Your Road-map to Becoming the Best Possible Version of You

Introduction

What if you woke up tomorrow and found yourself radically transformed? You’d still be you – you’d look like you, and you’d still have the same knowledge and skills you had when you went to bed – but you now find that you easily, automatically make all the right decisions, make the best use of your time, interact with others perfectly, and are living up to your fullest potential in every way.

You’d feel like a superhero, but instead of having super-powers, you’ve just become the best possible version of you.

The Calibration Method, in essence, helps you define what the best possible version of you looks like, and guides you to gradually, naturally transform yourself to become more and more like the best possible version of you, every day.

The Calibration Method

Setting a Baseline

Before getting into the daily calibration routine, there are some simple set-up steps you’ll want to do. First is to set a baseline, or a description of what your life is like now. This way, you’ll be able to look back at your baseline after any period of time of using this system and get an instant sense of how far you’ve come. This can be very inspiring, at any stage in your development!

To help you prepare your baseline, here are a few questions to think about:

1. What’s working well in your life right now?
2. What areas of your life need to be improved?
3. How do you usually spend your time?
4. What are some adjectives you would use to describe your life?
5. How would you describe your career?
6. What is your financial situation?
7. What’s your social life like?

To complete your baseline, just take out a sheet of paper (or several sheets if you feel up to it), or open your word processor, and just write an assessment of your life right now. It can be any format you like, whether that’s a narrative, a bulleted list, or even a drawing. The important thing is that you will have something to reference weeks, months, or years down the line to get an instant reminder of where you started from when you first set out to become the best possible version of you. Whenever you’re feeling discouraged, just pull it out and read it – you’ll be amazed by how much progress you’ve made! When you’re finished, put your baseline in a safe place.

Completing Your Initial Calibration

This step is the heart of the Calibration Method. This is where you first discover the best possible version of you. Once you know what the best possible version of you is like, you have a clear target that you can work toward every day, and a role model that can help you learn and grow every day, that you know and understand better than anybody else.

This step is similar to preparing your baseline, only now you’re preparing your baseline for your alter ego, the best possible version of you. First, take some time to think about the possibilities before you write anything down. Here are some questions to help you think about the best possible version of you. Don’t worry about how “right” your answers are, for now all that matters is that it popped into your head:

1. The best possible version of me is __________ .
2. The best possible version of me __________s daily.
3. The best possible version of me never __________s.
4. The best possible version of me is a recognized expert in __________ .
5. The best possible version of me is most admired for __________ .
6. The best possible version of me spends money on __________ .
7. The best possible version of me doesn’t spend money on __________ .
8. The best possible version of me has __________ .
9. The best possible version of me takes time to __________ .
10. The best possible version of me values __________.

Once you’ve thought through those questions, you’ve done a lot of thinking about what the best possible version of you would be like. Now it’s time to write it out. Just like with your baseline, write up a narrative/list/drawing that describes what the best possible version of you would be like. But this time, you have two competing goals: you want it to be detailed, but not too lengthy. The reason is that you will be referring to this description as a general guide every single day. Make it too long, and you won’t continue to refer to it. Make it too short, and it won’t be useful. On the other hand, don’t obsess over getting it perfect – you’ll be updating it regularly as a part of the process.

When you’re finished, take a moment to look at your description and reflect on this: This is going to be you someday! Just let that sink in. Think about how satisfying and meaningful your life will be as you mold yourself into becoming the best possible version of you!

The Daily Cycle

Now that you have a good feel for who the best possible version of you is, it’s time to put the best possible version of you to work!

I have some good news and some bad news about that: the bad news is, the best possible version of you doesn’t exist yet. But the good news is, you’ve been selected to participate in a daily training program that will teach you how to become the best possible version of you!

And here’s your daily training program:

1. Review and revise your definition of the best possible version of you.

   You’re aiming for a distant target, so it’s important to keep adjusting your sights and make any necessary mid-course corrections. Take some time right away in the morning to review your definition of the best possible version of you to keep it at the front of your mind. If, when you read it, you notice something isn’t quite right, feel free to edit it. If you notice something you forgot to add, add it. If you realize that something shouldn’t have been added, remove it. Consider your definition of the best possible version of you to always be under revision. As you continue to adjust it and refine it, day after day, the “true” definition will naturally coalesce, until eventually you may find no other changes are needed. But even if you feel like editing it five years from now, that’s fine, too. As you grow older and wiser, it’s natural that your sense of what it means to be the best possible version of you will adjust over time as well.

2. Prepare a to-do list worthy of the best possible version of you

   This is the part of the process with the power to change your life: prepare a to-do list of only the activities that you plan to do today, and only the activities that you actually believe you’ll be able to complete today – but choose each of your actions as a response to the question, “What would the best possible version of me do today?” This gives you incredible power to cut straight through to what’s really important, to instantly, boldly prioritize your actions, and to approach your day with confidence.

3. Pretend to be the best possible version of you throughout the day

   With your to-do list in hand, you now go through your day, attempting to complete all the items on your list. Keep your definition of the best possible version of you in mind, also: there are likely to be several things in there that are about attitudes and character. Those don’t translate to to-do lists very well, but by keeping them in mind, you’ll be more alert to opportunities throughout the day to live up to those standards. You don’t have to be the best possible version of you today, you only need to do the kinds of things the best possible version of you would do. The goal here is to “fake it til you make it!”

4. Review your results

   At the end of the day, look back on your day and answer 2 questions:

   1. I was the best possible version of myself today when I…
   2. I was not the best possible version of myself today when I…

   This is your performance review. You tried to act like the best possible version of yourself today: how did you do? Be honest and matter-of-fact with your answers. For best results, write your answers down in a journal. Also, be sure to always answer each question, because you live up to the standards of the best possible version of you as well as fail to live up to those same standards every single day. It’s okay, don’t beat yourself up over it. Just learn from today, and take on tomorrow, wiser and more skilled than you started today.

The One Thing

So that’s the entire process, in only 4 daily steps (and some initial set-up).

If you were to take only one thing away from this, let it be this: frequent feedback and a clear, ever-present target help you learn and grow effectively. By clearly defining what kind of person you want to become, doing little things throughout the day to act more like that person, and assessing how well you met your ideal standard, each day draws you closer and closer to that target.

In short, you won’t have to overhaul your life to follow the Calibration Method – but following the Calibration Method will – gradually, powerfully, automatically – overhaul your life. Enjoy the ride!