It’s day 14 of round three, and I’m going to keep it real with you: I’m struggling.

The first two rounds were clean. I had a daily walking target that basically guaranteed my 60 minutes of movement. The rest of the seven goals—reading, writing , the whole stack—slotted in without much friction. Life was loud, but the rhythm was there.

This round? Not so much.

I tried swapping walks for other workouts, stacking errands, protecting pockets of deep work. Instead of flow, I got friction. Every day feels like I’m forcing square pegs into round holes. The goals haven’t changed in importance; but finding where they best fit has been a challenge.

So here I am, mid-challenge, doing the thing I swore I wouldn’t do again: reevaluating on the fly.

As Winston Churchill put it during World War II, “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Mine aren’t cutting it.

Or, to borrow from Mike Tyson—everyone’s favorite philosopher of adaptability—“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Consider my mouth thoroughly punched.

I’m not quitting. The 7-40 isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence. But blindly charging ahead with a framework that needs adjustment is not going to work.

The seven goals still matter. Moving forward matters. Transformation into more matters.

I don’t have the new blueprint yet. Give me 24 hours. By tomorrow I’ll either have a smarter version of the stack or I’ll burn it down and build something that actually fits.

Either way, I’ll detail it here to keep myself accountable.

See you on day 15.

Hello, friends! David here, checking in on Day 11 of the 7–40 Challenge—and man, what a day it’s been. If you’re new around here, welcome aboard. If you’ve been riding shotgun since Day 1, thanks for sticking with me. Either way, grab a seat (or a shovel), because today was real.

The Yard Work That Counted as a Workout

We’ve been knee-deep in projects at our new home, and today’s mission? Building a garden. Translation: post hole digging. A LOT of post hole digging.

Many hands make light work.

— John Heywood, 1546

And let me tell you—my hands did the work today. No gym, no timer, just me, a post hole digger, and a stubborn patch of earth that didn’t want to cooperate. But here’s the beautiful part: exercise wasn’t a checkbox—it was the job.

All those early mornings, all the sweat from the last two rounds of this challenge? They showed up today. My body needed to perform, and it did. Sore? Yup. Tired? Absolutely.

But every hole is dug. The posts are in. And I’m still standing.

The best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

— Theodore Roosevelt, 1903

Mission. Accomplished.

The 7 Habits: Still in the Fight

I hit a wall last weekend—let’s not sugarcoat it. A couple of days slipped, goals got fuzzy, and momentum took a hit. But this week? I’ve rebounded. Not with fireworks or fanfare, but with quiet, stubborn consistency.

Here’s the lineup—7 habits, 40 days:

1. Bible study & prayer

2. 60 minutes of exercise (Check—thanks, yard work!)

3. Read for 30 minutes

4. Write daily (Hey, you’re reading it!)

5. Log all food & water

6. Practice gratitude

7. Build social media know-how (Still learning—bear with me!)

Am I crushing it with gusto? Eh, debatable.

But I’ve steadied the ship. I’m back on course. And that? That feels good.

Why This Matters (Especially in My Mid-40s)

Let’s be real: I’m in my mid-40s. There are things I thought I’d have nailed by now—discipline, balance, maybe even a decent TikTok strategy (still working on that one).

Life got busy. Important things pulled me in a hundred directions. Some parts of me got neglected.

This challenge? It’s not just about habits. It’s about reclaiming balance. It’s about being healthier, happier, and here—for my family, for the long haul.

It’s about transformation.

It’s about showing up.

It’s about digging post holes and digging deeper into who I want to be.

Your Turn

Wherever you are—whether you’re swinging a shovel, crushing a deadline, or just trying to get through Friday—you’re in the fight too.

It’s Friday, November 7th. The weekend’s knocking.

Be healthy. Be happy. Be here.

We’ll see you tomorrow for Day 12.

Onward,

Hello, friends—whether you’re grinding in the States, chasing sunrise in Asia, or winding down under southern stars. Round 3, Day 10 of the 740 Challenge is officially in the books, and I’m fired up that you’re here with me. Grab your coffee (or tea, no judgment), because I’ve got a truth bomb that hit me square between the eyes today.

