Why Lighthouses Beat To-Do Lists To-do lists are notorious: endless, guilt-inducing, and rarely connected to the bigger picture. A couple of years ago, I came across a framework called “Lighthouses” that replaced lists with something saner: milestones you can actually steer toward. “Lighthouses” The idea is to map your next year as a series of beacons: you don’t need to see the whole coast; you just need to orient yourself toward the next light. beacons Here’s the breakdown: Here’s the breakdown: One-year lighthouse. Imagine your life 12 months from now. Where do you live? What are you doing? How much do you earn? Who are you with? Keep it ambitious but not absurd. If you’re at $1k/month now, $10k/month is a stretch but plausible. “Owning a villa in Miami” is probably not the right 12-month beacon. One-year lighthouse. Imagine your life 12 months from now. Where do you live? What are you doing? How much do you earn? Who are you with? Keep it ambitious but not absurd. If you’re at $1k/month now, $10k/month is a stretch but plausible. “Owning a villa in Miami” is probably not the right 12-month beacon. One-year lighthouse. Six-month lighthouse. What’s halfway there? Signed clients? A new campaign launched? Landing a key role? These should be specific jobs to be done, not vague wishes. Six-month lighthouse. What’s halfway there? Signed clients? A new campaign launched? Landing a key role? These should be specific jobs to be done, not vague wishes. Six-month lighthouse. specific jobs to be done Three-month lighthouse. This is where the rubber meets the road: what concrete progress signals you’re on track? Maybe it’s “publish three case studies,” “secure first paying customers,” or “finish the draft of my book.” Three-month lighthouse. This is where the rubber meets the road: what concrete progress signals you’re on track? Maybe it’s “publish three case studies,” “secure first paying customers,” or “finish the draft of my book.” Three-month lighthouse. One month → one week → two days → today. Break it down further: what must already be completed by each point so the next one becomes inevitable? Always in bullet points. Always answer: what has to be true by this moment? One month → one week → two days → today. Break it down further: what must already be completed by each point so the next one becomes inevitable? Always in bullet points. Always answer: what has to be true by this moment? One month → one week → two days → today. what has to be true by this moment? The beauty of this framework is that it forces you to work backwards from the future, not forwards from the chaos of today. Each step shrinks the distance between “someday” and “right now.” Why This Matters It reduces overwhelm. You stop carrying 40 tasks in your head and instead focus on the two or three that matter right now.


It builds momentum. Every time you check a near-term lighthouse, you prove to yourself you’re moving forward.


It’s flexible. If life shifts, you don’t throw away the map — you just adjust the beacons. It reduces overwhelm. You stop carrying 40 tasks in your head and instead focus on the two or three that matter right now. It reduces overwhelm. You stop carrying 40 tasks in your head and instead focus on the two or three that matter right now. It reduces overwhelm. It builds momentum. Every time you check a near-term lighthouse, you prove to yourself you’re moving forward. It builds momentum. Every time you check a near-term lighthouse, you prove to yourself you’re moving forward. It builds momentum. It’s flexible. If life shifts, you don’t throw away the map — you just adjust the beacons. It’s flexible. If life shifts, you don’t throw away the map — you just adjust the beacons. It’s flexible. The Delulu Lighthouse And then there’s the wildcard: the Delulu Lighthouse. Delulu Lighthouse This is where you’re allowed to go wild. Write down the dream that feels absurd: villa in Miami, TED stage, Nobel Prize. It must still be humanly possible — but almost laughable from where you stand today. humanly Why? Because our brains are allergic to “reasonable” dreams. They need stretch goals to pull the imagination further than logic alone allows. Delulu lighthouses expand the horizon of what you consider achievable. Six Reasons Delulu Goals Are Powerful Over time, I realized the delulu lighthouse isn’t a gimmick. It can be strangely therapeutic: It surfaces your true desires. Sometimes, the “realistic” goals you set aren’t actually yours. A hedge fund role and $400k salary might look good on paper, but if what you really want is a family-run hotel in Italy, no wonder you’re unmotivated. Delulu goals often dig out the real wants.


It shrinks the impossible. Plan step by step, and you’ll often find your delulu isn’t that delusional. In one year? Maybe impossible. In 5–10 years? Absolutely doable. My own “full delulu” lighthouses: becoming a UN goodwill ambassador and, yes, a Nobel Peace Prize. Ridiculous now — but entirely achievable if you break it into decades.


It helps you find role models. A clear lighthouse makes it easier to spot people already there. You can study their path, borrow strategies, and even ask them for advice. Humans are more accessible than we think.


It makes realistic goals feel easier. Set against a delulu lighthouse, your ordinary goals lose their intimidation factor. Closing three clients suddenly looks simple when you’ve already envisioned standing on a TED stage.


It aligns your inner child with your adult self. Wild goals often surface childhood dreams — the dealership in LA, the art career, the life by the sea. Reconciling those with your current adult plans removes hidden sabotage and unlocks more energy to act.


It works like scenario planning. In strategy, you often see three paths: pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic. The delulu lighthouse acts as the “ideal.” Even if life pulls you off course, you’ll land closer to it than you would if you’d only aimed for the “safe” middle. It surfaces your true desires. Sometimes, the “realistic” goals you set aren’t actually yours. A hedge fund role and $400k salary might look good on paper, but if what you really want is a family-run hotel in Italy, no wonder you’re unmotivated. Delulu goals often dig out the real wants. It surfaces your true desires. Sometimes, the “realistic” goals you set aren’t actually yours. A hedge fund role and $400k salary might look good on paper, but if what you really want is a family-run hotel in Italy, no wonder you’re unmotivated. Delulu goals often dig out the real wants. It surfaces your true desires. real It shrinks the impossible. Plan step by step, and you’ll often find your delulu isn’t that delusional. In one year? Maybe impossible. In 5–10 years? Absolutely doable. My own “full delulu” lighthouses: becoming a UN goodwill ambassador and, yes, a Nobel Peace Prize. Ridiculous now — but entirely achievable if you break it into decades. It shrinks the impossible. Plan step by step, and you’ll often find your delulu isn’t that delusional. In one year? Maybe impossible. In 5–10 years? Absolutely doable. My own “full delulu” lighthouses: becoming a UN goodwill ambassador and, yes, a Nobel Peace Prize. Ridiculous now — but entirely achievable if you break it into decades. It shrinks the impossible. It helps you find role models. A clear lighthouse makes it easier to spot people already there. You can study their path, borrow strategies, and even ask them for advice. Humans are more accessible than we think. It helps you find role models. A clear lighthouse makes it easier to spot people already there. You can study their path, borrow strategies, and even ask them for advice. Humans are more accessible than we think. It helps you find role models. It makes realistic goals feel easier. Set against a delulu lighthouse, your ordinary goals lose their intimidation factor. Closing three clients suddenly looks simple when you’ve already envisioned standing on a TED stage. It makes realistic goals feel easier. Set against a delulu lighthouse, your ordinary goals lose their intimidation factor. Closing three clients suddenly looks simple when you’ve already envisioned standing on a TED stage. It makes realistic goals feel easier. It aligns your inner child with your adult self. Wild goals often surface childhood dreams — the dealership in LA, the art career, the life by the sea. Reconciling those with your current adult plans removes hidden sabotage and unlocks more energy to act. It aligns your inner child with your adult self. Wild goals often surface childhood dreams — the dealership in LA, the art career, the life by the sea. Reconciling those with your current adult plans removes hidden sabotage and unlocks more energy to act. It aligns your inner child with your adult self. It works like scenario planning. In strategy, you often see three paths: pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic. The delulu lighthouse acts as the “ideal.” Even if life pulls you off course, you’ll land closer to it than you would if you’d only aimed for the “safe” middle. It works like scenario planning. In strategy, you often see three paths: pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic. The delulu lighthouse acts as the “ideal.” Even if life pulls you off course, you’ll land closer to it than you would if you’d only aimed for the “safe” middle. It works like scenario planning. What This Looks Like in Practice To make the framework less abstract, here are three quick scenarios — each showing both the realistic and the delulu lighthouse paths. The Career Switcher The Career Switcher Realistic path Realistic path One year: land a product manager role in a mid-sized tech company.
