The idea that success takes time is the biggest lie you’ve ever believed. The idea that your life has to crawl forward in a straight line, present into future, step after step, is absurd. And today, I’m going to prove it. This is Episode 2 of The Death of You, the series where you kill the version of yourself born by default, built by others, and architect an existence on your own rules. Episode 2 The Death of You The Death of You We’re all trained to believe good things ‘take time.’ I used to tell myself: in 6 months, after enough practice, I’ll finally feel confident. And I never questioned it..because everyone says it. We’re taught it’s supposed to be slow. Which means the idea of success coming fast… actually makes you feel guilty. Like you didn’t earn it. Look around. It’s everywhere. You tell yourself: ‘I’ll be happy when I retire,’ like joy only unlocks after 40 years of waiting. You say: ‘Love comes when the time is right,’ as if the calendar decides when you’re worthy of connection. ‘I’ll be happy when I retire,’ ‘Love comes when the time is right,’ That’s the trap of linear time. We don’t even question it. We just accept this straight line from present to future, always postponing the life we want until later. It’s conditioning. And it keeps us stuck. That’s the trap of linear time And that’s when I realized.. maybe the problem isn’t me. Maybe the whole story of time itself is broken. And the deeper I dug, the more I saw.. physics, quantum, neuroscience. They all agree: linear time is an illusion. linear time is an illusion And so… I killed it. Metaphorically, sure.. but also in practice. I killed the story that said who I want to be is always down the road. I stopped waiting for permission from the calendar. I decided it has to be right now. I killed the belief that who I want to be only exists in the future. Dismantling the Illusion of Linear Time. Dismantling the Illusion of Linear Time. This idea of time being a straight line: past, present, future, is broken. Let’s actually break it down with a few examples: This idea of time being a straight line: past, present, future, is broken. Let’s actually break it down with a few examples: 1. Einstein (Relativity) Einstein showed time isn’t absolute. It bends. If you fly near the speed of light or sit next to a black hole, time slows down for you compared to someone on Earth.
That means there’s no single, universal clock ticking for all of us. Time is flexible. It’s relative. Einstein showed time isn’t absolute. It bends. If you fly near the speed of light or sit next to a black hole, time slows down for you compared to someone on Earth.
That means there’s no single, universal clock ticking for all of us. Time is flexible. It’s relative. Einstein showed time isn’t absolute. It bends. If you fly near the speed of light or sit next to a black hole, time slows down for you compared to someone on Earth. That means there’s no single, universal clock ticking for all of us. Time is flexible. It’s relative. So even physics admits time isn’t one straight arrow. It depends on where you are and how fast you’re moving. So even physics admits time isn’t one straight arrow. It depends on where you are and how fast you’re moving. 2. Quantum (Observer Effect + Retrocausality) At the quantum level, particles don’t sit in one place. They exist in probabilities (multiple outcomes at once) until they’re observed. The moment you observe them, you collapse those possibilities into one reality.
Some experiments even suggest future measurements can influence past states. That flips the arrow of time completely on its head. At the quantum level, particles don’t sit in one place. They exist in probabilities (multiple outcomes at once) until they’re observed. The moment you observe them, you collapse those possibilities into one reality.
Some experiments even suggest future measurements can influence past states. That flips the arrow of time completely on its head. At the quantum level, particles don’t sit in one place. They exist in probabilities (multiple outcomes at once) until they’re observed. The moment you observe them, you collapse those possibilities into one reality. Some experiments even suggest future measurements can influence past states. That flips the arrow of time completely on its head. Your future can echo back into your past. Time isn’t just forward → it’s entangled in all directions. Your future can echo back into your past. Time isn’t just forward → it’s entangled in all directions. 