24 questions to reflect on 2024 (and make 2025 your best year yet):🧵 This list will help you:

• Recap the year
• Take stock of where you are
• And refresh your perspective heading into 2025

It's the exact process I used to do my Yearly Review.

Let's dive in:

Look at this legendary writer.

The US banned some of his books from publication for 30 years.

But in 1930, Henry Miller made a list of 11 Commandments that are a must-read for any aspiring writer.

Here's the breakdown:🧵 First, some context.

Miller's autobiographical novel, The Tropic of Cancer, was banned in the US soon after it was published in 1934.

Here's what Miller had to say about his book (and how he chose the title):

Princeton grad.
BlackRock trader.
Making $180k at 22.

But the biggest "jaw-drop" moment in my 20s?

Getting this $5,000 PayPal payment from a stranger on the internet.

Here's my full story (and how you can do the same):🧵
After college, I was checking every box:

• Princeton grad
• NYC finance life
• BlackRock trader
• 22 years old on track to make $180k

But then I witnessed something that changed everything:

The one habit that made me $10,000,000:

Writing 90 minutes every single day.

But most people will wait for January 1st to start.

So here are my 5 proven steps to help you start writing today (and kickstart 2025 early):🧵 By the end of this thread you will have:

1. Found time to write
2. Generated 12 months of ideas
2. Set a daily publishing cadence
4. Overcome your procrastination
5. Built a bulletproof accountability system

So you can start writing today (and not wait for 2025).

Let's go:

The most underrated, misunderstood, yet powerful book in marketing:

Scientific Advertising.

Ogilvy said read it 7 times. Halbert called it his bible. Its ideas have generated billions for over 100 years.

Here's why it works and how to master it:🧵 Claude Hopkins started as a $12/week copywriter in Michigan.

By 1918, he was making $185,000/year ($6M today) which makes him the greatest direct response marketer ever.

His track record is A star↓

Most people go their *entire* life without reflecting.

And before they know it, they've wasted decades and it's too late to change.

To avoid this fate, I created the Monthly Review.

Grab a pen, crack open your notebook, and answer these 5 questions: Your monthly reflection:

1. What were my biggest wins?
2. What were my biggest realizations?
3. What areas am I most satisfied? Least satisfied?
4. What am I going to do more of this month? Less of?
5. What am I thinking about for the upcoming month?

Let's explore these:

My paid “Write With AI” newsletter just hit $300k/year.

This is *double* my old Wall Street salary.

That job required 80-hour weeks.

But this newsletter only takes me 4 hours every week.

Here's the breakdown of how it works:🧵 In this thread, we’re going to cover:

1. Why we went with a paid newsletter (hint: because we’re in a free newsletter bubble)

2. An overview of the organic content funnel we use to drive subscribers

3. Our gameplan to grow it to $100k / month in 2025

Let’s dive in.

This is Eugene Schwartz.

In 1966, he published Breakthrough Advertising, a book so good the original hardcover sells for $247.

Inside, he shared the daily writing routine that helped him write effortless, high-converting copy.

Here's how it works:🧵 Eugene's secret:

He treated his writing like athletes treat going to the gym.

It started with accepting a simple truth:

Writing every day is one of the hardest things in the world.

So if he wanted to do it consistently, he needed a system that didn't rely on willpower.

I’m 28.

When I was young, I wasted years as a horrible writer.

But then I found a timeless guide to writing by two legendary advertising executives.

Here are 12 of their tips you should staple to your desk:🧵 The goal of your writing is effective communication—writing that *works.*

Busy people read what you write.

So you are more useful to them when your writing takes up less of their time.

Invest the time to write well now to save others time in the future.

It took me 25,000 posts, 5,000 hours, and nearly 4 years to grow to 400,000 followers on 𝕏.

I could've done it 90% faster if I'd used more viral topics.

Here's how anyone can generate 100 viral content ideas in 30 minutes (in any niche):🧵 This thread will give you a dead-simple system to:

1. Discover the topics you want to write about.

2. Get specific with those topics so readers will trust you (even if you're not an expert).

3. Come up with engaging ideas about those topics that go viral.

Let's dive in:

This is Jean-Claude Van Damme.

In 2013, he drove the world crazy—but not because of his movies.

His genius viral marketing stunt put Volvo on the map and is arguably the greatest ad of all time:🧵 In 2012, Volvo Trucks were facing a massive challenge:

• They had almost no marketing budget.
• They were stuck in a "boring" B2B industry.
• They needed to launch 5 new trucks globally.

