The 24-Month Future Memoir
Define your identity, write your future in detail, then execute toward it
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
The 24-Month Future Memoir starts by separating identity from labels. Serhant asks people to define themselves without using their name or appearance, then examine what makes them tick, including current strengths and weaknesses. From that base, they write a memoir from 24 months in the future, describing where they live, how they look, their character traits, what they watch, what they weigh, and what they drive. Detail converts aspiration into a roadmap. The person then executes for the first year toward the second-year identity. Confidence grows because the future self is no longer an abstract wish: daily action provides evidence that the person can become what they described. The goal is to embody that identity before the full 24 months have passed.
Origin
Ryan Serhant describes this identity exercise as part of the work done through his sales education business to help people build confidence.
Core principles
- 01A lack of confidence often reflects a lack of identity
- 02Identity must extend beyond name, appearance, birthplace, and job
- 03A detailed future self creates a practical roadmap
- 04Executing against the roadmap builds evidence for confidence
How to run it
- 1
Remove surface labels
Define yourself without using your name or describing what you look like. Notice when you substitute birthplace, location, or job for identity.
Pro tip Use values, tendencies, strengths, and motivations instead of biography alone.
Watch out Do not stop at where you are from or what you do for work.
- 2
Audit the present self
Describe who you are today, including strengths, weaknesses, and what makes you tick. Use an honest baseline rather than an idealized one.
Pro tip Ask for evidence behind each claimed strength.
Watch out A flattering inventory creates a weak roadmap.
- 3
Write the future memoir
Move 24 months ahead and describe your future identity in detail. Include environment, habits, character, body, possessions, and daily inputs.
Pro tip Write concrete details that can later be observed.
Watch out Do not make the memoir only a list of purchases.
- 4
Turn detail into a roadmap
Compare the present inventory with the future memoir and identify the actions that connect them. Sequence the changes rather than pursuing every detail at once.
Pro tip Choose actions that build the future character traits, not only the visible outcomes.
Watch out A vision without scheduled execution will not build confidence.
- 5
Execute and review
Act toward the roadmap for a year and review the evidence of change. Adjust the path while preserving the intended identity.
Pro tip Use completed actions as proof when confidence drops.
Watch out Do not wait 24 months to notice that your actions and memoir have diverged.
In the wild
Illustrative example: a salesperson defines herself as curious, reliable, and hesitant under pressure, then writes a 24-month memoir in which she leads client meetings calmly and follows through consistently. She turns those traits into weekly practice and reviews completed meetings as evidence of the new identity.
→ Confidence becomes grounded in repeated behavior rather than appearance alone.
Common mistakes
Using biography as identity
Birthplace, appearance, and job describe circumstances but do not fully explain the qualities directing behavior.
Writing a vague future
An abstract goal such as becoming successful cannot function as a roadmap without observable detail.
Is it for you?
Best for
People who struggle to explain who they are or what a more confident future version of themselves would do.
Not ideal for
People seeking confidence without sustained action or those facing immediate needs that require a shorter planning horizon.
From the transcript
“I think people have a lack of confidence because they have a lack of identity.”
“If you understand who you are today, pros, cons, strengths, and weaknesses.”
“You can then write your future memoir and go 24 months out, 24 months from today.”
From the episode
Sales Expert: 3 Ways To Get A YES Every Time
Ryan Serhant