpose as a warm-up. It usually includes about ~5-7 movements that I would go through 2-3 times. Movements include squat-to-stands, dead-bugs, spidermans, bowler squats, couch stretch, yoga pushups, 90/90 hip stretch, reverse lunge with reach, and more. If you search “Best Mobility Exercises for Runners” you’ll find a bunch of good options and routines with explanations. Doing this work daily is essential for avoiding injury.

Morning cold plunge is 3-6 minutes in 39 degrees right when I woke up. Evening sauna is 20 minutes in 180-200 degrees right before bed. Obviously, most people won’t have access to this stuff, but you can do the morning cold in the shower if you don’t have a cold plunge and a hot shower before bed if you don’t have a sauna.

Closing Thoughts

This is the training plan I'm following to hit my sub-2:50 marathon goal while building muscle and size.

The plan isn’t for everyone (probably not even for most people), and you should definitely consult with experts (doctors, trainers, nutritionists) before making any dramatic changes to your routine.

That said, the basic building blocks of the above can definitely be adapted to your life and routines regardless of your goals.

As I see it, the basic building blocks are as follows:

1. Running: Half of your runs should be low intensity/easy. The other half should be a combination of speed, tempo, and longer duration.

2. Lifting: Split across push, pull, and leg days. Start every workout with a simple compound movement for strength. Follow it with a secondary movement and a superset of accessory movements. Finish with core.

3. Nutrition: If training hard, aim for 1-1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight. Fill in carbs and fats based on what suits your goals and body.

4. Recovery: Aim for 10-15 minutes of daily recovery work (foam rolling, lacrosse ball foot rolling, mobility work).

If you build your own plan based on those principles, you’ll make progress and feel great.

Ok, that took a long time to pull together. Basically an entire training e-book for free. I hope it helps. If you're into this stuff, share it with others and follow me @SahilBloom for more in future.Image A lot of people asking about a scaled down version of this program that is doable in 60 minutes per day.

I’ll add to this thread with that version soon…
Feb 6 4 tweets 2 min read
If you want to win:

1. Be diligent to spot tiny openings
2. Be relentless in diving through them

If you think that the opportunities are just going to be staring you in the face, wide open, you're crazy.

Every great story starts with a tiny crack. Spot it. Dive through it. I think this is probably the most important early career advice you can receive.

Maybe a hot take, but:

It doesn't matter if the opening is the exact opportunity you want.

If you become useful now, you'll find a way into the opportunities that excite you most later.
Feb 2 5 tweets 4 min read
10 ideas that changed our lives (and may change yours):

Last Friday, we hosted an event in London in front of a sold out crowd of 500+ people.

The topic: 10 ideas that changed our lives.

Here were the ideas we shared:

1. There's no such thing as a loser who wakes up at 5am and works out.

A lot of success is determined by your own beliefs about yourself. When you're in a negative place, the most impactful action is the one that makes you self-identify as a winner. Waking up early and working out is hard. If you can do that, you're a winner. Winning begets more winning.

2. Energy is not finite.

Energy expands and contracts as a function of the activities you're engaged in. Certain activities are energy creating, certain activities are energy draining. Most of us spend too little time in our energy creating activities.

3. No one has it all figured out.

No one knows what they want to be when they grow up. Some are just a bit better at putting on a brave face, following their curiosity, and marching courageously into the unknown.

4. Direction over destination.

It is impossible (and rather anxiety-inducing) to attempt to determine your exact destination in life. Instead, focus on pointing your compass in the right direction. If you do that, you'll wind up where you were meant to be.

5. Focus on the WHO, not the HOW.

I no longer focus on the journey or the destination, I focus on the people. When you surround yourself with inspiring people, the journeys are more beautiful and the destinations are more brilliant.

6. Increase your luck surface area.

You can take actions that expand your odds of getting lucky. When choosing between two paths, always choose the path that has a larger luck surface area.

7. Default to trust.

In life, we all have a choice of whether to default to trust or skepticism. Always default to trust. When you occasionally get burned, view it as a tiny tax against all of the incredible benefit you will experience from this default setting.

8. The waiting room is always full.

Your "waiting room" of projects to tackle, people to see, and ideas to pursue will always be full. You will never make a dent in it. Do your best, work on energy creating activities, and have faith in the process.

9. The good old days are happening right now.

The "good old days" are happening right now. The life you're living today is something that your younger self would have dreamed of. You've done more than you think. Zoom out and reclaim perspective.

10. Time is your most precious asset.

Never let the quest for more distract you from the beauty of enough. Treat time as your ultimate currency. Spend it wisely, with those you love, in ways you’ll never regret.

