The Freedom Audit: Declare Your Independence from What’s Holding You Back (2 Min Read) | Vol. 158

July 04, 2025

“Freedom lies in being bold.” —Robert Frost

The Freedom Audit: Declare Your Independence from What’s Holding You Back

Over the years, I’ve had hundreds of people ask me, “What do you think my ONE Thing is?” My answer is always the same: “Only you can answer that question.” But here’s the challenge. If you’re not authentically living your own life, you can’t possibly identify your ONE Thing.

Bronnie Ware spent years caring for people in their final weeks of life. In her book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, she reveals the most common deathbed regret: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” Not financial regrets. Not career regrets. The regret of living someone else’s life. 

In the United States, today is Independence Day.  In 1776, fifty-six patriots signed a declaration of independence from tyranny. Today, we’re proposing it’s time for many of us to declare independence of a different kind –  from the invisible chains on our dreams, decisions, and daily lives. That’s why I created The Freedom Audit—a tool to help you evaluate your life across seven key areas and identify the one place where greater freedom could unlock everything else.

Click Here to Download The Freedom Audit.

Your Personal Declaration of Independence

Once you’ve completed your Freedom Audit, it’s time to declare your independence. Look at your answers across all seven areas. Which area feels most constricting? Where did you score lowest? That’s where we suggest you focus your energy.

Choose ONE concrete action you can take in the next seven days. Not a complete transformation—just one meaningful step toward greater freedom.

The founding fathers declared independence first, then built something better. Your audit is your declaration. Now comes the building.

Click Here to Download The Freedom Audit.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: How would I live differently if I felt completely free? 

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Co-author of The ONE Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent