In 1985, Jim Carrey was still an struggling actor. He wrote himself a check for 10 million dollars, dated it for Thanksgiving in 1995.

In 1994, he earned a 10 million dollar paycheck for starring in 'Dumb and Dumber,' exactly achieving his goal.

In an interview, Carrey shared that this wasn't magic that made dreams come true, but rather a reminder to pursue higher-value roles and opportunities, and not to settle for small, insignificant efforts.

Two days ago, I heard relatives tell the story of his father: Many years ago, everyone in the village went to work as laborers, but his father never joined them. Instead, he experimented with growing mushrooms and later developed an entire industry around it. He was also the only one who took a nap in the afternoon. -- He knew how to focus on high-value tasks, and also knew how to cherish himself.

Sullivan uses 'checks' or 'future income plans' as tools within his 'strategic coaching' system. He believes achieving 2x growth relies on 'working harder,' while 10x growth demands 'being radically different.'

The reason 'dream checks' work is because:

1. Value Reconfiguration: From 'Price Thinking' to 'Irreplaceability'

When you write down a 'ridiculous' number (e.g., increasing annual income from 1 million to 10 million), your current business model instantly becomes obsolete.

This will force you to abandon low-value, homogenous red-ocean competition and instead seek out transformative, unique problems to solve.

2. Capability Upgrade: Focus on Your 'Unique Talent'

To support 10x value, you must reduce or even eliminate 80% of mundane tasks.

If your current level is 'professional,' then the level supporting 10x must be 'world-class' or 'rule-making.' This gap creates immense psychological momentum, clearly indicating what to learn next and whom to connect with.

Peter Thiel believes competition is a game for losers—it destroys profits and innovation. Successful companies should build 'creative monopolies' by using proprietary technology or unique positioning to become indispensable, creating products that are 10 times better than competitors.

Thiel advocates for 'deliberate optimism'—having a concrete plan for the future, rather than relying on vague 'luck.' Founders should focus on their 'most important advantage' (such as unique culture or sales ability), start with small monopolies, capture niche markets, and then expand.

He put his beliefs into practice. Drawing from his anti-fraud experience at PayPal, Thiel founded Palantir with a focus on '10x better' proprietary technology, delivering unmatched value through exclusive AI capabilities.

Let's step back from the legends of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Once, during a book signing event somewhere, a friend seriously told me: Old Yu, why do you do such low-value things?

In fact, I've never really liked appearing busy or charging by the second. But his criticism struck a chord with me: what truly constitutes my high-value work?

My mom always said: Don't undervalue someone special.

It's unfortunate that we often undervalue ourselves and are undervalued by others.

Not everyone's check needs to say 10 million, and it might not even be about money.

Yet, why don't we each write ourselves a dream check, listing an ambition unrelated to anyone else?