The Future How is in Front of You ...
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Have you ever caught yourself holding back on a big vision because you didn’t know how to make it happen? I’ve been there more times than I can count. Every time I set out to build or grow something I’d never done before, I’d freeze. I’d look backwards, searching for instructions in my past, hoping the old “how” could carry me forward. But the truth is, the past only brought me here—it can’t take me there.
The future demands a new “how,” one that doesn’t exist until you create it. And the only way it shows up is when you’re bold enough to focus on what you want, vivid enough to see it as real, and committed enough to take action—even without a map. That’s the shift: stop asking how and start living in the what.
The Edge of the Napkin is now live. We're still making some upgrades to Paper Napkin Wisdom ... so there are limited previews for now. Stay tuned for more!
In this week's Paper Napkin Wisdom Weekly:
- Paper Napkin Wisdom Preview
- Don't Let the Past "How" Cloud Your Future
- Focus–Align–Act: How to Switch and Pull Toward Vision
- Week in Review
🧠 TL;DR – The “How” Will Show Up
🧭 FOCUS
When we step into something we’ve never done before, the temptation is to look back for instructions. But the past only brought us here—it can’t take us forward. The “how” that gets us to the next level doesn’t exist yet.
🔹 Key Question: What do I really want, regardless of whether I know “how” to get it right now?
🔹 Napkin Thought: Focus on what you want, not on how you’ll get there.
🎯 ALIGN
Instead of letting old patterns cloud your clarity, anchor yourself in a bold vision. The bigger and more vivid the vision, the easier it is to see what’s different from now. Write it as if it has already happened—see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, smell it.
🔹 Reframe: Not knowing “how” isn’t a weakness—it’s proof you’re creating something new.
🔹 Mantra:The “how” will reveal itself when I commit to the “what.”
🚀 ACT
Take steps forward even if they feel imperfect. Action is the only place the new “how” is discovered.
🔹 Write your future story in sensory detail.
🔹 Claim your vision every day—say it out loud, keep it in front of you.
🔹 Take at least one bold step daily, however small, that moves you closer.
🔁 REMEMBER:
You can only connect the dots looking backward. But you can only create new dots by moving forward. The “how” shows up when you’re committed enough to keep walking toward the “what.”
Paper Napkin Wisdom Podcast Preview
This is the only place where we give you a sneak peek into what's coming up on Paper Napkin Wisdom. Remember to share this with anyone who needs to hear these messages.
Episode 293: Steven Rothberg — the weekend series where bold, unpolished ideas meet practical action. Every episode takes you to the brink of possibility, where wisdom leaves the napkin and starts shaping your life and business. We will cover uncomfortable subjects, taboo ideas and cutting edge thinking every week - sometimes with very special guests.
Episode 294: The Edge of the Napkin - The series continues. The Edge of the Napkin is where wisdom stops being just a sketch. This is where we take the vision off the napkin and turn it into action. Today’s note is all about moving beyond the past “how” and stepping boldly into the future you want.
... stay tuned for more previews ... we're keeping things under wraps as we continue to unveil the Edge of the Napkin!
Stay connected with Paper Napkin Wisdom on Apple, YouTube, and Spotify to be the first to hear these incredible episodes!
Don’t Let the Past “How” Cloud Your Future
There’s a pattern I’ve noticed in myself, and maybe you’ve seen it in your own journey too.
Every time I’ve set out to build something I’ve never built before, or to grow something I’ve never grown before, I’ve felt the same hesitation. That little voice shows up. It whispers: “You don’t know how.”
And because I didn’t know how, I’d start looking backward. I’d mine the past for instructions, for patterns, for proof that I could figure this out. But here’s the problem: the past only brought me here. It didn’t deliver the future I want.
The “how” that carried me this far is not the same “how” that will carry me forward. The future requires a new “how”—one that doesn’t exist yet.
The Trap of Past Thinking
When we’re stepping into something new, it’s natural to crave certainty. We reach for the familiar, for the paths we’ve already walked. But if you think about it, that’s like trying to navigate a new city with a map of your hometown.
Sure, the map is real. Sure, it got you where you are today. But it can’t guide you to a place you’ve never been.
That’s the trap: looking to the past to tell us how to create the future.
The past can inform us, but it can’t transform us. If we let it, it will keep us circling around the same old routes, replaying the same old “how’s,” and wondering why we’re not getting to someplace new.
Connecting the Dots in Reverse
Steve Jobs said it best: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”
That’s both a warning and an invitation. The warning is that the dots don’t line up in advance. You don’t get to see the whole picture until later. The invitation is to trust that they will connect—if you keep moving.
And here’s the critical shift: instead of obsessing about how it will all fit together, anchor yourself in what you want. The clarity of your vision is the compass that keeps you moving forward when the “how” feels uncertain.
The Power of a Bold Vision
Here’s what I’ve learned: the bigger and bolder the vision, the clearer the contrast between where you are now and where you want to be.
If your vision is small, it can get blurry. You can confuse it with your present reality. But when your vision is truly bold, it stands out. It forces you to see what’s different.
That difference—the gap between today and tomorrow—becomes the space where creativity, courage, and commitment live.
It’s also the space where the new “how” is born. Not out of your history, but out of your willingness to imagine and take action toward something you’ve never had before.
My Own Detours
I’ll be honest: I’ve lost my way on this more than once.
There were times I clung too tightly to old methods. Times when I convinced myself that because I didn’t already know “how,” I couldn’t move forward. Times when the weight of the past blurred the clarity of the future I wanted.
And every single time, the breakthrough came not from figuring out the “how” in advance—but from recommitting to the what.
From daring to write down the vision. From allowing myself to see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, taste it as if it were already real. From anchoring myself in that future story.
And then—this part matters—from taking action, however imperfect.
A Simple Framework
Here’s the framework I keep coming back to. It’s simple, but it’s powerful when you live it:
- Focus on What You Want.
Stop spinning in “how.” Get specific about what you want. Paint it in bold colors. Claim it.
- Write the Future as if It Already Happened.
Don’t just think about it—embody it. Describe it with all your senses. What do you see in that future? What sounds surround you? What does it feel like to be there, physically and emotionally? What’s the taste in your mouth when you celebrate that moment? The smell of the room? The texture of the chair beneath you? The more vividly you write the story, the more real it becomes.
- Take Action.
Do something. Anything. The “how” reveals itself step by step, never all at once. Progress creates clarity. Commitment creates capacity. The “how” shows up for those who refuse to stop moving.
The Opportunity in Front of Us
The truth is this: we have the opportunity every single day to pull the future into the present.
We do that not by rehashing the past, not by replaying old “how’s,” but by holding tight to what we want and committing ourselves to action.
Think about it. Every great achievement, every breakthrough invention, every bold creation—at some point, it started as something no one knew how to do. Someone dared to imagine it, to see it, to claim it, and then to move toward it even when the path wasn’t clear.
That’s the opportunity in front of you.
So let me ask you: what’s the vision you’ve been hesitating to claim? What’s the future story you’ve been too cautious to write down? What’s the bold “what” that deserves your focus—regardless of whether you know the “how”?
The Closing Reminder
The past can inform us, but it cannot confine us—unless we let it.
The “how” you’re searching for isn’t behind you. It’s in front of you, waiting to be discovered through action.
So focus on what you want. Write the future as if it’s already here. Step forward.
The “how” will show up.
🧠 Focus–Align–Act
Don’t Let the Past “How” Cloud Your Future
🧭 FOCUS
When you’re building or growing something you’ve never done before, it’s natural to hesitate. The voice of doubt creeps in: “I don’t know how.”
The instinct is to reach backward, to search for past examples and familiar paths. But the past can only bring you here—it can’t take you there. The “how” that got you to this point isn’t the “how” that will unlock your next level.
The future requires a new “how”—one that doesn’t exist yet, one you’ll only uncover as you move forward.
Napkin Insights:
- The past informs, but it does not define the future.
- A bold “what” creates clarity; the “how” is discovered in action.
🔹 Key Question: What do I truly want, even if I don’t yet know how to get it?
🔹 Napkin Thought: Focus on what you want, not how you’ll get there.
🎯 ALIGN
When you anchor yourself in a bold vision, the uncertainty of “how” stops being a limitation. Instead, it becomes evidence that you’re creating something new.
The bigger and bolder your vision, the sharper the contrast between where you are now and where you’re going. That gap is where clarity lives.
Writing your future as if it has already happened locks in that clarity. Engage every sense—see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, smell it. When your vision is vivid enough, your present circumstances stop clouding it.
Napkin Insights:
- Clarity comes from vision, not from process.
- The unknown “how” is a feature, not a flaw—it means you’re on new ground.
🔹 Reframe: Not knowing “how” means you’re breaking new ground, not failing.
🔹 Mantra:The “how” will reveal itself when I commit to the “what.”
🚀 ACT
The “how” is never revealed all at once. It emerges step by step, as you act.
Action doesn’t just move you closer to your vision—it creates the clarity you were waiting for. Progress generates momentum, and momentum reveals pathways you couldn’t see standing still.
Here’s how to move forward:
- Write your future story in sensory detail.
Make it real in your imagination by using all six senses.
- Claim your vision daily.
Speak it, visualize it, and remind yourself of it. Keep it front and center.
- Take one bold step every day.
However small, take a step that moves you closer. The “how” unfolds as you keep walking.
Napkin Insights:
- Action creates clarity.
- Imperfect progress beats perfect hesitation.
🔹 Activation Prompt: What’s one step I can take today, no matter how small, that moves me closer to what I want?
🔁 REMEMBER
You can only connect the dots looking backward. But you can only create new dots by moving forward.
The past is proof of where you’ve been. The future is proof of what you commit to.
The “how” shows up when you keep walking toward the “what.”
Week in Review
In Episode 290, Andrew Safnauer—a seasoned leader with deep experience across industries—shares his guiding napkin message: “Find your way over the wall.” For him, obstacles aren’t dead ends but invitations to problem-solve with creativity, resilience, and adaptability. He reframes walls not as barriers, but as tests of perseverance—tools for learning, reframing setbacks, and building leadership muscle. Resilience, Andrew reminds us, isn’t a given—it’s a practice shaped by every challenge climbed over, around, or through.
In Episode 291, Jennifer McKenna, founder of JMac Consulting and creator of The JMac Method, introduces her transformative Prosperity Formula: Familiar → Faith → Fulfillment. She explains how staying in the Familiar—comfortable and predictable—can stall growth, while the leap into Faith—intentional trust in yourself and the process—is the bridge that leads to authentic Fulfillment. That fulfillment isn’t just about financial gain, but about alignment, purpose, meaning, and joy. Her message is clear: prosperity isn’t an accident—it’s a courageous choice to move from what’s known into what’s possible.
Check them out here:
A Milestone Awaits ...
As we come up on a major milestone—300 episodes of Paper Napkin Wisdom—I’m reminded of just how much wisdom has been captured one napkin at a time. To celebrate, we’ll be sharing some previously unreleased gems from the vault, moments of insight that deserve their place in the spotlight. And we’re not stopping there—big upgrades are on the horizon for Paper Napkin Wisdom, designed to take this community and conversation to an entirely new level.
The best, as always, is still to come.
Make it a great week!
Govindh
Paper Napkin Wisdom
