Tag: achieving

The Factory vs. The Linchpin: Assessment Week Day 1

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Assessment Week – Day 1
Tuesday, February 10, 2026

I started reading Linchpin by Seth Godin today. Like many good books, it says more to me on the second read than the first.

The Factory

Godin talks about how the Industrial Revolution created what he calls “the factory”—the 9-to-5 job where somebody tells you what to do, you get paid to do what you’re told, you go home. You’ve been a part of the system, somebody else owns the means of production.

From standardized musket parts to Henry Ford’s assembly line, the factory seduced us into giving up what we were meant to do just to be part of the prescribed system.

The Quote That Hit Me

“People want to be told what to do because they’re afraid—even petrified—of figuring it out for themselves.”

That made me think: How many times have I neglected taking a more entrepreneurial path because I was afraid?

I’ve known for years there are projects I wanted to work on—the book I wrote and revised, the new book I’m writing, the speaking business I’ll start this year. But I’ve also spent way too much time just following instructions at work versus solving actual problems.

Being a linchpin means you know your job so well that you’re pushing the edges. You’re finding out what really needs to be done versus what the system says you need to do.

The Fake Version vs. The Real Thing

I remember a sermon where the pastor told someone who bragged about being good at Guitar Hero: “If you put as much time in on an actual guitar as you put in on the video game, you could be an actual guitar hero.”

We’re seduced by the easy, prescribed path. But I think because it’s difficult, it’s the very reason we need to do it.

What Round 1 Proved

Round 1 wasn’t the fake version. Forty consecutive days of real creative work—novel revised, blog posts written, 30,000+ people reached with Bible images. That’s not Guitar Hero. That’s the real guitar.

The Round 2 Danger

Here’s what I’m realizing as I enter Round 2: I need to lean even more into excellence and resist the urge to coast.

As momentum builds, it’s easy to phone things in. But the creative sessions, the reading, the daily habits—they’re leading me to become indispensable. Not just a factory worker following instructions, but someone figuring things out.

The Obligation

I have an obligation to myself, my family, and my Maker who gave me talents to make the most out of what I’ve been given.

I enjoy my day job. I enjoy data management. But that’s not all of who I am.

So I’m continuing in my side hustle tasks AND leaning into my day job to become as indispensable as I can make myself in both areas.

General Douglas MacArthur said, “Security is one’s ability to produce.” Being able to produce and being indispensable is about the only job security I can think of.

Assessment Week: Choosing Self-Direction

That’s why I’m working through Assessment Week—to figure out what Round 2 needs to look like.

I want to tell myself what to do with my creativity, my ability to produce. I can choose to be told what to do, or I can become what Seth Godin calls a linchpin—indispensable.

That’s who we should aspire to be. But we have to figure out how. And we have to do the hard work of getting it done.

Assessment Week – Day 1: Complete

Round 2 starts February 17. Time to figure out what it looks like to become indispensable—in every area of life.

See you tomorrow for Assessment Week Day 2.

Day 40: Round 1 Complete – Excited, Exhausted, and Ready for What’s Next

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

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 Greatest Joy of My Life: Gratitude Sunday and My Son

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Day 39 of the 7-40 Challenge
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Gratitude Sunday – The Thank You Campaign

Hello and welcome to Day 39. It’s Gratitude Sunday, and another post in my Thank You Campaign.

The topic of today’s post is my son.

The Dream

When my wife and I first got married, we dreamed about our future. We talked about the size of the family we would want. We made plans and looked forward with expectancy for when our children would arrive.

When we were younger, we dreamed of having a very large family—as many as God would give us. That’s what I used to like to say.

We were married when we were 20 years old. We weren’t quite ready to start having children right after getting married, so we waited around five years before we began planning for our children to arrive.

The Threat

It was about that same time that I had my first bout with testicular cancer.

To say that this was the opposite of what we wanted is a very true statement. Because of the part of the body that cancer attacks, and because of having to have that tumor removed, we were uncertain if we would be able to have children at all.

So we went from praying and hoping for a very large family to the very real possibility of just it being a family of two—just my wife and me.

By God’s grace and through His healing, I was cancer-free by the middle of 2005, with a new lease on life and hope that we would be able to, in time, have the children we had prayed for.

The Moment

Fast forward to the fall of 2007.

I remember very clearly lying in bed and seeing the bathroom light come on. And watching my bride stand there with that little indicator in her hand.

It was finally time. It was finally real.

We were going to have a baby.

It was almost five years after we had first started praying and almost ten years after we had gotten married. But our baby was on the way. And we were so excited.

The Birth

Fast forward to the day of his birth in 2008.

After a very long labor period—two and a half days—he was born. When he was delivered, he had an Apgar score of one. They were very concerned about him.

I wasn’t in the room when he was born due to complications. I didn’t find out about the Apgar score until they handed him over to me.

