Day 40 of the 7-40 Challenge
Monday, February 9, 2026
Hello and welcome to Day 40 of the 7-40 Challenge.
Here we are. At the end of Round 1.
And I am both excited and exhausted.
Why I’m Excited
I’m excited because every single day of this round, I have executed on the seven daily habits I set out to accomplish:
- Bible study
- An hour of exercise
- Calorie tracking
- 100 ounces of water daily
- Daily gratitude
- Reading for 30 minutes a day
- An hour of daily creative time (blogging, writing, revising, social media content)
I’ve been able to do all of this for 40 days in a row—despite the fact that I hurt my hand, have been extremely busy at work, and had a variety of other things come up trying to interrupt progress.
I’m excited because I’ve lost 12 pounds. I’ve been able to revise my novel. I’ve started getting feedback from my first round of readers (my family). I have been actively blogging—this is my 40th blog post in a row.
I’ve also been posting daily on Instagram and TikTok on a handle called BiblePictures365, where I’m creating visual images from the different chapters I’m reading. Over 100 posts. Over 30,000 views.
There’s a lot to be excited about. I’ve gotten a lot done. I’m laying the foundation for what’s probably going to be my most productive year ever.
And that’s how I’m still moving forward.
Why I’m Exhausted
Now, why am I tired?
Go back and read the section above. Then pick back up here.
Of course, I’m kidding. But that level of doing does require a lot of mental energy and a lot of time. And I am absolutely knackered as I write this.
But here’s the thing: This exhaustion is real, and it’s also a byproduct of doing something that is worthy.
If it were easy, I wouldn’t be tired. But it also wouldn’t be worth doing.
What I Learned About Myself
A few things I’ve learned over this last month:
I am far more capable than I give myself credit for sometimes.
My shortfall is not a lack of ability. It’s a lack of structure. And I’ve proven to myself that with these seven daily habits I need to tackle, I am able to provide myself the structure to accomplish the greater things I set out to do.
I am a great example of how the path of least resistance is the attractive one, but not always the beneficial one.
I’ve noticed there are certain days and times I get to where I want to sink into old habits. Thursday evenings with a pizza and a glass of wine. Saturdays to eat out. There are plenty of opportunities to crash my goals if I’m not careful.
And that’s why these seven daily habits are so important. Because I know that either I take the path of least resistance, or I take the path of accomplishment. Those two paths don’t usually coincide with each other.
Here’s what I’ve realized: Our brains’ primary job is to conserve energy, which is why we have habit routines to start with.
I’m forcing my brain to go down a different path and choose a different route, which short-circuits things for a little while and makes things difficult and harder to do.
That’s normal. That’s expected. That’s the price of change.
Thankfully, this month, though I’ve eaten a few things I wanted to, I’ve stayed within my calories. I’ve stayed within my goals—as evidenced by my progress.
If I Can Do This, You Can Too
Here’s what I want you to hear: If this overweight 47-year-old man can decide to change things, you can too.
I’m not special. I’m not superhuman. I’m just a guy who decided 40 days ago that 2026 was going to be different.
And it has been.
What Happens Next
Going forward, this next week I am going to take a moment. I’m going to start planning for the next round, which actually begins next Monday, February 17.
And I am going to get in a little extra rest.
I will still practice some of the habits. I may not blog every day. Then again, I may. You never know. I may just keep right on going.
This is Assessment Week (February 10-16). Time to:
- Review my yearly goals
- Make sure I’m not short-circuiting anything I said I wanted to do for any of my new bright ideas
- Rest and recharge
- Build momentum for Round 2
I have some very cool details to share at the beginning of Round 2 about progress on other projects I haven’t yet mentioned. But in the meantime, I need to evaluate, rest, and refine.
Your Turn
How about you? What habits are you practicing? Where have you seen marked improvement when you apply yourself to them?
I would love to hear your story to go right along with mine. The successes you’ve had so we can celebrate them together.
And if you’re ready to join me for Round 2 starting February 17, I’d love to have you along for the journey.
Round 1: COMPLETE ✓
Forty days. Seven habits. Perfect execution.
Total Progress:
- 40 consecutive days of all seven habits
- 12.4 pounds lost
- Novel revised (97 chapters)
- 40 blog posts published
- 100+ Bible images posted (30,000+ views)
- Social media system operational
- Creative breakthrough (The Light Bearer outlined)
Assessment Week begins tomorrow.
See you next week for Round 2.
The 740 Challenge 