100. The first hundred

is just growing and learning the process.

The other day I was watching a video by Noah Kagan and Neville Medhora speaking about what they would do if they were 18 again.

Noah mentioned the Law of 100- the discipline of doing a hundred of your craft before you decide whether to give up.

Reflecting upon my life I can see I have lacked the staying power when the going got tough.

I didn’t realise the inevitability of a task getting boring, repetitive, and plateauing.

That is part of the consistency journey.

Some days it’s just not going to be fun.

“Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.” - Seth Godin

Now reaching 100 blog posts (albeit not every day) here are some learnings I have:

• Doing something a hundred times allows you to work out whether you like something or not.

• Being consistent allows you to get better.

• You can’t make a proper judgement (to stick or quit) until you’ve done something at least a hundred times.

• You know what success will take- a minimum of 100.

• It allows you to develop a process.

So I could stop blogging happily now thinking I gave it a good shot… but I don’t want to.

There were definitely days I didn’t want to write and felt it was a chore but I like what writing gives me. I enjoy feeling challenged intellectually and want to get better. The uncomfortable feeling I have is good- it means there is growth.

“A distracted existence leads to no goal” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Going forward I’m going to make sure I give things a hundred goes before I make a judgement call, it makes all the difference.

99. Being busy is a form of laziness

a lack of time is simply a lack of priorities.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been slacking.

‘Oh but I’m busy with exams, I have a work shift, I deserve a break’.

I was waiting for perfect conditions and when that is the case there will always be an excuse.

Yesterday, I was on a run with a pal and we were discussing Summer plans and he mentioned how there is too little time to do everything.

And he was right.

We have a limited time on this earth and we can’t do it all.

Looking to my lack of writing I was living through indiscriminate action, discernment was needed.

That got me thinking, what do I really want- ‘does going on my phone 5 hours a day play a big role in that?’

I constantly think that the lack of refining my actions is just a battle I need to have each day. To simply muster up more motivation. More and more I’ve actually found that success comes from me being dialled in with my purpose.

“Self-discipline is when your highest desires rule your lesser desires, not through resistance, but through loving action grounded in understanding and compassion” - David Deida

It is in ambition that I have priorities, deadlines, and a drive to get after them.

The question for me then is how bad I want it.

My weakness is that I have an ability to go very extreme- all guns blazing.

The risk is that this can be seen in me going the opposite extreme and being a complete sloth, however, I must utilise this trait to my advantage.

"The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." - Marcus Aurelius

I need to recognise that I can be extreme but that involves doing actions that push the needle forward rather than simply doing menial tasks.

Reflecting on this all the key takeaways are that:

• Being busy helps no one

• I have to choose the things/ people I want to engage with and be okay with missing out on the rest

• Dialling in on my long term purpose helps me discern my short term decisions

• My unconventional traits can be used for good

• I need to focus on the tasks that push me towards my goals rather than just filling time

“There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do” - Bill Watterson

98. The early morning

is special.

Being in my 20’s I find myself often invited to events late at night, and am involved in groups of people who have never heard of waking up early.

When in conversations about routines I mention I like to wake up around 5 am, do some Bible time, get some creative writing done, and then work.

This may sound extreme, but I would argue it's as extreme as staying up till the early morning drinking.

The difference is that one is normalised and the other isn’t.

And here is the crux of the conversation.

Can you be comfortable going against the grain?

I know I cannot physically function by waking up early and staying up late. So here where I have to make a decision.

Something has to give.

One could argue there is great value in staying up and socialising- and I would agree.

However, the issue arises when it is purposeless.

You need to think about why you are watching Tik Toks at 2 am.

So for me, I like attacking the day early.

I feel in doing that I am at my best.

Rising before the competition.

Stress, anxiety and pressure subside and I feel at peace.

The quiet serenity of the morning is what I need.

But I need other things too.

So every so often I question am I just doing this to be like an edgy productivity guru, or does this have a purpose.

Waking up early is powerful.

But it’s pointless if you don’t have a reason behind it.

Maybe try to mix up your morning schedule and try something different, discover what works for you, and maybe wake up early.

As for me, I like the 5 am’s, and I’m sure you will too.

“The early morning has gold in its mouth”- Benjamin Franklin