But within minutes, that score had improved to an eight.

Answered prayer. Confirmed relief.

And very soon, Mama, baby, and me were in our hospital room.

The Joy

I will never forget the look of joy and absolute elation on my darling wife’s face.

She had just been through two and a half days of labor, trying to have our son naturally. She had endured a lot of physical duress. She was exhausted. She was beat up.

And you would not have been able to see any of that at that moment. She was transfixed. She was in love.

I wish I had several photographs of that little moment in time to show the picture I have burned in my memory. (Thank God, the iPhone had been invented by then—I do have one.)

She had finally become who she was meant to be in one regard. She was my wife, and now she was our son’s mother.

And the world was right.

The Reality

Fast forward all these years.

The family we thought would be very large is just the three of us. We will still take whatever God gives. But at the same time, I can’t neglect to say: our son has been one of the greatest joys in our lives.

He is so smart and so funny. He is so kind and compassionate. He’s full of character and resolve. He is a perfect blend of his mother and me—and he’s becoming so much more than we are.

It has been such a privilege and a joy to watch him do that.

We tell him from time to time how grateful we are for him. How proud we are of him.

What He Changed

This young man changed my life in so many ways.

He has been one of the catalysts that brought out my work ethic in my late twenties and early thirties.

I remember holding him for the first time, not long after he was born, knowing I would work myself to the bone to provide for our family. That I would do whatever it took to make sure they are taken care of.

I think every parent goes to that moment—where you realize that no matter what it takes, you’ll do it to provide for your family and children. That translated into me getting much more focused on the opportunities I had in front of me in my data career, which I’ve had since before he was born.

And that determination has only intensified over the years.

I now look forward to getting to support him even more as he becomes an adult, as he finds the things he is even more passionate about.

Son

If you’re reading these words, know this:

Your mother and I are so proud of you. We’re so thankful for you. We are so grateful that you are our son.

Not a day goes by that I don’t feel that gratefulness in my heart.

It is one of the greatest joys of my life to be your daddy. I am proud of you and who you are.

Day 39: Complete ✓

All seven habits executed. Gratitude Sunday honored.

Round 1 Progress: 39/40 days (97.5%)

One more day until Round 1 is complete.

See you tomorrow for Day 40.

Your Goals Aren’t Just for You: Day 37

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Day 37 of the 7-40 Challenge
Friday, February 6, 2026

Welcome to Day 37. It’s the end of the week. It’s Friday. We made it.

And I’m excited. Excited to be here. Excited to still be going. Excited to still be accomplishing.

I’ve got a question for you today: Are your goals just for you?

I think the answer is no.

The Conversation That Brought It Home

I was having a conversation today with someone close to me. I mentioned I was on Day 37 of my journey and that I’d lost 12 pounds since I started.

They looked at me and said, “Seriously, how are you doing this?”

I said, “Okay, I can tell you. I have a number of calories I eat every day, and I exercise for an hour a day.”

And they gave me a look like… Oh.

Look, this is not a difficult concept to understand. The execution of this concept is not necessarily easy. But because I want the goal of being healthier, because I want to achieve my goal weight, because I want to be a better, fitter version of myself, I’m doing something that’s not complex—but the execution is hard.

Because, like I mentioned a couple days ago, everything worth doing in life that’s really worth doing is probably hard.

So we do it anyway.

We talked through it a little more. I said, “Hey, if you want to know more specifically, I’ll be glad to show you.”

And it made me realize: These things I’m doing are not just for me. They’re for the world around me.

Why I’ve Been Documenting Everything

That’s why I’ve been busy documenting and trying hard to live what I’m preaching every day.

Today is Day 37. My execution over these 37 days has been good. Not perfect—good.

I’ve achieved what I set out to achieve every day. I’ve had to make a couple of adjustments here or there. I fell last week and hurt my hand, so I had to give myself days off and time to recover. I stopped lifting weights but kept doing my other exercises.

Same principle applies. I keep moving forward.

Every day, I’ve stayed within or just at my calorie limit. Every day, I’ve drunk 100 ounces of water. Every day, I’ve read my Bible. Every day, I’ve had creative time and worked on projects that are important to me. Every day, I’ve read my book.

I’ve been doing these things that I set out to do, knowing full well that I want to be an example for others so they can achieve their goals as well.

It’s not just about me.

What Impact Could You Have?

So I ask you: What goals do you have? What things are set in front of you that are important to you, that you need to reach?

Have you considered what impact you could have on the world around you if you perform that goal, those tasks, if you pursue it with excellence and get it done?

You could be the inspiration somebody else needs—just as I hope I am being an inspiration to the world around me.

My mission is to help 1,000 people. Not just with health. Not just with fitness. But with faith. With goals. With becoming better and better and better.

And today, I got to see that mission up close. Someone I care about, watching what I’m doing, asking “how are you doing this?”—genuinely interested, genuinely skeptical, genuinely open to learning.

That’s overwhelming in the best way.

Don’t Wait

I know what you’re thinking: But I’ve got so far to go. I have so much I need to get done.

The best time to start is now.

I implore you: Don’t wait. Make that list. Get started today.

Let’s keep moving forward.

Day 37: Complete ✓

All seven habits executed. End of week strong.

Round 1 Progress: 37/40 days (92.5%)

Weight: 277.1 lbs (12.4 lbs lost)

Three more days until Assessment Week.

Was It Always This Simple? Day 33 and the Truth About Starting

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Day 33 of the 7-40 Challenge
Monday, February 2, 2026

Welcome to Day 33. I’m still here. Still going. And today, I accomplished all seven of my daily goals.

My hand is finally starting to feel better. My head’s in the right frame of mind. And I’m looking forward to getting after my goals even harder as we finish Round 1, move through Assessment Week (Feb 10-16), and charge into Round 2.

The Checkpoint

I started this year by writing out a goals list—a detailed vision for what I wanted 2026 to be. It’s not usually my forte, but I’ve been reviewing it regularly.

And right now? I’m actually on track.

The milestones I aimed for in Round 1? I’m hitting them:

  • 33 days of perfect execution on all seven habits
  • 8.5 pounds lost (already exceeded the lower target for Round 1)
  • Novel first revision complete (97 chapters, now with beta readers)
  • Daily blog posts (33 consecutive days of content)
  • Social media breakthrough (Day 23 – years of avoidance overcome)
  • Gratitude practice grounding the journey (weekly Thank You Campaign)

Coming up next: the second revision of my novel. My wife and son have been reading the first draft—it’s the first time I’ve ever written something like this and had people actually review it. I’m eager to get through it and keep going.

And as I mentioned yesterday, I’ve also started outlining a new novel (The Light Bearer) that’s been dormant in my head for five years. That’s got me excited too.

My daily habits are keeping my health and fitness on track. Overall? I’m thrilled with the progress.

The Question I Had to Ask

But here’s what I’ve been wondering: Was it really this easy all along?

Could I have just looked myself in the mirror years ago and said, “Alright, buddy, it’s time to achieve some goals. We’re going to sit down, write them out, and get after it”?

The hard truth? Yes. It really was this simple.

Easy? Heck no.

But simple? Absolutely.

Why We Don’t Start

I firmly believe we don’t achieve because we don’t risk. And we don’t risk because we’re afraid we’re going to fail.

It’s so much easier to stay where we are than to deal with failure.

But the hard truth is: everybody fails.

There’s a theory out there that if you’re willing to fail often and fail fast, you’ll find success faster than everyone else. I don’t know if that’s true or not.

But I do know this: If you put all your effort behind something you truly want to do, failure is not defeat. Failure is learning and growing along the path you’ve laid out for yourself.

Which is ultimately what we want to do.

What Writing Down Goals Actually Does

The thing I really appreciate about writing out a very detailed list at the beginning of the year is this: I get to tell myself what it is I want to do.

I get to be my own driver, pushing toward goals that I say are important to me.

And if I don’t work on them? I’ve essentially lied to myself.

So it behooves me to actually tell the truth. To set goals I actually want to accomplish. And I’m excited to say that so far, I’ve been able to do that.

I Don’t Want to Die with My Music Inside

I don’t want to die with my music still inside me. I don’t want to die one day with creativity that could have been something.

I don’t want to be sitting as an old man wondering “what if.”

I don’t want to look in the mirror one day and realize I no longer have the opportunity because I let it slip by.

I don’t want to have to tell my wife we can’t do something because I was unwilling to try.

I don’t want to tell my son he can’t achieve what he wants in his life because I couldn’t achieve it in mine.

I want to take every opportunity God has given me to do good and be good for this world. I want to set goals. I want to achieve them. And I want to make the most of the time I have.

Because God has been so good to me. He’s blessed me so richly.

And I can’t be anything but thankful. And in my thankfulness, it needs to spur me into action and good works.

Day 33: The Truth

So here’s what Day 33 taught me:

It was always this simple. Write down what you want. Show up every day. Do the work.

Not easy. But simple.

The best time to start was 20 years ago when I first started writing “someday I’ll…” notes.

The second best time? Day 1 of this challenge.

The third best time? Right now, wherever you are.

Start getting in the reps. Start working. Before you know it, there’s going to be so much done. You’re going to build so much momentum. You’re going to get so far.

And you won’t have to wonder “what if” anymore.

Day 33: Complete ✓

All seven habits executed. Still on track. Still building.

Round 1 Progress: 33/40 days (82.5%)

Seven more days until Round 1 is complete.

See you tomorrow for Day 34.