Six months: complete a certification and ship a side project.
Three months: publish a portfolio case study.
One month: draft a project brief and gather feedback.
Today: reach out to one mentor for advice. One year: land a product manager role in a mid-sized tech company. One year: Six months: complete a certification and ship a side project. Six months: Three months: publish a portfolio case study. Three months: One month: draft a project brief and gather feedback. One month: Today: reach out to one mentor for advice. Today: Delulu path Delulu path One year: co-found a unicorn startup valued at $1B.
Six months: close a $20M Series A round.
Three months: attract 100k active users and land press coverage.
One month: assemble a star founding team.
Today: research and brainstorm 10 billion-dollar ideas. One year: co-found a unicorn startup valued at $1B. One year Six months: close a $20M Series A round. Six months Three months: attract 100k active users and land press coverage. Three months: One month: assemble a star founding team. One month Today: research and brainstorm 10 billion-dollar ideas. Today: The Freelancer Realistic path Realistic path One year: consistent $5k/month income from five steady clients.
Six months: Two retainer clients signed.
Three months: one retainer + one big-ticket project.
One month: relaunch portfolio website.
Today: send three new pitches. One year: consistent $5k/month income from five steady clients. One year: Six months: Two retainer clients signed. Six months: Three months: one retainer + one big-ticket project. Three months: One month: relaunch portfolio website. One month: Today: send three new pitches. Today: Delulu path Delulu path One year: win a Cannes Lions Grand Prix award.
Six months: land Nike as a flagship client.
Three months: produce a campaign that goes viral globally.
One month: draft a pitch bold enough to grab an international brand.
Today: Refresh your portfolio to make it look attractive for top clients. One year: win a Cannes Lions Grand Prix award. One year: Six months: land Nike as a flagship client. Six months: Three months: produce a campaign that goes viral globally. Three months: One month: draft a pitch bold enough to grab an international brand. One month: Today: Refresh your portfolio to make it look attractive for top clients. Today: The Writer Realistic path Realistic path One year: publish a novel.
Six months: 40k words completed.
Three months: 20k words completed.
One month: finalize an outline.
Today: write 500 words. One year: publish a novel. One year: Six months: 40k words completed. Six months: Three months: 20k words completed. Three months: One month: finalize an outline. One month: Today: write 500 words. Today: Delulu path Delulu path One year: hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Six months: land a seven-figure publishing deal.
Three months: go viral on TikTok/BookTok and attract a bidding war.
One month: get a high-profile literary agent.
Today: write the first chapter. One year: hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. One year: Six months: land a seven-figure publishing deal. Six months: Three months: go viral on TikTok/BookTok and attract a bidding war. Three months: One month: get a high-profile literary agent. One month: Today: write the first chapter. Today: Note: these examples only show you one goal at a time, with one exemplary action to complete. But actual lighthouses are far more elaborate: Every goal usually requires a set of steps to complete by each milestone. Every goal usually requires a set of steps to complete by each milestone. Every lighthouse has to feature an elaborate description of the vision you have for your life – not just one goal at a time. Every lighthouse has to feature an elaborate description of the vision you have for your life – not just one goal at a time. Final Thought Delulu lighthouses aren’t about deluding yourself. They’re about permission — to imagine without limits, and then to test if those limits were real in the first place. permission So, what’s your delulu lighthouse right now? And what’s the one small, non-delusional step you can take toward it today?

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