I've been starting my mornings with a new ritual. Before I open my laptop or even check my phone, I sit down with my journal and write the story of my day — not what happened, but what I want to happen. I write as if it already did: the focused writing session, the ease in my meetings, the walk that clears my head. It's a way of living forward — scripting my own day before the world does it for me.

I learned this from my guest today, Nate Turner, who has built an entire life philosophy around that same idea — designing forward by thinking backward. And this conversation reminded me that words aren't just output. They're architecture.

In this episode, we talk about:

Journaling Forward — the daily practice of writing your life as you want it to be, not as it is

The Life Template, Nate's backward-design framework for living with intention

How Nate used letters to his son to become only the second father in history, since Lord Chesterfield in 1737, to publish letters written to a child over the span of a lifetime

Why claiming your identity as a writer — before the book is finished — is an act of courage, not delusion

The North Star vs. the Death Star: how to keep your vision from being derailed by old wounds and childhood stories

What it means to be a "word chaser" and why saying what you want out loud is one of the most powerful things you can do

The difference between passion and the thing you'd do even if you never won

Free Resource from Nate: Download The Life Template Starter Kit at nathanielaturner.com — a free guide to help you start designing your life on purpose, with a plan.

About Nathaniel A. Turner:

Nathaniel A. Turner is a globally recognized TED Speaker, public intellectual, and author who helps audiences design better lives, stronger families, and more humane futures — intentionally, not accidentally. Known as the Humanity Propulsion Engineer, he is the creator of The Life Template and a Childrearing and Socio-Educational Tools collection and was the first father since Lord Chesterfield in 1737 to write and publish letters to his son successively during his lifetime. He has appeared in numerous media outlets including Black Enterprise, iHeartRadio, The Good Men Project, The Washington Post, and U.S. News & World Report. His books include Raising Supaman, Stop the Bus, It's A Jungle Out There, Journey Forward, and The Amazing World of STEM.

Find Nate:

Website: nathanielaturner.com

League of Extraordinary Parents: lxtrap.com

Every writer knows this truth: the story only changes when the protagonist does. Nate reminded us that the same goes for real life — you can't rewrite your story without taking the pen back into your own hand.

If this episode got you thinking differently about your own creative path, share it with a writer friend who's ready to stop guessing and start living on purpose. Subscribe to Get Writing wherever you listen, and if you have a minute to leave a review, it helps more writers find us.

Ready to go deeper into your own creative life? Come find us at the Creativity Lab at GetWritingWithLiz.com.