But they had this one insight: ↓

Look at this guy.

In the 60s, he created legendary ad campaigns for Rolls Royce, Schweppes, & Dove.

And in 1982, he sent a memo to his staff called "How to write."

In 10 bullets he put together a masterclass in effective writing:🧵 David Ogilvy was a British advertiser known as "The Father of Advertising."

He wrote successful ad campaigns using his "Big Idea" framework.

But it's this memo that all writers should study.

Let's dive in:

This man built a $150B empire by predicting the future.

He predicted the Dot-Com bubble, the '08 recession, and the greatest bull run in 2012.

His memos are full of mental models for sharp decision-making and risk management.

Here's his philosophy:🧵 Growing up in Queens, Howard Marks was a self-proclaimed underachiever.

He wanted to go to Wharton Business School, but his teachers laughed him off.

Then, his tennis coach wrote him a recommendation letter and got him in.

Most people spend 10,000 hours mastering a skill.

But top performers do it in 1,000.

The difference isn't talent—it's *how* they learn.

Here's the 3-part framework I use to rapidly learn anything:🧵 The key to learning anything:

Seeing it as a game. And this framework helped me become a:

• Top 100 Call of Duty 4 player
• Hedge fund trader at BlackRock
• And now a full-time digital builder

Here's how:

Everyone should have a digital business that makes at least $10k/month.

Sadly, most overthink, never act, and waste years.

Here's the playbook that got me from $0 to $40k/month while working full-time at BlackRock: 1. Start a Side Hustle While Working Full-Time

Don't quit your job right away. Instead, trade time for money until you can trade knowledge for money.

Here's my thought process for choosing high-leverage jobs (so you don’t waste time in your 9 to 5):

Journaling is the single most powerful habit for my personal growth:

• Tried over 1,000 questions
• Tested every app, pen, & notebook
• Journaled every day for the last 5 years

These 5 prompts helped me lose 100 pounds, build a 7-figure writing business, & quit my 9 to 5: For notebook & pen, I use:

• Muji 0.5 pens
• Leuchtturm1917 soft-covers

For my prompts, I use:

• The 80/20 Audit
• The Morning Kickstart
• The Evening Shutdown
• The Bottleneck Analysis
• The Compounding Projection

Let's dive into each:

This guy cracked the code on how to find viral stories.

But most people never learn how to spot them.

So here are 3 simple ways to find viral-worthy stories in small, everyday moments:
Before you can craft and tell great stories, you need to learn to spot them.

And in his hit book Storyworthy, Matthew Dicks explains three frameworks to build your story-spotting muscle:

• Homework for Life
• Crash and Burn
• First, Last, Best, Worst

Here's how to use them:

This man was Steve Jobs's secret source of branding inspiration.

In a legendary internal meeting, Jobs revealed how this guy had cracked the code to build an iconic brand.

Here's his philosophy (that saved Apple from bankruptcy in 1997):🧵 When Steve Jobs returned as Apple CEO in 1997, the company was a mess.

Over 10 years of mismanagement, Apple lacked focus, direction, and was around 90 days from bankruptcy.

Jobs knew drastic changes were needed and he had 3 pivotal insights:

In the 1970s, this man sold a used $190,000 airplane for $240,000 with a single ad.

And in 2007, he distilled his 40 years of advertising wisdom into 293 pages.

Here is Joe Sugarman's 7-step process for writing effortless, high-converting copy (that'll make you millions):🧵
If you've never heard of Sugarman—the dude is a legend.

His most famous ad: selling BluBlocker sunglasses. Over 100,000 pairs sold from a single ad!

Now let's dive into his process:

I run a 7-figure business.

But for years I wasted millions making horrible decisions.

So I spent 100+ hours studying Ray Dalio to learn his best mental models for decision-making.

Here's what I found:🧵 In 1982, Ray Dalio invested $1M ($3.26M today) into Mexico.

Dalio expected a debt crisis and believed Mexican banks had over-leveraged by lending more than could be repaid.

Dalio predicted that Mexico would default on its debt.

But things didn't go to plan: ↓

I’m 28.

When I was young, I wasted years as a horrible writer.

Then I heard Naval Ravikant mention a 250-word essay full of the best writing mental models he swears by.

4 mental models you can steal today:🧵 On The Tim Ferriss Show, Naval said this is his go-to resource for writing:

"The Day You Became A Better Writer" by Scott Adams

I read it so you don't have to.

Here are the 4 most important mental models: