SPARK Insights™ Issue #0052

I almost didn't write this one.

I've been sitting on it for a week, wrestling with whether to share it.

It feels like bragging.
Or being tone-deaf.
Or worse—being one of those people who flaunts their life while others are struggling.

But I'm going to share it anyway.

Because I think there's something important here that has nothing to do with golf courses or beach trips or perfect weather.

It has everything to do with knowing what you actually want.

The Assignment

About 18 months ago, two coaches I work with asked me to do something uncomfortable.

"Write out a narrative of your perfect day," they said.

But I'm going to call it something different.

I'm calling it your ideal day.

Because perfect is arbitrary.
Perfect implies there's one right answer.
Perfect creates pressure.

But ideal?
Ideal is personal.
Ideal is honest.

They told me: Not bullet points. Not a wish list. A full narrative. Beginning to end.

What time do I wake up?
Who's there?
What do I eat?
What do I do?
How do I feel?

I spent several hours on it.

Writing.
Refining.
Getting specific about the details.

Eight months later, I was asked to repeat the assignment.

"Write your ideal day again. See if it's changed."

I sat down to write.

And I found myself going back to the same day.

Word for word, almost nothing had changed.

That told me something.

The Realization

Last week, Arlene and I spent eight days in Myrtle Beach and Pawleys Island. Eleven rounds of golf. Perfect weather. Great courses.

And somewhere around day three, it hit me:

I was living my ideal day.

Not once.
Every single day.

My ideal day isn't complicated.

It starts with waking up next to the person I love.
Breakfast together.
A round of golf.
Lunch.
A nap.
A little work—writing, coaching calls, things that energize me rather than drain me.
A great dinner.
Maybe putting my feet in the ocean.
Reading.
Journaling.

That's it.

No private jets.
No exotic destinations.
No massive achievements or milestones.

Just a simple rhythm that fills me up.

Why I Almost Didn't Share This

Here's why I struggled with writing this:

It feels like bragging.

"Look at me, I got to play eleven rounds of golf and live my ideal day over and over."

It feels disingenuous.

Like I'm minimizing how hard life can be.
Like I'm pretending everything is easy when I know it's not.

It feels insensitive.

I know people are going through hard things right now.

Financial stress.
Health challenges.
Relationship struggles.

And here I am talking about my ideal day like it's some kind of achievement.

But here's why I decided to share it anyway:

Because I think most of us are working toward the wrong thing.

The Trap We Fall Into

We think our ideal day requires:

More money.
More freedom.
More time.
More success.
More... everything.

We think we have to toil and strive and create perfect conditions before our ideal day can emerge.

We tell ourselves: "Once I get to this level, once I achieve this goal, once I have this much in the bank—then I can have my ideal day."

But here's what I'm learning:

Your ideal day is probably simpler than you think.

And you might already be living parts of it without even realizing it.

The Power of Writing It Down

When I wrote my ideal day 18 months ago, something shifted.

It wasn't the act of fantasizing. It was the act of getting specific about what I actually value.

Not what I think I'm supposed to want. Not what looks impressive to other people. Not what fits some image of success.

What actually fills me up.

And when I got honest about that, I realized something surprising:

It was already more accessible than I thought.

I didn't need to wait for retirement. I didn't need to hit some arbitrary financial number. I didn't need permission from anyone.

I just needed to design my life around those simple parameters.

What Writing It Does

Here's what happens when you actually sit down and write it:

You stop chasing things that don't matter.

When you get clear that your ideal day includes breakfast with your spouse and putting your feet in the ocean, you stop feeling guilty about not working 80-hour weeks.

You recognize when you're already in it.

How many ideal days have you lived without noticing? How many moments of deep fulfillment did you blow past because you were too busy chasing the next thing?

You realize it's closer than you think.

Maybe you can't live your ideal day every single day right now. But maybe you can live it once a month. Or once a week. Or design your life so that more days look like that than don't.

You understand that purpose isn't one thing.

My ideal day doesn't include coaching my golf team or having breakthrough conversations with clients or watching my daughters thrive in their own lives.

But those things are also part of my purpose.

Your ideal day doesn't capture everything. It captures the foundation. The baseline. The rhythm that recharges you so you can show up for everything else.

It's Not Just About Your Day

Here's what I've learned from doing this exercise with clients and friends:

This doesn't just work for your ideal day.

It works for your ideal relationship.
Your ideal job.
Your ideal business.

My daughter Anna did this for her job and her relationships.

My friend and client Noah did this for his relationships and his business.