3. Neuroscience (Memory vs Imagination) Your brain uses the exact same neural circuits to remember the past and imagine the future. In fact, it can not tell the difference between an imagined moment, and one that you actually live. That’s why a painful memory feels real again when you recall it. And and why a vivid visualization of your future can feel like it already happened. Inside your head, past and future are literally the same process. Your brain uses the exact same neural circuits to remember the past and imagine the future. In fact, it can not tell the difference between an imagined moment, and one that you actually live. That’s why a painful memory feels real again when you recall it. And and why a vivid visualization of your future can feel like it already happened. Inside your head, past and future are literally the same process. Einstein bent time. Quantum physics shattered it. Neuroscience blurs it. So why live like it’s still a straight line? Some of us already understood this.. we just missed the signs. Some of us already understood this.. we just missed the signs. My favorite podcast is called *Founders *by David Senra. What this guy does is read biographies of history’s greatest entrepreneurs and then condense them into one-hour talks. Founders I’ve listened to all 399 episodes. Basically, 400+ hours in the heads of the greatest builders in history. And here’s the number one pattern across every single one of them: they became before they were: they became before they were: Jeff Bezos acted like Amazon would be the biggest company in the world when it was just a dusty online bookstore.
Elon Musk called himself ‘Rocket Man’ when SpaceX was still blowing up on the launchpad.
Kanye declared he was the greatest before he had a Grammy. Jeff Bezos acted like Amazon would be the biggest company in the world when it was just a dusty online bookstore. Jeff Bezos Elon Musk called himself ‘Rocket Man’ when SpaceX was still blowing up on the launchpad. Elon Musk Kanye declared he was the greatest before he had a Grammy. Kanye But it’s not just them. Walt Disney walked people through empty lands of Anaheim, California, describing the rides as if Disneyland was already built. Walt Disney David Ogilvy wrote manifestos about being the best ad agency in the world long before he had the clients to back it up. David Ogilvy Estee Lauder carried herself like she ran a global empire when she was still handing out free samples. Estee Lauder Enzo Ferrari talked about Ferrari as if it was immortal before anyone cared. Enzo Ferrari Steve Jobs pushed his team with what they called a ‘reality distortion field’. He was forcing them to act as though the iPhone already existed, and it was just their job to catch up. Steve Jobs - Neither of them were stuck in linear time. Linear time says: go step by step, A to Z, climb the ladder, wait your turn. But these people didn’t waste energy on the how. They got absolute clarity on the what, and the how was forced to catch up. how. what, And that’s the key: clarity collapses time. clarity collapses time So the question is: how do you collapse time? You can’t just know this.. you need a vehicle to live it. I’ve been obsessed with this for the past few months. That’s why I built the Double-Entry Journal. It’s the scalpel to kill linear time. Let me break down exactly how it works, and how you can use it yourself. Any journal works for this. The Double-Entry Journal The Double-Entry Journal Here’s how linear time works: ou have you, journaling about the things you want to do today. Maybe you even dare to write about the things you would like to do one day. How much money you want to make
How confident you want to feel
What other country you’d like to visit How much money you want to make How confident you want to feel What other country you’d like to visit At the other end of the arrow is future you. This future you is not you in the present, it’s a hope, something that could potentially happen, that you pray for. It feels distant, fake, imaginary. You’ve tried that. It works? Kind of..not really. Right? - Here’s the redesign. I call it Architected Time. Architected Time. You don’t sit in the present and beg for the future. You collapse the gap. You pull the future into today. You embody it now. And when I say embody, I mean in your body. Feel it. Live it. Wire it in. now The tool is the Double-Entry Journal. Think of it as an engineered weapon to kill linear time. Double-Entry Journal. The System Your journal runs in two directions — front to back, and back to front. Every day, four pages. Two from the start, two from the end. You are always working toward the middle. And by the time you meet in the middle, your life will look so different that the people around you will think that you sold your soul. Day 1: Pages 1, 2, 100, 99.Day 2: Pages 3, 4, 98, 97. You get it. Inevitably, the present and the future collide. The Process: Let’s imagine the journal is 100 pages. This means that day 1, you will write on Pages 1, 2, 100, 99. Day 2 will be pages 3, 4, 98 and 97. And so on. Step 1: The Architect Page Step 1: The Architect Page Architect This is where you start. You imagine a day in the future. This could be in a week, in a month, in a year. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you think about that day, and I want you to write 4 things: What: What: What: What happened for you? Did you get your 100k subs on youtube? Did you reach your $50,000 month? Right it down. When/Where: When/Where: When/Where: What date is this? Where are you currently? Maybe you’re in your dream villa in Bali. Describe the scene as vividly as possible. Is is sunrise? Is there a slight breeze moving the white translucid drapes, some of the breeze hitting your cheeks as you open your eyes? Do you smell the coffee roasting that is being prepared by your maid? What do you see as you get up and stretch? Who’s in the bed still sleeping? Numbers: Numbers: Numbers Let’s focus on the numbers here, and see them. Describe seeing them on your bank account, your social media accounts. Be very specific. Feelings: Feelings: Feelings Since your brain is actually living and writing down that moment, you have to focus on those feelings, so that your body records it as an emotional memory. This is extremely important and if you don’t do this, nothing will work. Everything that was described before, how do they make you feel? feel? Step 2: The Action Plan Page Step 2: The Action Plan Page Action Plan Flip the journal around. On the left side of the pages, write down the 3 action steps that you will accomplish today. These are the highest-leverage actions that a person with that identity executes today. today Don’t make this unachievable. Because we need to make sure you complete these. Step 3: Close your eyes Step 3: Close your eyes This is the time to lock in these emotions deeper. Go back to what you wrote on the Architect page, re-read it, then sit, and close your eyes. Take 5 to 15 minutes living this day in your head. Step 4: The Ideas Page Step 4: The Ideas Page Ideas Once you step out of the zone you were in for 10-15 minutes, you will be in your future self’s shoes. You will think like the person from the future, already having all of these things. This means you will come up with different, novel ideas that that person will have. Go back to the back of the journal, write these ideas down immediately so you don’t lose them. You might use them today, it might be another day. Step 5: The Evidence Page Step 5: The Evidence Page Evidence This page (on the right of the Architect page), is where you will stack evidence throughout the day, of the universe conspiring in your favor. Maybe you get a random call from an ex employer that wants to see if you are available. Maybe you get one special comment that tells you how impactful your last video was, and suggest your next topic. Anything that “seems” out of the ordinary, write it down as is happens. This is very important because it helps you cement this belief that things are changing. So, collect them. At night, review them. That’s how belief gets built. Final Thoughts Final Thoughts You see what just happened? With the journal, you pulled your future self into today. You collapsed the gap. That’s how you kill linear time. And notice how we didn’t do it by waiting? We are but by designing, Architecting. Now, I have to warn you about something that will happen. And If I don’t tell you, this whole thing won’t work. The moment things start working faster than you thought possible… you will feel guilty. Like you didn’t ‘earn it.’ Like it was too easy. That guilt is nothing but the ghost of linear time. The system conditioning you to believe good things must take years of pain. If you let that ghost run the show, you’ll sabotage yourself back into the slow lane. must Guilt in this context isn’t proof you’re wrong. It’s proof you’re leaving the timeline everyone else is stuck in. It’s a signal you’ve broken free. So it’s very important that you don’t mistake speed for fraud. Don’t mistake ease for weakness. When you collapse time, it feels unnatural.. because it is. You’re no longer crawling through life the way you were programmed. You’re architecting your own time. Remember… you were born once without choice. That version of you was built by default (parents, school, culture, trauma). The Death of You is about killing that version and architecting the one you actually choose. The Death of You First we burn the default. Then we build the design. And next time, we’ll kill your personality.

Quant

SpaceX

Disney

Walt Disney

Killing the 7-Day Week

Architect Your Second Life

Too Long; Didn't Read

Boost your HackerNoon story @ $159.99! 🚀

Killing Linear Time

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

Untitled Story

A “Don’t Do” List Can Change Your Life

It Finally Happened—I Consumed AI Content Without Realizing It

Teams Without Vision Are Just Busywork Factories

5 Best Game Engines for Beginner Indie Developers

11 Habits that changed my life (and will yours too)

A “Don’t Do” List Can Change Your Life

It Finally Happened—I Consumed AI Content Without Realizing It

Teams Without Vision Are Just Busywork Factories

5 Best Game Engines for Beginner Indie Developers

11 Habits that changed my life (and will yours too)

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps