The 100-hr challenge. Would you do it?

Last weekend, I went on a Labor Day vacation and lost the momentum. 

Since I got back, I haven’t had a good writing session. This is the problem whenever I am unable to follow my routine. 

It’s hard to get back on track. 

I haven’t been happy with my writing progress for the last few weeks as I was preparing for my vacation and when I got back. Something always gets in the way whenever I’m just starting to gain momentum.

This harsh realization hit me:

I lack progress because I’m not working seriously.

I know I’m willing to play the long game, but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t make the extra effort each day. 

I have to work twice as hard. 

I have to forget about the end results and focus on the effort. 

It’s way easier to keep going when you can see results. You know that what you’re doing is working. And it’s easy to give up when there is uncertainty - you don’t know whether this is worth your time and effort. 

But if you don’t make the “result” the goal, you’re not waiting for something to happen. You’re immersing yourself in the process. The journey itself becomes the goal -- putting in the reps, and incorporating the right habits into your life. 

Slowly, you could design the life you want instead of just letting life pass by.

Here’s the question I always like to ask myself:

Are you getting what you want or getting what you’re getting? 

Say “No” to result-oriented goals

There was a time when I planned on going to the Philippines for a summer vacation.

It became my motivation to work out more consistently because I wanted to look good and be in better shape.

It worked well for a few months. I became consistent with my workout routine. I ate healthy. I made a lot of progress and hit my “goal”. 

But then after the trip, I started to become inconsistent again. The motivation was gone. I lost the momentum. There was nothing to look forward to.

Although it worked for me many times before, I’m guilty of setting goals like this: Do X by Y time.

• Earn my first $1000 in 30 days.

• Get my first client in 2 weeks.

• Lose X weight and X gain muscles in Y months. 

I realized whenever I achieve goals like this, I get that dopamine drop after reaching them.

It feels like I want something more whenever I hit my target. 

That’s not bad at all - but the problem is I don’t get the fulfillment I expected from achieving the goals. 

So instead of focusing on achieving results, I want to live a life of abundance. One that lets me be content with where I am. I don’t have to wait and look forward to anything. 

At the end of the day, it’s not the viral article that makes me happy.

It’s not the new client that makes me feel fulfilled.

It’s not the money that makes me feel proud.

What makes me feel good is sitting down in front of my desk, getting lost as I type as fast as I can, with nothing else to think about. 

Say “Yes” to process-oriented goals

I have tried different kinds of ways to gamify my life.

30-day challenges are my favorite.

• Write for 30 days.

• Meditate for 30 days.

• Wake up early for 30 days.

• Etc.

These are much better for me than hitting extrinsic goals. I can look back and feel the benefits of doing the thing, rather than measuring tangible progress.

But again, after 30 days of doing the thing, it’s not easy to keep going. That’s when it becomes harder. That’s when you question whether you’re on the right path or not. That’s when you start to try other things because it gets boring.

So my goal going forward is always 100 hours of focused effort. 

Anything you do for less than 100 hours is nothing serious. The moment you pass the 100-hour mark, you start the path to mastery.

Not many people will reach this point. 

Persistence and iteration

Trust me, Results will follow. 

After 100 hours, you have a library of content you can repurpose and improve. 

One hour of focused effort per day is all you need. Nothing else - just learning and doing the thing. This works because you are training your brain to focus the attention on one skill. When you do multiple things at once, your attention is split between those things even if you’re not aware.

For example, when you write for 10 minutes and put the dirty clothes in the washing machine for 5 minutes, you are unconsciously thinking about the laundry even when you go back to writing.

Practice engaging in deep work and getting in “flow”.

It’s a muscle worth exercising. 

Call to action

You can do 100 hours of reps by the end of the year. 

I’m doing it and documenting my journey on the internet - it’s going to be a fun one!

If you want to join, reply “I’m in” and let’s do it together. 

I’m happy to keep you accountable as you do the same for me!

PS.

Check out 30DaysTo1K if you want to learn all the strategies I implemented to start my online business alongside 9-5.

Happy weekend!

-M