Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Imagine charting your own future. Like really writing the story of your most successful year, but doing it before it even happens.
[00:00:07] Speaker B: Yeah, laying it all out.
[00:00:08] Speaker A: Exactly. Every achievement, every transformation, you know, in vivid detail.
And then stepping into it. It sounds almost like a blueprint for destiny, right?
[00:00:18] Speaker B: It really does. And that's actually pretty close to what we're digging into today.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:00:23] Speaker B: It's this fascinating project called the Repossible Yearbook. So some people call it the one word book project.
[00:00:28] Speaker A: Ah, I think I've heard of that.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, the core idea is finding just one single powerful word. That word becomes your mantra, your kind of guiding star for the whole year ahead.
[00:00:40] Speaker A: One word. Interesting. So for this deep dive, we've looked into insights from a nonfiction book coach. Right. Someone who's actually guiding people through this.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: Exactly. And not just guiding others. He's applying it himself to this really detailed set of character archetypes. It gives this unique angle on goal setting, self awareness.
It's quite something.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: So our mission today is to unpack all that, this innovative approach to growth, and really how you listening, can apply it to your own life.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely. By the time we're done, you should have a good handle on how to spot your own personal villains. You know, those inner voices holding you back and how to sculpt that future self. We'll even get into how you can physically make your own tangible book out of all this.
[00:01:22] Speaker A: A book written by you, for you. I like that.
[00:01:24] Speaker B: Precisely.
[00:01:25] Speaker A: Okay, let's get into the core concept then. Your one word, your future.
It sounds almost too simple. Just one word for a whole year's worth of stuff. Does it feel a bit, I don't know, reductive?
[00:01:37] Speaker B: That's a fair question. And actually, the simplicity is kind of its strength.
The project argues that boiling down all those complex hopes and plans into one single focus word brings incredible clarity.
[00:01:51] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: It's not just a label. It's meant to be this guiding light, you know, to bring clarity, courage, confidence all year long. So it anchors you exactly like the creator. His word for 2025 is math magician. Kind of cool blend, right? Mathematician and magician. And for 2024, his word was just focus.
[00:02:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:02:10] Speaker B: And he talks about how that simple word, focus, helped him cut out distractions and really zero in on getting this whole project, this possible yearbook, out into the world.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Wow. So it works.
[00:02:22] Speaker B: It shows how powerful a simple concept can be for giving real direction.
[00:02:26] Speaker A: What I find really interesting is that this isn't pitched as some kind of quick fix. No magic bullet?
[00:02:31] Speaker B: No, not at all.
[00:02:32] Speaker A: It's very much framed as a long game. Right. Focused on sustainable long term growth. Building things up step by step.
[00:02:39] Speaker B: Exactly right. Think losing 10 kilos over 10 months, not trying to crash diet in 10 days, or, you know, running a kilometer this weekend, not suddenly deciding to run a marathon with no training makes sen. It really champions patience, perseverance, and passion.
Seeing those as the keys to genuine long term happiness. Getting away from chasing those quick, fleeting highs.
[00:03:02] Speaker A: So it's about that steady, consistent progress towards becoming who you want to be.
[00:03:06] Speaker B: That's the idea, yeah.
[00:03:07] Speaker A: Okay, so if we're aiming for this long term growth, how do we even start? How do we figure out our internal landscape to pick that guiding word?
[00:03:15] Speaker B: I know. The project uses this system of villains, heroes and guides.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: Yes. It's a really vivid framework.
[00:03:23] Speaker B: And these aren't like external forces. Right. They're parts of ourselves.
[00:03:27] Speaker A: That's the key insight. It uses nine villains, nine heroes and nine guides. And they're all metaphors for our own internal dynamics. The brilliant part isn't about, you know, killing your villains or getting rid of them.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: Oh, okay.
[00:03:40] Speaker A: We all have bits of villains, heroes and guides in us. The whole point is just recognizing them, understanding them.