***

Those 10 ideas changed our lives (and may change yours).

What were your favorites? What would you add to the list?Image People get confused on the waking up early point:

It’s not saying you can’t be a night owl and win.

It is saying that I don’t know of anyone who has the discipline to wake up at 5am and work out that isn’t a winner in other areas of life.

Disciplined people find a way to win.
Jan 27 4 tweets 3 min read
Your entire life can change in three years...

Three years of focused, daily effort.

One year may create a dramatic shift, but three years will blow your mind.

Trust me, I've lived it.

Three years ago, I was walking down a very different path.

A good path, but not my path.

Not the one that I would find meaning meaning in.

Not the one that I was uniquely made to follow.

Three years of focused, daily effort, and here we are:

Last night in London, 500+ people came out to meet, listen, ask, and share.

My younger, insecure, nervous self would be blown way. My present self is simply filled with gratitude.

After the event, we got kicked out of the venue and took to the streets.

I stood out in the cold for two hours to make sure I met and spoke to every single person that stayed.

I heard stories from people in all walks of life. From a 17-year-old deciding whether to go all in on his entrepreneurial dream to a 40-year-old who had tragically lost a child. There were smiles, tears, laughs, and more.

The experience reinvigorated my energy in my singular mission:

To create positive ripples in the world.

I still don't know what my exact path looks like, but I'm certainly walking it.

"As you start to walk on the way, the way appears." - RumiImage
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Nothing will ensure your success in life like having a supportive, loving, and complementary partner.

I am so lucky to have this woman in my life.

And I am so proud of her. Image
Jan 20 25 tweets 5 min read
The most powerful paradoxes of life:

1. The Failure Paradox

You have to fail more to succeed more.

Our transformative moments of growth often stem directly from our toughest moments of failure.

Don't fear failure—learn to fail smart and fast. Never fail the same way twice. Image 2. The Growth Paradox

Growth takes a longer time coming than you think, but then happens much faster than you ever thought possible.

Growth happens gradually, then suddenly.

The best things in life come from allowing compounding to work its magic.

Slowly, then all at once.
Jan 19 6 tweets 2 min read
Do hard things.

Life is hard—and when we embrace voluntary struggle, we’re better equipped for the involuntary struggle that inevitably comes.

- Wake up early
- Get cold
- Move fast
- Lift heavy
- Focus
- Be present
- Have difficult conversations

Simple playbook to live well. The two friends in the background were @scottbelsky and his intrepid 9-year-old son, Miles.

We snow shoed 2 miles in knee deep snow and came upon this spot.

Find friends who will do crazy things with you.

I may never get invited back, but we certainly won’t ever forget it! Image
Jan 8 7 tweets 3 min read
Cold Wisdom is a daily series of raw, unscripted, unedited videos shot in one take during my early morning cold plunge.

I get asked a lot about my daily habits and routines.

I'm going to be sharing it all on YouTube.

Here's what you can expect:

• Daily "Cold Wisdom" series
• Breakdowns of my AM/PM routines
• Day in the life vlogs of habits/practices
• Training and nutrition breakdowns
• Travel and experience vlogs

Really excited to be experimenting with a new format.

Some of it will be edited and highly produced, some of it will be raw and real. All of it will be authentic to who I am and what I'm about.

Subscribe here: youtube.com/@Sahil_Bloom?s… My general view is that nothing is worth doing if you can't envision yourself doing it for 5+ years:

I haven't done long form video because I couldn't imagine sitting in a studio talking to a camera for years.

These raw videos, daily vlogs, and breakdowns are natural for me.
Jan 4 5 tweets 1 min read
One thing I've learned:

A person is either holding you back or pushing you forward. There is no in between. Your environment creates your entire reality.

Spend time with people always talking about the past, you’ll be stuck in it.

Spend time with people thinking big about the future, you’ll build a beautiful one.
Jan 1 13 tweets 3 min read
On January 1, 2014, I wrote a letter to my future self just before graduating.

Today, 10 years later, I opened it.

This hit me hard.

Everyone should do this.Image January 1, 2014

Hey Old Man –

If you’re reading this, it means you’re alive, so congrats on that, I guess.

I’m about to graduate and enter the real world, whatever that means, so it feels like an appropriate moment to lay out some hopes for my future:
Dec 31, 2023 5 tweets 6 min read
I sent out my last newsletter of 2023 to 650,000 subscribers.

