A Simple Exercise Future You Will Appreciate

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to invest in life experiences.

Thank you for your continued support.

Grab your copy of The Beginner’s Guide to Mini-Retirements by clicking here.

Happy New Year!

I hope your 2026 is phenomenally better than your 2025 (and I’m confident 2025 was better than your 2024).

I took the past few weeks off from publishing to work on some personal projects.

I didn’t accomplish everything I planned to, and that’s okay.

I explored a few curiosities, read more than usual, and spent time doing something we rarely make space for:

Sitting still and thinking.

And one thing I did accomplish has me genuinely excited to start the year on the right foot financially, professionally, and personally.

I completed my Annual Review of 2025.

If that sounds like corporate jargon, stay with me.

This isn’t a performance evaluation. It’s something I’ve been doing, on and off, since 2012. And it’s one of the most impactful habits I’ve ever built.

In January 2012, I wrote a letter to myself.

It was a snapshot in time of where I was physically, mentally, emotionally, and professionally.

After I finished, I sealed it in an envelope, wrote “Do not open until December 31, 2012” on the front.

And put it away.

The goal was simple: see how much progress I could make in one year.

I did this again in 2013 and 2014, stopped for a while, then restarted in 2020.

I’ve been consistent ever since.

Recently, I reread every letter going back to 2012.

Two things stood out immediately:

First, there are areas of my life I’m still working on, patterns that take time and intention to change.

Second, there are areas where the growth has been undeniable.

The difference between who I was in 2012 and who I am today is night and day.

Not because everything went perfectly, but because I invested the time for reflection.

And that’s why I’m sharing this with you.

The Lesson

You don’t need a grand resolution to change your life.

You need a mirror.

A simple, honest annual review creates clarity.

It shows you what’s working, what’s not, and where your energy is actually going.

Not where you think it’s going.

What’s the Point of All This?

The point is to emphasize that most people move through life reacting.

Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, and months turn into years.

Progress feels invisible because no one ever pauses long enough to reflect.

This exercise fixes that.

I invite you to write a letter to yourself to be opened on December 31, 2026.

Start with two simple questions:

• Where am I?

• How am I feeling?

If you want more structure, a deeper dive, reflect briefly on one or more of the following:

• Professional

• Personal (mental/emotional)

• Physical

• Financial

• What gave you energy this year?

• What drained it?

• What did fear hold you back from?

• Greatest wins of 2025

• Greatest misses of 2025

• What you want to accomplish in 2026

Your annual review doesn’t need to be long. Three to five bullet points per section is enough. The key is honesty.

The Final Point

A year from now, you will be different whether you’re intentional or not.

You will be different whether you invested the time for reflection or not.

This letter, your annual review, gives future you a gift: perspective.

Write it. Seal it. Forget about it.

And when you open it next December, you won’t just see where you were.

You’ll see how far you’ve come.

Quote that caught my attention:

“I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years’.” 

—Henry Moore

You can find the collection of financial tools & resources that helped me grow from a 6-figure debt to a 6-figure net worth by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

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