Matt's Audio Letter of the Week

Hey everyone. Today I want to talk about clarity — what no one tells you about it, and more importantly, how to actually achieve clarity when it comes to your journey to recovery from OCD and anxiety.

If you're stuck right now, this is a message I think it's important to really lean into — not just listen to, but digest.

After thousands of conversations, I’ve noticed something. Some people go forward, recover, and reclaim their lives. Others stay stuck. Some are kind of one foot in, one foot out.

And one of the common threads I see in those who succeed is immense clarity.

So how do you achieve clarity?

It’s not through information.

This is the belief — the mistake — that so many people fall into: “What I need is clarity, and the way I get clarity is through more information.” We tend to think clarity comes from outside of us.

Many people put their recovery outside themselves — and that’s why they feel powerless, overwhelmed, like they can’t do anything. But clarity actually comes from a strikingly clear and aggressive decision.

That’s what gives you clarity in your life. Because once you decide on a specific outcome, clarity becomes obvious. You just start to know what you need to do.

Most people say things like, “I want to recover from OCD and anxiety,” or “I want to make a transformation in my life — have X amount of money, start a relationship, build a family, launch a business, run a marathon.” Whatever it is.

And usually, those desires come from pain. “I want to recover so I’m no longer in pain.” That’s the underlying motivation.

But clarity comes from deciding — deciding to recover.

That’s what gives you immense clarity on exactly what to do next.

Last week, I talked to a man who had a massive body transformation. When I asked him how he did it, he said it was actually really simple once he decided. Once you decide, clarity emerges.

Clarity doesn’t exist in a spreadsheet. It’s not found by weighing pros and cons. It’s a decision.

Here’s another example: When I was about 22, I had just graduated from college and signed up for a cross-country bike trip — literally biking from Boston, Massachusetts to Santa Barbara, California. No electric bikes, no motorcycles — just pedal power.

It took me 67 days, with 4 rest days. We crossed three different mountain ranges — the Appalachians, the Ozarks, and the Rockies. It rained for a month straight. It was an incredibly challenging experience — but also amazing.

So how do you finish a journey like that?

It comes down to deciding that there is no other option.

It’s like the story of the Spanish commander during the invasion of the Aztecs. After they landed, he burned all their ships. He told his men, “The only way we’re going home is if we take their ships.” There was no other option.

Clarity emerges from decisions like that.

When I woke up each morning during that trip, my only option was to get to the next destination. I didn’t have a car. No one was coming to pick me up. It didn’t matter how hard it was, or how much it sucked — I had to get there.

If you’re looking for clarity in your recovery, what needs to come first is a clear, decisive commitment:
“I’m not living in this loop anymore. I’m not letting fear run the show. I am going to break out of this.”

When you declare that this is the only acceptable outcome, clarity emerges very obviously. You no longer lack clarity.

At that point, the question becomes: “Okay, who’s going to help me do it?”

And then you start aligning your actions with that decision. Because that decision puts you on a clear path.

Most people, though, wax and wane. They get wishy-washy. They haven’t really decided. So they keep thinking the path is what’s unclear — that it's eluding them.

So they try this… and then that… and then something else. But the moment they hit a challenge, they quit — and say, “That path didn’t work.”

The reality is, when you’ve truly decided that this is the outcome — period — clarity naturally emerges. It’s a clear, aggressive, almost violent decision: “This is the only outcome I’ll accept.”

So if you’re lacking clarity, it’s not because you need more information. It’s not in spreadsheets, journaling, or tarot cards. That’s not what it’s about.

If you're unclear, it's probably because you haven’t fully made the decision about what you really want. Or maybe you haven’t been fully honest with yourself about it.

Because the truth is, some people have made a decision — it’s just a decision to maintain. To cope. To manage. And that’s a decision too.

If you haven’t chosen to fully recover, that is the decision you’ve made instead.

So if you’re feeling unclear, it’s because you’ve decided not to go all in.

This is so important to understand. Because if you say you’re looking for clarity, the first thing that actually needs to happen is a 100% decision that says:
“This is the only acceptable outcome for me.”

So I encourage you to sit with this today.

Some of you are right at that crossroads. You just need to get quiet for a few moments and ask yourself honestly:
What am I deciding for my outcome?

And realize: it’s in your hands.
It’s not random.
Success isn’t random. It’s not just for the “lucky” ones.

It’s a decision.

So with that, I hope this message finds you well. I hope you sit with it, chew on it, wrestle with it — and allow it to really sink in.

Because this one decision is what sets the course for your future.

Wishing you a great day. Looking forward to seeing you soon.