It was quite a year:

• 100+ newsletters sent
• 475,000 new subscribers
• Hundreds of actionable ideas to help you build a high-performing, healthy, wealthy life

My 10 most popular pieces (and lessons from each):

1. The Four Types of Luck:

Lesson: When choosing between two paths, always choose the path that has a larger luck surface area. Ask yourself: Which of the two paths is more likely to lead to me getting lucky? Act accordingly.

2. The Time Billionaire:

Lesson: Time is your most precious asset. Spend it wisely, with those you love, in ways you’ll never regret.

3. The Surfer Mentality:

Lesson: Enjoy every ride while it lasts.

4. The Two Arrows of Life:

Lesson: You can't control the negative events that strike, but you can control your response to them. Create space to avoid the second arrow.

5. The 4 Types of Professional Time:

Lesson: Batch management time (emails, meetings, etc.), increase creation time (writing, coding, building, etc.), create space for consumption and ideation (reading, listening, thinking, etc.).

6. Mental Time Travel:

Lesson: Zoom out regularly to appreciate the present and clarify the actions to build your ideal future.

7. The ABC Goal System:

Lesson: Small things become big things. Anything above zero compounds.

8. The Spotlight Effect:

Lesson: No one is looking at you. Be yourself, go after the big goal, and live according to your values.

9. The Think Day:

Lesson: Create space in your life to think. When you have that space, you're able to capitalize on big, asymmetric opportunities.

10. The Anti-To-Do List:

Lesson: Knowing where you want to avoid is just as important as knowing where you want to go.

***

P.S. Enjoy one of these posts? Repost to share with your network.

Join 650,000 others and subscribe to my free newsletter to receive these in 2024: sahilbloom.com/newsletter/the…
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sahilbloom.com/newsletterImage Want to know my number one growth hack?

For the second year in a row, I sent out over 100 newsletters—two per week, every single week.

In fact, I haven't missed a single issue since I started sending this newsletter out in May 2021.

That's the hack.

See you in 2024!
Dec 30, 2023 24 tweets 9 min read
The best ideas from 2023.

The top 1% of ideas I encountered:

(bookmark and share this)Image The Surfer Mentality

When a surfer gets up on a wave, they enjoy the moment, even though they know the wave will eventually end (and maybe crash on them).

They enjoy the ride—knowing that there are always more waves coming.

A powerful mentality for riding the waves of life. Image
Dec 29, 2023 6 tweets 1 min read
What is the single greatest piece of advice you've ever received? I'll add to this thread with a few of my favorite pieces of advice that I've received:

1. Put good things between you and the earth. Buy a good bed, shoes, and tires.

2. Life gets a lot more enjoyable when you accept that life isn't always fair.
Dec 27, 2023 6 tweets 3 min read
I just released my free Annual Planning Guide!

The printable PDF includes:

• Simple goal-setting framework
• Four system-building mental models
• Strategy for tracking and adjusting

(bookmark and share this)

This annual planning process has been an immensely helpful exercise to which I would credit many of my greatest achievements.

I hope that the free guide will spark you to conduct your own annual planning process for 2024, as I'm highly confident you will get incredible value from the exercise.

You can download the beautiful printable PDF ​here​: sahilbloom.com/annual-planningImage Consider conducting your Annual Planning in a small group:

Go through it individually, but then get together with a small group and walk through it.

Pressure test, question assumptions, and provide feedback.

Great way to prepare for 2024 to be the best year of your life.
Dec 26, 2023 14 tweets 4 min read
I spent an afternoon with the director of the longest running study on happiness.

3 powerful learnings (everyone needs to hear): Image Dr. Robert Waldinger is the fourth director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which studied the lives of 700+ original participants and their 1,300+ descendants for over 85 years.

It's the longest-running study on adult life, health, and happiness.

Three key findings:
Dec 23, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
I imagined my ideal life at 80-years-old:

• Healthy mind and body
• Relaxing on a sunny porch
• Smiling wife at my side
• Children chatting with us
• Grandchildren playing in yard
• Friends walking over for dinner

This life cannot be bought—it must be earned:

Want a healthy mind and body at 80? Exercise your mind and body daily.

Want a smiling wife at your side at 80? Be a loving partner daily.

Want kids who choose to be around you? Be a supportive and caring parent daily.

Want good friends who you share laughs with? Be a loyal friend daily.

What does your ideal life look like at 80:

• Who are you with?
• Where are you?
• What are you doing?
• How do you feel?

Most importantly, what does that imply about how you need to live today?

This simple exercise can have a powerful impact on how you live your life in the present.

It forces you to begin with the ideal end in mind.

Write it down and place it somewhere that you can reference it—a compass to guide you to the beautiful shores at the end of your journey.

Remember: Your daily actions, habits, and behaviors shape your future. Small things become big things. One of the biggest realizations from the exercise was that my ideal life at 80 had very little to do with money.

Some of it was enabled by money—a house with a porch and some land—but most of it was defined by relationships and mental and physical health.

Illuminating.
Dec 17, 2023 17 tweets 4 min read
Today is my wife and my 7th anniversary.

Over the last month, I asked couples who have been married over 50 years what advice they would give to their younger selves.

Here's the relationship advice everyone needs to hear: 1. Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep. Someday you’ll find the other side of the bed empty and wish you could.

2. Never keep score in love.

3. Laugh until you cry. Laughing together goes a long way to smooth the inevitable bumps in the road.
Dec 13, 2023 4 tweets 4 min read
At the end of every year, I conduct a Personal Annual Review.

It's a transformative exercise that everyone should try.

7 simple questions that may change your life:

(bookmark this + download the PDF template)

1. What did I change my mind on this year?

Finding the truth is more important than being right.

In fact, the most successful people legitimately enjoy being wrong. They embrace new information as “software updates" to their brain.

My Personal Annual Review starts here:

What "software updates" did I have this year?

If you can't think of anything, that's a bad thing.

2. What created energy this year?

I have a framework I call the Energy Calendar:

The idea is that you reflect on your calendar from a day or week and color code the events according to whether they created energy (green), drained energy (red), or were neutral (yellow).

The Energy Calendar is a great, visual way to course correct on a weekly/monthly basis if there are specific activities that are highly positive or negative for your energy.

Examine this on a macro annual scale:

Review your calendars from the year. What activities, people, or projects consistently CREATED energy in my life? Write them down.

Did I spend ample time on the Energy Creators or did they get neglected?

Goal: Spend more time on these in 2024!

3. What drained energy this year?

Continue your macro scale calendar examination, but with a focus on the negatives:

Review your calendars from the year. What activities, people, or projects consistently DRAINED energy from my life? Write them down.

Did I allow the Energy Drainers to persist or did I cut them in real time?

Goal: Spend less time on these in 2024.

4. Who were the boat anchors in my life?

Boat anchors are people that hold you back from your potential. They literally create a "drag" on your life.

Boat anchors are people who will:

• Belittle your accomplishments.
• Laugh at your ambition.
• Tell you to be more realistic.
• Harm the quality of your environment.

Identify who they are.

Goal: Minimize or eliminate the energy you give them in 2024.

5. What did I not do because of fear?

“We suffer more in imagination than in reality.” - Seneca

We have to get closer to our fears in order to fight back against them.

Fear distorts reality—this forces you to confront and reflect on it.

Deconstruct the fears that held you back:

• What was the downside of taking action?
• What was the upside from taking action?

Goal: Get closer to your fears in 2024.

6. What were my greatest hits and worst misses?

Your natural bias skews how you see your year:

• The optimist sees all hits.
• The pessimist sees all misses.

Take a balanced view. Write them all down.

Reflect on why the hits hit and the misses missed.

7. What did I learn this year?

“When you stop learning you start dying." - Albert Einstein

It's easy to lose sight of growth in the trenches—zoom out to reclaim perspective.

Take your time on this one. Reflect on the other questions from the exercise.

Write down what you've learned.

***

The Personal Annual Review is a life changing exercise.

Experience + Reflection = Growth

Download a beautiful (and free!) Personal Annual Review template to conduct your own here: sahilbloom.com/annual-reviewImage To get even more out of it, consider conducting the Annual Review in a small group format.

Go through it individually, but then get together with a small group of your intellectual sparring partners and walk through it.

Pressure test, question assumptions, and provide feedback.
Dec 9, 2023 10 tweets 3 min read
Ran a 5K this morning in 17:52.

- New PR
- Average Pace 5:45
- Splits 5:20, 5:44, 6:09, 0:39

Started way too hot and held on for dear life. That was terribly PAINFUL, but happy I got it done.

Goal for Q1: 500lb deadlift + 16:59 5K.

Let’s go! 🔥🚀 Image I started running in March 2023.

PRs for Year 1:

- 5K: 17:52 (5:45 average)
- Half: 1:21:40 (6:13 average)
- Marathon: 2:57:31 (6:44 average)

Excited to build on these in 2024 as part of a hybrid training plan.

I’ll share all of my training details here if interested.
Dec 6, 2023 9 tweets 3 min read
Andy Weir's short story, The Egg, is one of the most mind-blowing things you will ever read.

Do yourself a favor and find 10 minutes to enjoy it.

(bookmark this for later)Image
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This animated visualization of The Egg from @Kurz_Gesagt is the best thing you will watch today.

Simply spectacular.