[00:03:46] Speaker B: Right, the villains. I love the term quiet ass.
It really captures how they work, doesn't it? So subtle. You might not even notice they're derailing you.
[00:03:54] Speaker A: Exactly. They creep in. Let's look at a few examples from the source material. You've got Manana Mateo. He's the classic procrastinator.
[00:04:01] Speaker B: Tomorrow Mateo. Basically, pretty much his motto is tomorrow. His book title is someday.
And the funny thing is, he's actually kind of proud of his laziness. He sees it as like a smart way to avoid stress.
[00:04:14] Speaker A: Interesting perspective.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: Then there's overthinking Oliver.
His method is death by a thousand paper cuts. He just paralyzes you with analysis. Always needs more information before doing anything.
[00:04:27] Speaker A: Oh, I know that feeling.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: Yeah. And comparison. Carl. He's convinced he needs to compare himself to everyone else just to figure out where he stands.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: Oof, that sounds exhausting. The source mentioned comparison is the thief of joy, didn't it?
[00:04:40] Speaker B: It did. Carl's constantly measuring up and usually feeling like he falls short.
[00:04:44] Speaker A: And what about fearful Fiona? She seems like one many people might conn with.
[00:04:48] Speaker B: Yeah, Fiona's a big one. Her word is safe. Her book title, also safe. She's just deeply afraid of failing.
[00:04:54] Speaker A: So she avoids risk at all costs.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: Totally. But the crucial thing to grasp about these villains is they genuinely believe they're doing things their way. For Good reasons. They're these secret villains, these quiet assassins. They subtly hold us back.
[00:05:08] Speaker A: So Fiona isn't trying to be malicious. She thinks she's protecting you.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: Exactly. She's trying to shield you from the perception of failure.
And when you realize that, it changes everything. You're not fighting an enemy anymore. You're sort of gently re educating an internal protector. That's maybe a bit misguided.
[00:05:25] Speaker A: That makes a lot of sense. And don't they have associated realms? Chaos, comfort, control?
[00:05:30] Speaker B: They do. The Source mentions those.
Chaos, comfort, and control. Now, these aren't bad in themselves, but when a villain is running the show, we tend to cling to one too tightly.
[00:05:42] Speaker A: How so?
[00:05:43] Speaker B: Well, chaos might not just be a messy desk. It can be a subconscious way to avoid commitment. You know, if things are always up in the air, you don't have to follow through. Comfort is that really strong pull to just stay small, to resist anything that feels like a stretch, anything uncomfortable, even if it's necessary for growth.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: The comfort zone Trap.
[00:06:01] Speaker B: Totally. And control. That can look like micromanaging everything, trying to prevent any possible failure by controlling every single detail, which, of course, just stifles creativity and the ability to adapt.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: So knowing your main villain helps you see which realm you tend to slip into.
[00:06:18] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. When you feel yourself leaking into chaos or getting stuck in comfort or overdoing the control, you can recognize it as your villain's influence and consciously steer back. Awareness is key.
[00:06:31] Speaker A: Okay, so those are the villains. What about the heroes? They represent the flip side.
[00:06:36] Speaker B: Pretty much. The heroes embody the positive traits we're aiming for. Things like clarity, courage, confidence.
The Source gives examples like brave Bella or decisive Dana.
[00:06:46] Speaker A: Gotcha. Qualities that help us move forward.
[00:06:49] Speaker B: Exactly. They help us take action, navigate the tough stuff.
[00:06:51] Speaker A: And then there are the guides. That's described as the ultimate stage.
[00:06:55] Speaker B: Right. The guides represent moving beyond just fixing yourself. It starts with self improvement first. You know, the whole put your own oxygen mask on first idea. Once you've really integrated your hero qualities and you understand your villains, you get to a place where you can genuinely help other people.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Ah, giving back.
