“In life, you don’t regret the things you do. You regret the things you don’t do.” —Hugh Jackman
CONTEXT
☝️ I think about that idea often. And apparently, so does Hugh Jackman.
On the Tim Ferriss Show, Hugh revealed his simple (but brutally-effective) morning practice to engineer perfect day—without any regrets. The best part? It only takes 2 minutes.
Why is this important? Most of us start our days reactive—checking emails, scrolling news, looking for social media notifications from that one person—letting the world dictate our mood before we've even had coffee. But what if you could flip the script?
What if you could write your day's story before it happens?
Hugh's technique is deceptively simple. Here's how it works:
THE METHOD
Step 1: Visualize the end of your perfect day
When you wake up, picture yourself getting back in bed TONIGHT. Imagine that everything went exactly as you hoped (or even better than you planned).
What did you accomplish? How did you feel? What moments made you smile?
Get specific—the more vivid, the better.
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Step 2. Text it in the past tense
Now grab your phone. Keep it on Do Not Disturb overnight (so you’re not bombarded with notifications when you pick it up).
And write a text describing exactly what happened. (Yes, in past tense, as if your future day occurred.) Something like:
"Had an amazing 20-minute run this morning (even though I didn't feel like it), finally finished that project I've been avoiding, nailed the client presentation, and had dinner with my partner—we laughed until our stomachs hurt."
Notice that all of these are within your control. You're not manifesting a lottery win—you're programming yourself for achievable excellence.
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Step 3: Send it to your accountability person
Send that text to someone who will hold you accountable (a friend, a partner, a mentor). At end of your day, re-read what you texted and report back to them how accurate your "prediction" was.
It won't always be 100% spot-on. But your day will go better than if you hadn't visualized it at all.
WHY IT WORKS
When you’re able to picture your day going well (in extremely vivid detail), you’ll make micro-decisions throughout the day that guide you to that outcome.
They might even be subconscious—the confidence you carry into a room, the risks you decide to take, the extra effort you put into that conversation.
And when you're facing something you really don't want to do (but know is good for you), the accountability from that text will push you forward.
Remember: Whether you believe your day will go well or believe it will go poorly, you're right.
Try Hugh's technique tomorrow morning. Write your perfect day before it happens, and watch as reality bends toward your intention.
(Btw, I highly recommend listening to the full podcast episode. Hugh is such a gem of a human. You’ll learn all these interesting details about him— like the fact that he’s obsessed with jigsaw puzzles. 😂)
P.S. Enjoyed this? Forward it to someone in your life who will be your accountability partner. ❤️ And read the other newsletters from The Quiet Rich here.
Until next week,
Jade
📌 Question to reflect on:
What does your perfect "day" look like in 10 years? Seriously. When you're 10 years older, what are all the specific things you'll most regret NOT doing? What are the goals you've hit by then? Places you've traveled to? People in your life?
I actually made an easy, free workbook for this exercise called "The Rich List." It went viral, and has been downloaded more than 500k times. 🤯 (It's totally free. There's no catch.) Enjoy my free PDF here.
(Curious what’s on my personal list? The 50 things I want to do in my next 10 years are also in that PDF).
P.S. If you’re new here, hello! Sending a warm welcome to everyone who joined The Quiet Rich community since last week, or everyone who was forwarded this newsletter! Learn more about The Quiet Rich here. ☕️
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