I've walked Karen, Jeremy, Doug, Jenn, Mark, and Sherry through versions of this exercise.

Every single time, something magical happens.

When you write out a narrative—not bullet points, a full story—of what your ideal relationship looks like, or what your ideal work situation feels like, or how your ideal business operates...

You get clear on what you're actually building toward.

And once you're clear, life has a funny way of rearranging itself.

The Super Terrific Awesome Writing Experience

So here's what I'm offering:

I'm calling it the Super Terrific Awesome Writing Experience.

And yes, that's the actual name.

Because this should feel fun, not heavy.

Here's how it works:

You commit to doing the exercise. Not just thinking about it. Committing.

You have seven days to write your narrative. Your ideal day. Or your ideal relationship. Or your ideal job. Or your ideal business.

Whatever feels most important right now.

If you don't finish in seven days, I'll remind you. Not to shame you. To encourage you. Because I know how life gets in the way.

30 days later, I'll check in with you. To see what happened. To hear about the magic that showed up.

Here's what this is NOT:

This is not a course.
This is not a workshop.
This is not a Zoom call you have to show up for.
This is not a group experience where you have to share with strangers.
This is not complicated.
This is not weeks of content.

This is simple:

One assignment.
Two check-ins from me.

That's it.

No modules.
No curriculum.
No homework beyond the one thing you committed to do.

The simplicity is the point.

Because here's what I know:

When you do this exercise, magical things happen.

Not "might happen."
Not "could happen."

They happen.

I've watched it over and over.

Anna wrote her ideal relationship. Now she's in it.

Noah wrote his ideal business. Now he's busier than ever doing exactly what he specified.

Karen is in a position that fulfills her. And now she's dreaming again.

Doug wrote his narrative and clarified his ideal avatar. Everything shifted.

Every. Single. Time.

Here's what this exercise actually does:

It creates a future feeling.

Not just a vision. A feeling.

When you write your ideal day, you're not just describing what you want.

You're tapping into the energy of already having it.

You're chasing a feeling in the best possible way.

Not chasing external things hoping they'll make you feel a certain way.

But getting clear on the feeling first, and then letting life rearrange itself around it.

That's when the magic happens.

And here's my promise to you:

I'm going to celebrate what shows up.

When you do this exercise and something shifts—and it will—I want to hear about it.

I'll share your story in future newsletters. (Don't worry, I'll protect your identity.)

Because I'm expecting great things to happen.

Not hoping. Not wishing.

Expecting.

This isn't positive thinking.

This is you getting so clear on what you actually want that life can't help but respond.

Investment: $67

Not because the exercise is complicated. But because commitment requires skin in the game.

When you invest $67, you'll actually do it.

You won't let it sit in your inbox. You won't tell yourself you'll get to it later.

You'll write your narrative. You'll get clear. And you'll start living more of it.

👉 Click here to participate in the Super Terrific Awesome Writing Experience

But here's the thing:

You don't need to pay me $67 to tap into this.

You can do it right now.
On your own.
For free.

Grab a journal. Set a timer for an hour. Write your ideal day from beginning to end.

Get specific.
Get honest.
Get clear.

Feel the feeling of already living it.

The $67 is for people who know they need:

• The structure

• The accountability

• The check-ins

• The reminder that they committed

• Someone expecting great things from them

If you don't need that, don't pay for it.

Just do the exercise.

And when something magical happens—because it will—hit reply and tell me about it.

The Truth About Ideal Days

Here's what I know after living mine for eight days straight:

Your ideal day doesn't have to be stupendous.

It doesn't have to impress anyone. It just has to fill you up.

Your ideal day can change.

What fills you up now might shift in a year. That's okay. The point is knowing what it is right now.

You're probably closer to it than you think.

And the act of writing it down—of getting that clear—might be the only thing standing between you and living it more often.

I didn't write this to brag.

I wrote it because I spent years chasing things I thought would make me happy.

And when I finally got honest about what I actually wanted, it was so much simpler than I expected.

Maybe yours is too.

Until next week,

– Coach Reg

P.S. I'm not saying you should quit your job and move to the beach. I'm saying you should get clear about what your ideal day actually looks like.

Because once you know, you can start designing your life around it.

Even if it's just one day a month at first.

P.P.S. Whether you join the Super Terrific Awesome Writing Experience or do this on your own, I want to hear what happens.

Not "if" something shifts.

When.

Hit reply and tell me what showed up.

I'm expecting magic—and I'm going to celebrate it with you.