[00:07:12] Speaker B: Yeah, and the Source describes that as the real meaning of happiness. Purpose, meaning in life. Being able to share your strengths, guide others on their paths.
[00:07:22] Speaker A: That's a powerful arc. So all this self discovery, understanding your villains and heroes, it culminates in actually creating a physical book, which isn't just like writing in a journal, is it? It's more formal, more intentional and externalizing the journey.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: Totally. It's like proof you're walking the Talk. Using the structure of a book to make your goals feel more real. It's a book for you, remember? A testament to that whole journey.
[00:07:48] Speaker A: So what are the key parts of this one word book? What makes it effective?
[00:07:52] Speaker B: Okay, so it starts, obviously, with the book title. That's your one word. Like safe for Fiona.
[00:07:57] Speaker A: Right.
[00:07:57] Speaker B: Then a subtitle that adds a bit more flavor. For Fiona, it was, if I don't try, I can't fail.
[00:08:03] Speaker A: Very fitting.
[00:08:04] Speaker B: Then you get into things like the epigraph. That's an inspirational quote, ideally from someone famous that supports your main idea. Fiona's was caution is the cousin of survival attributed to an ancient proverb.
AI can help find these? Apparently, but you need to check authenticity.
Brainy quotes is another resource mentioned. And the dedication, that's dedicated to someone you admire, someone who's maybe a step ahead of you on the path you want to take. Fiona dedicated hers to brave Bella, her hero archetype.
[00:08:33] Speaker A: Okay, that makes sense. Setting an intention.
[00:08:35] Speaker B: Exactly. And then the foreword is really interesting. It's written by someone else.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: Someone else?
[00:08:40] Speaker B: Yeah, someone who believes in you. Or maybe someone on a similar path. And if you're writing for one of the villain archetypes, another villain writes it.
[00:08:47] Speaker A: No way.
[00:08:48] Speaker B: Yeah. So for fearful Fiona, her foreword is written by overthinking Oliver.
[00:08:54] Speaker A: Huh. What does he say?
[00:08:55] Speaker B: He basically praises her hesitation as wisdom.
He sees her restraint as a strength, relates to her need to analyze everything first. It gives this weirdly sympathetic view of the villain's mindset.
[00:09:07] Speaker A: Fascinating. Okay, what's next? The preface.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: Yep. The preface sets the stage. It describes where you are right now, your current state.
So, for Fiona, it's written from July 9, 2025, planning out her safe year ahead. It lays out your starting point, maybe some initial goals.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: And the actual core word content is chapter one.
[00:09:27] Speaker B: W. Right. That chapter represents your word. It's meant to be concise but really powerful, like the thesis statement for your year.
[00:09:35] Speaker A: Then comes what the Source calls the most powerful element.
The epilogue. The future history.
[00:09:41] Speaker B: Yes. This is apparently where you invest the most time and really let your imagination go.
[00:09:46] Speaker A: How does it work?
[00:09:47] Speaker B: You write it as if it's already one year later. So if Your preface is July 9, 2025, your epilogue is dated July 9, 2026.
[00:09:55] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:09:56] Speaker B: And it starts with the phrase, what a year. Then you just describe everything you achieved, all the transformations from that future viewpoint.
[00:10:03] Speaker A: Like you're looking back.
[00:10:04] Speaker B: Exactly. And the key is extreme detail. Make it sensory, make it tangible. The example given was a white house with a blue roof. On the island of Santorini in Greece, with a view of the ocean.
[00:10:14] Speaker A: Wow. Specific.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: The idea is by vividly imagining it, by writing it down with that level of detail, you're essentially priming your brain. You're creating those neural pathways, making it feel real and achievable before you start.
[00:10:28] Speaker A: So it's a psychological tool.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: Definitely. Goals should be achievable, but stretch you and ideally measurable. Like losing five kilos in five months. Something concrete.
[00:10:39] Speaker A: Okay, that's powerful. After envisioning the future, you write acknowledgments.
[00:10:44] Speaker B: Yeah. From your future self. Again, thanking the people who helped you get there. Family, friends, and interestingly, even the bad guys were the villains.
[00:10:52] Speaker A: Really? You thanked the villains?
[00:10:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Acknowledging that maybe their challenges spurred you on or taught you something. Fiona, thanks fellow villains Patty, Irene, and Oliver, but also her hero, brave Bella. It shows an understanding that growth comes from all sorts of experiences that's quite profound.
[00:11:07] Speaker A: And that about the author section, also from the future.
[00:11:10] Speaker B: You got it. A bio written by your future transformed self. It highlights the growth. Fiona describes her as a master of risk assessment, worst case scenario planning, and graceful avoidance.
[00:11:23] Speaker A: Huh. So she's still Fiona, but maybe more effective.
[00:11:26] Speaker B: Exactly. It shows progress, but respects the core nature. The source does note that villains might not achieve huge world changing dreams, but they can find contentment in their own way, even if it seems stuck to others. It depends on their choice.
[00:11:40] Speaker A: Okay, now the also by the author section. That sounds like fun, but also maybe a bit daunting. Listing books you will write.
[00:11:48] Speaker B: It's brilliant, isn't it? It's like planting flags in your future. You list titles and subtitles of other books you plan to write or work on in the coming year.
[00:11:55] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:11:55] Speaker B: They can play to your strengths. Or the growth you want. Fiona's examples were things like safe and sound. Playing its smallest never felt so justified. Or avoid at all costs avoiding anything that might cause growth, but also almost brave. Stories from the safety bubble.
[00:12:11] Speaker A: So it mixes her core nature with a hint of aspiration.
[00:12:14] Speaker B: Exactly. It acknowledges where she is, but also where she might be headed. It's a really creative way to commit to future projects and your future self.
[00:12:22] Speaker A: And the final piece is the book description. The blurb.
[00:12:25] Speaker B: Right. Basically, it's a sales pitch for the book, but the main customer is you. It sums up the journey, the benefits. It can be tricky to write, apparently, but AI can help analyze your content to draft something.
[00:12:39] Speaker A: Okay, so we've got all the pieces. How do you physically make this book? What are the tools?
[00:12:44] Speaker B: Good question. For actually Writing and formatting it. The source highly recommends Reedsy.
[00:12:49] Speaker A: Reedsy?
[00:12:49] Speaker B: Yeah. R, E, D S Y. It's free, apparently. Very user friendly. It gives you a what you see is what you get preview. So your final file, whether it's an epayeeb for E readers or a PDF for printing, looks just right.
[00:13:02] Speaker A: Are there others?
[00:13:02] Speaker B: Yeah. Atticus has mentioned that's paid more for authors doing lots of books and vellum, but that's Mac only. Reedsy sounds like the best bet for this kind of personal project because it's accessible.
[00:13:13] Speaker A: Gotcha. And the COVID that's pretty important for making it feel real.
[00:13:16] Speaker B: Totally for cover design. Canva is the recommendation. Super user friendly, Lots of templates. Makes it easy to create something that looks good, even if you're not a designer.
[00:13:26] Speaker A: Okay. And then the main event, printing it.
[00:13:29] Speaker B: Getting that physical copy right for that Lulu is suggested. It's a print on demand service, perfect for just printing one or a few copies. There's a note that you might need a minimum number of pages, maybe around 104, to get a proper spine on the printed book. You can pad it out, maybe with weekly inspirational quotes related to your word.
[00:13:48] Speaker A: Ah, good tip.
[00:13:50] Speaker B: And the source suggests getting a hardcover.
Apparently the cost difference isn't huge and it makes it feel more special, more permanent, like a real yearbook.
[00:13:59] Speaker A: Nice touch. What if you want to share it digitally, say with a coach or a.
[00:14:02] Speaker B: Close friend for ebook delivery? Book Funnel is mentioned. It's a paid service, but it makes it really easy to send the ebook file. So it works on any device. Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, whatever. Makes sharing simple. The source also said a free alternative would be shared in the course materials.
[00:14:18] Speaker A: Okay. And AI you mentioned it helps with epigraphs, blurbs. How else does it fit in? We need to be careful it doesn't just write the whole thing for us, right?
[00:14:26] Speaker B: Absolutely. Critical point.
[00:14:28] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:28] Speaker B: The creator uses. Uses his own custom AI called Charlie Holiday, built on ChatGPT. He uses it for things like analyzing his ideas, maybe helping organize thoughts if he has a bazillion of them.
[00:14:40] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:14:41] Speaker B: And for drafting those supporting bits, dedications, book descriptions, the also buy list. But, and this is crucial, the advice is very clear. You must write the core content, the.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: Preface and the epilogue.
[00:14:54] Speaker B: Exactly. Your personal reflections, your future history. That has to come from you. The AI is a tool and assistant, not the author. This is your project, your journey. Its power comes from your own thinking and feeling.
[00:15:06] Speaker A: That makes perfect sense. So let's pull back a bit. Why does this whole process matter for you? Listening. Why go through all this effort of villains and heroes and writing a book? What's the deeper payoff?
[00:15:16] Speaker B: Well, beyond just having a cool personalized book. It's a really potent psychological exercise. It's about deep self reflection and then actively casting your future. That one word mantra. The process of choosing it brings immense clarity. You have to really figure out what you want. Then writing that future history, the epilogue, that builds courage. You're defining bold goals, making them concrete, even if they're attainable ones.
[00:15:40] Speaker A: And seeing yourself achieve them builds confidence.
[00:15:43] Speaker B: Exactly. You visualize your success in detail. You literally see yourself crossing those finish lines in your mind's eye. It starts rewiring your beliefs about what's possible. It shifts your internal narrative before you even start the hard work.
[00:15:57] Speaker A: So it's really designed to help you break through those mental blocks. The fearful Fionas, the overthinking Olivers we all have.
[00:16:04] Speaker B: Precisely. It helps you identify them, understand them, and then consciously choose a different path. Become the person you want to be. The project's tagline sums it up perfectly. Who will you be next?
[00:16:15] Speaker A: I like that. Who will you be next? It's about authoring your own evolution.
[00:16:19] Speaker B: That's a great way to put it.
[00:16:20] Speaker A: And the book itself, it becomes your personal guide. Right. Following that oxygen mask idea. It's primarily for you.
[00:16:26] Speaker B: Absolutely. It's for you to read, to revisit. It's your personal success story. Written in advance.
[00:16:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:32] Speaker B: Your anchor, your North Star for the year. And the hope is that you make it an annual thing, a yearly practice, cultivating this habit of intentional growth, consistent self improvement. Once you know how to put a book like this together, you can keep doing it, keep authoring your future year after year. It builds a real skill of self authorship.
[00:16:53] Speaker A: Wow. Okay. So we've really journeyed through this whole one word book idea.
[00:16:57] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:16:57] Speaker A: Uncovered those inner villains and heroes. Looked at the nuts and bolts of actually creating this physical manifestation of your goals.
[00:17:05] Speaker B: Yeah. It's quite a process.
[00:17:06] Speaker A: It feels like much more than just theory. It's a very actionable framework. Isn't it something you listening could genuinely start thinking about today, for next year, Maybe getting that clarity, that intentionality.
[00:17:16] Speaker B: Definitely. It's about taking control of your own story, becoming the author.
[00:17:20] Speaker A: So here's something to think about. If you could actually write the story of your most successful year ahead right now with all those specific sensory details, how might just the act of creating that story, of that self authorship change how you act today? What little shifts might you start making now to make sure that future you just wrote about actually happens.
