📧 Elevate Letter #53: 3 Mental Shortcuts for Sharper Decision-Making

Plus: The question of 9, How to spot high agency people, A game changing way to use ChatGPT & A must read $10 M solo biz breakdown

Hey Ambitious,

Welcome to Elevate Letter!

If you're new here, this is the newsletter where every Sunday, I share the 5 best ideas I find each week to help you improve by 1% each day.

Let’s dive in!

3 Rules That Make Big Life Decisions Way Easier

This week, everything seemed to happen in threes.

So I’m rolling with it—and sharing 3 simple-but-powerful mental shortcuts (called "razors") that help you make better choices without overthinking.

Let’s dive in:

1. The Nostalgia Rule

"Do things now that your future self will smile back on." – @fed_speak

Ask yourself:
“Will I remember this moment fondly someday?”

If yes, go do it.
Because a life full of meaningful memories is a life well-lived.

2. The Better Story Rule

"If you’re stuck between two choices, pick the one that makes the better story." – Alex Hormozi

Should you take the leap or play it safe?

Go for the one you’d be proud to tell your grandkids about.
Even if you fall flat, you’ll walk away with a great chapter in your story.

3. The Invest vs. Spend Rule

"Time is either invested or wasted. Choose wisely." – Sahil Bloom

Here’s the cheat code:

• Invested time = grows over time
  Reading. Moving your body. Deep conversations.

• Spent time = gone for good
  Mindless scrolling. Numbing out. Waiting around.

If you’re unsure what to do next—pick the one that grows you.

These 3 rules won’t make every decision easy.

But they’ll make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

And sometimes, that’s all you need.

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A must-read article from Justin Welsh - My complete $10M journey (all 23 steps)

Justin Welsh just dropped a breakdown of his entire $10M journey.

Yes, every step—23 in total.

One-person business.
Zero paid ads.
Fully online.
$10M+ earned.

No fluff. No mystery. Just pure value.

It’s the most insight-per-word I’ve read all year.

And if you're even thinking about building an online business, this is as close to a blueprint as it gets.

I won’t spoil it by summarizing.

Just read the whole thing.
You'll walk away smarter—guaranteed.

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A Seriously Cool Way to Use ChatGPT (That Nobody’s Talking About)

Okay friends, confession time:
I’ve fallen in love.
With ChatGPT voice mode.
(I know, groan if you must.)

But hear me out—this feature is wildly underrated.
It’s like having a super smart, never-annoyed friend you can talk to anytime.

Here are 3 ways I use it that feel like magic:

While cooking:
Trying a new recipe? Keep ChatGPT on voice and ask it stuff as you go—like "What can I use instead of rosemary?" or "How do I fix burnt onions?"
Bonus: Ask it to speak in a British accent and insult you like Gordon Ramsay. Peak chaos. Peak fun.

While traveling:
I used it inside a museum in Amsterdam.
Point at a painting, ask a question, and boom—instant art guide in your pocket.
It’s like Google, but it talks back and knows how to explain things well.

While learning something new:
I’ve been practicing Spanish by having full conversations with it.
It corrects my grammar, quizzes me, and never makes me feel dumb.
Way better than getting judged by a waiter in Madrid—or Duolingo's passive-aggressive owl.

Prediction?
In a year or two, everyone will be walking around chatting with AI like it’s totally normal.
(Weird? Maybe. Useful? Absolutely.)

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A framework to help you prioritize

Feeling overwhelmed by all the things demanding your attention?

Here’s how Whitney Wolfe Herd (founder of Bumble) decides what actually deserves hers:

She runs everything through what she calls “The Rule of Nines”:

Ask yourself:
Will this still matter in…
– 9 minutes?
– 9 hours?
– 9 days?
– 9 weeks?
– 9 months?
– 9 years?

If it passes all of those?
It’s worth your energy.

If it won’t matter in 9 days (let alone 9 months),
let it go.

It’s a mental filter for urgency vs. importance—and it works.

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How to Spot High-Agency People​

(And why they stand out like magnets)

Saw a brilliant post by George Mack and had to share the core idea.

Here’s the deal:

Most people accept the rules they’re handed. They hear “That’s not possible” and just nod. High agency people?
They rewrite the rules—or ignore them completely.

High agency means this:
You don’t just accept the story the world gives you.
You realize it’s just a story—and you can change the ending.

These are the folks who…
→ Don’t wait for permission
→ Don’t freeze at roadblocks
→ Either find a way or make one

When everyone else says “That can’t be done.” They ask, “Okay, but what if it could?”

That’s high agency.
Rare. Powerful. Contagious.

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Last Words👋

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Hit reply, say hello, and let me know what you think of📧 Elevate Letter #53: 3 Mental Shortcuts for Sharper Decision-Making

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All my best,

~ Elevated Path