The Future Check Exercise
Make an ambitious future goal visible and actionable in the present
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
The Future Check Exercise uses a physical symbol to convert an ambition into a clearly defined goal. Inspired by Jim Carrey's check for acting services, the user writes a future check or equivalent note naming the outcome, amount if relevant, and date. The reminder stays in a wallet, beside a bed, or near a workspace so the goal repeatedly re-enters attention. The mechanism is intentionality, not magic: writing is an initial action that makes the target explicit, after which the person must define and perform the work. Non-financial goals work equally well when represented concretely. Regular review keeps the symbol connected to current next steps rather than passive wishful thinking.
Origin
Friedman recounts Jim Carrey writing himself a ten-million-dollar check for acting services before receiving that amount for Dumb and Dumber.
Core principles
- 01A written goal is more concrete than a spoken wish
- 02Visible reminders sustain intentionality
- 03The symbol can represent money or another meaningful outcome
- 04Writing is only the first action
- 05Execution must fill in the path
How to run it
- 1
Choose the outcome
Define one ambitious result that matters to you. Make it specific enough to recognize if achieved.
Pro tip Use a non-financial equivalent if money is not the real goal.
- 2
Write the symbol
Create a check or short note that states the outcome as a future result. Include a date that makes the target concrete.
Watch out Do not write a target borrowed solely from somebody else's definition of success.
- 3
Place it visibly
Keep the reminder where you will encounter it regularly, such as a wallet or desk. Let repetition renew attention to the goal.
Pro tip Choose a private place you naturally see.
- 4
Define the first move
Translate the future result into one action you can perform now. Begin filling in the details behind the symbolic commitment.
Pro tip Schedule the action rather than merely listing it.
Watch out The written check does not substitute for work.
- 5
Reconnect reminder and work
Review the goal and current actions regularly. Adjust the path while keeping the meaningful outcome visible.
Watch out Repeated viewing without execution becomes fantasy.
In the wild
A new host writes a dated note describing a specific audience milestone and keeps it beside the recording desk. Each weekly review pairs the reminder with one current action: booking a relevant guest, improving an episode, or asking listeners for feedback.
→ The symbolic goal continually prompts concrete production and audience-learning actions.
Common mistakes
Treating the symbol as magic
The exercise creates clarity and repeated attention; it does not produce the result without action.
Writing an empty number
A large amount disconnected from a personally meaningful outcome may not guide useful behaviour.
Is it for you?
Best for
People with a meaningful long-term ambition that remains abstract or easy to forget.
Not ideal for
People likely to mistake visualization for evidence, planning, or execution.
From the transcript
“he wrote himself a check for 10 million dollars”
“when you take again an action to do something right some people say like i'm going to be successful like well that's not enough”
“if you can have more intentionality about it it's really going to help you move towards that goal”
From the episode
Zack Friedman: The Lemonade Life
Zack Friedman