I was diving back into Zig Ziglar’s classic See You at the Top—the same book i first read as a 20 something looking for direction. Zig dropped a line that still stopped me cold:

“Motivation is like bathing—you’ve got to do it every single day.”

Let that sink in.

Most of us only reach for the motivational “tapes” (or podcasts, YouTube rabbit holes, whatever) when we’re already drowning. Job lost. Relationship cracked. Bank account screaming. We’re so thirsty for hope that we’ll drink from any straw—even the ones that leave us more dehydrated than before.

Zig’s counter-punch? Get motivated when you’re already on top of the mountain. That’s when the good stuff actually sticks. That’s when you build the muscle memory to keep climbing instead of sliding back down every time life throws a curveball.

Think about every legend who refused to wait for rock bottom:

We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.

— Winston Churchill

Churchill didn’t wait until the Blitz was over to rally Britain. He fed the fire while the bombs were still falling. He bathed in motivation daily, even when the world was on fire.

And then there’s the stoic emperor who literally wrote the book on staying unshaken:

At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: ‘I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for—the things I was brought into the world to do?’

— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Marcus wasn’t waiting for a pep talk from the Roman Senate. He woke up, reminded himself who he was, and got after it—every single day.

That’s the game I’m playing with this 740 Challenge. Not just surviving the hard days, but stacking wins on the good ones so the hard days don’t stand a chance. Daily reading. Daily movement. Daily gratitude. Daily deposits into the mental bank account so when the withdrawals come (and they will), I’m not overdrafting my soul.

So here’s my question to you tonight:

When was the last time you fed your fire while it was already blazing?

Not when you were desperate. Not when the algorithm served you the perfect reel at 2 a.m. But when you woke up winning—how did you double down?

That’s the secret Zig was selling all those years. That’s the edge the great ones have always had. And that’s exactly what we’re building together, one day at a time.

Day 10 complete.

Day 11, we go harder.

I’ll see you at the top.

Hello, friends! Welcome to Day 9 of the 7-40 Challenge. Whew—what a day it’s been. I’m sitting here at the end of it all, utterly exhausted, but still smiling because progress is progress.

A Day of Real Life

Let’s be honest: today didn’t go perfectly. There were a couple of goal I straight-up didn’t get to. (You know, those little daily tasks that stack up.) Work got hectic, life threw some curveballs, and by the time I looked up, the day was slipping away. But here’s the win—I did hit my exercise, and I crushed the majority of my goals. That’s worth celebrating, right?

We’re giving ourselves a little grace tonight and rolling right into tomorrow. No beating myself up. Just forward motion.

“Keep Moving Forward” – A Lesson from Meet the Robinsons

I love the movie Meet the Robinsons. Have you seen it? It’s this heartwarming tale about a young orphan inventor named Lewis, who’s desperate for a family. He accidentally time-travels to the future and meets… well, the family he’ll one day have. Spoiler: they’re wonderful, quirky, and totally unafraid of failure.

There’s this iconic scene where Lewis is trying to fix an invention. It backfires spectacularly—total mess. He starts apologizing like crazy. And the family? They cheer. Loudly. “You failed!” they shout, throwing confetti like it’s a party.

Lewis is baffled. Then Uncle Fritz leans in and drops the gem:

From failure you learn. From success, not so much.

Mic drop.

Failure as My Best Teacher

Lately, I’ve been living this truth in my own journey. When I miss a goal or fall short of what I intended, it’s not a dead end—it’s a detour sign. It forces me to pause, reflect, and course-correct. Those “off” days? They’re data. They show me where I need to tweak my routine, manage my energy better, or just cut myself some slack.

And tomorrow? I get a fresh shot to nail it.

The Big Picture

At the end of this 740-day challenge, my North Star is simple: be happy, healthy, and well-adjusted. Losing a few pounds, hitting goals, and locking in solid habits? Awesome bonuses. But the real prize is enjoying the ride—failures, wins, and all.

When I stumble, I dust off and remember: From failure, I learn.

When I succeed, I carry that confidence into the next challenge.

Tonight’s Mantra

Keep moving forward.

That’s my quote for you tonight, straight from the Robinsons. From failure, we learn. From there, we get to keep going.

Hope you’re doing well out there, friends. See you tomorrow for Day 10!