Tag: achieving

Keep Getting Better: Day 8 of the 7-40 Challenge

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends. Welcome to Day 8 of Round 3 in the 7-40 Challenge. It’s a bright, sunshiny day—perfect for a lunchtime walk that’s lifting my mood and shifting my outlook on everything else in life.

I was just listening to See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar, and one line stopped me in my tracks. He said: “When we stop getting better, not long after, we will soon no longer be good at what we do.”

Let that sink in. When we stop getting better, we cease to be good.

I’ve been turning this over in my mind, applying it to a few corners of my own life to see if it holds water. Spoiler: it does.

In My Day Job

If I coast on what I know today—doing the job exactly as I do it now—I’ll earn a paycheck for a while. But technology doesn’t pause. Innovations will sprout up around me, and before long I’ll be out of step, unable to perform at the level I once did. The world changes; if I stay the same, I become obsolete.

As the industrialist Andrew Carnegie once observed, “The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and ability of its people. The more you develop that, the more valuable it becomes.” Resting on yesterday’s skills is a quiet way to watch your value erode.

In My Marriage

If I stop investing in my relationship—stop dating my wife, stop deepening the connection—our marriage risks becoming less than we dreamed. Frustrations creep in, fulfillment fades. Without continual improvement, what’s good today won’t stay good tomorrow.

As a Dad

I love my son fiercely. I want a strong relationship with him as he grows, and I want him to become a happy, healthy, well-adjusted man grounded in faith, hope, and a deep belief in God. That doesn’t happen on autopilot. I have to keep instructing, keep loving, keep teaching him how to navigate a world full of dangers, how to resist temptation, how to stand tall as a man in a culture that increasingly makes it hard.

If I stop improving as a father, what I have will cease to be good.

In My Health

That’s why I’m out here walking, why I’m carving out an hour to work out, why I’m pushing to return to optimal levels. I feel better, yes—but more importantly, I’m ensuring the day never comes when I’m no longer able to move, to play, to keep up.

The inventor Thomas Edison put it bluntly: “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.” Improvement isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the only sustainable path.

The Bottom Line

Improvement isn’t optional. It’s the price of staying good at anything that matters. It demands change, growth, and occasional discomfort. But the alternative—stagnation—is far costlier.

I want to be more and do more than I am today.

I want to be more for my family.

I want to be more in my career.

I want to be more for everyone I influence.

I want to keep getting better.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing—thank you for reading these words. I appreciate you. I’m grateful for you. And I hope you, too, are striving to become the best version of yourself.

See you tomorrow for Day 9.

Day 5 of the 7-40 Challenge: Why Cramming Won’t Cut It for Real Change

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey friends, David here—your guide on this wild ride of self-improvement, goal-crushing, and straight-up transformation. Welcome to Day 5 of my third round of the 7-40 Challenge. That’s roughly 85 days of sticking to seven daily habits over the past three and a half months (with a couple of well-deserved breathers mixed in).

Tonight’s big realization? Consistency in when I do these habits is starting to matter as much as doing them at all.

Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. — James Clear

The Cramming Trap (Been There, Done That)

Remember college? I’d skip class for what seemed like weeks, then panic-borrow notes the night before the exam and inhale caffeine like it was oxygen. I’d squeak out a passing grade… and forget everything by the next day. Hundreds of dollars down the drain, zero real learning.

As the saying goes: Opportunity is often wasted on the young (and in my case stupid). Guilty.

Achievement isn’t a rush job. You can’t cram transformation any more than you can cram a semester’s worth of calculus. Worthwhile goals demand adequate time—and the right timing.

Building Habits Into the Rhythm of My Day

Here’s what my seven habits look like right now:

  • Bible study & prayer: First thing in the morning. Non-negotiable.
  • Exercise: Splitting up sessions so it isn’t all at once.
  • Reading: Tackling progressively throughout the day
  • Writing: Will occur in the evenings as a reflection of the day.
  • Tracking Food and Water: As it happens.
  • Gratitude: As early in the day as I can.
  • Posting on Social: I need to do this earlier and often. More organic is more me.

The experiment? Some days are better than others. Today? Not great. When I push walks to the evening (like tonight), everything else piles up. I’m out under the streetlights, rushing through steps just to check the box before yoga. It feels crammed. Forced. Wrong.

I don’t just want to complete these habits—I want them to flow. To slide into natural pockets of my day until they’re second nature. Because here’s the truth:

The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken. — Warren Buffett

This Round: Refinement Over Reinvention

I’m not reinventing the wheel. I’m refining it. Tweaking the schedule so these habits don’t just happen—they enhance my life. If I grind for a month, declare victory, then slide back to old ways? That’s not transformation. That’s a hobby.

Real change rewrites the script. It turns “I have to” into “This is just who I am.”

Your Turn

Wherever you are tonight—crushing it, coasting, or somewhere in between—I pray you’re achieving something that lights you up.

See you tomorrow. Let’s keep building.

Day 4 of the 7-40 Challenge: When Plans Crumble, But I Still Choose to Rise

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Welcome to Day 4 of the 7-40 Challenge.

Whew—what a day today has been. It didn’t unfold anything like I pictured. Frustrations popped up out of nowhere, the kind that could easily derail a guy. But here’s the beauty: I had my goals staring me in the face, and I tackled them just like any other day. No excuses. No backing down.

Let me share a few raw thoughts from the trenches of a not-so-perfect day.

First: We Can’t Control the Problems… But We Can Control Our Attitude

Life doesn’t hand us a menu of challenges. Some days, it just dumps a pile on your doorstep. Today was one of those. But we get to choose how we show up.

We can greet people with kindness, compassion, and empathy. We can stare down problems with honesty and a willing spirit.

Viktor Frankl, who survived the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust, nailed it:

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Echoing that wisdom from ancient times, the Stoic philosopher Epictetus put it this way:

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.”

Today, frustrations gave me a golden opportunity to choose better. To value people over pettiness. It drained every ounce of emotional energy I had… but guess what? I still crushed my goals:

✅ Bible study and prayer – Check. Fuel for the soul.

✅ Exercise – Sweated it out, feeling stronger.

✅ Reading – See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar.

✅ Writing – You’re holding the proof right here.

✅ Encouraging words – Shared ’em far and wide.

✅ Social media post – Done and dusted.

It’s 10 PM as I type this. The day? A total curveball. But I marched forward anyway. I owned my response.

The Old Me vs. The New Me

Let’s be real—there was a time when a day like this would’ve wrecked me. I’d have stress-eaten a fridge full of junk, poured a glass (or more) of wine, and spiraled into frustration. Have you been there?

Not today. And that shift? It’s everything. Special thanks to my bride for talking through the day with me as well. Her viewpoint resets me.

But Here’s the Real Game-Changer: Gratitude

When the smoke clears, I step back and see how insanely blessed I am. The “problems” shrink to specks:

  • A relationship with God who has forgiven me, saved me and loves me fiercely.
  • My beautiful bride, who cares for me like no one else.
  • A son I’m so proud of, lighting up my world.
  • Friends closer than family.
  • A family I’m honored to call mine.
  • A job I’m passionate about—work that lights a fire.
  • Purpose. Meaning. Every single day.

I am grateful. Things don’t always go as planned, but my blessings? They dwarf the chaos.

Your Turn, Friends

How do you handle it when a day derails? When life’s curveballs smack you sideways, but you’ve still got tasks calling your name?

Drop a comment below—your story might just fire someone up. Let’s encourage each other!

Until tomorrow… Day 5 awaits. See you there.

Keep choosing your response. Keep marching.

Day 3 of the 7-40 Challenge: Gratitude That Shifts Your World and Choices That Build Your Future

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey friends!

Welcome to Day 3 of the 7-40 Challenge. I’m posting this straight from my gym—sweat still drying, heart still pumping—right after crushing my workout for the day. What a good day it’s been. I’ve got a couple reflections burning in my chest that I have to share with you tonight. Let’s dive in.

The Game-Changer Called Gratitude

Over the last two rounds of this challenge (and now into round three), something wild has happened to my attitude. It’s shifted—big time—because I’ve zeroed in on gratitude.

“It’s one thing to say that you’re thankful for things. It is a very different thing to… tell those things to God. Thank him for what he’s done for you. To share with other people, the way that they have affected your life positively.” – David Willis

That’s me, word for word, because this isn’t fluffy talk—it’s real. Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good vibe; I’m mostly convinced that gratitude… is for my betterment, even as it betters the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says it plain: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I’m so grateful for the life I’ve been given. The opportunities to make a difference. To wake up every day and do better. Who’s with me on that?

The Power of Choices: Lessons from Zig Ziglar

This afternoon, I fired up the audiobook of Zig Ziglar’s See You at the Top. Written 50 years ago, and it’s hitting harder than ever. Sure, some stories feel like flashbacks to my childhood, but they’re poignant. Relevant. Inspiring—maybe more now than the first time I devoured them.

Zig drops this bomb: “For over 20 years of my life, I chose to weigh well over 200 pounds.” The crowd’s like, “What do you mean, Zig? You chose that?”

He grins in that classic Southern drawl: “I have never been forced to eat anything in my life. Me weighing too much was a product of my choices.”

Mic drop.

Then he shares how, for 10 months after deciding to get healthy, he hated joggers. Saw them out there, buzzing with life, loving every stride… and it annoyed him. Until he became one.

Picture this: Running at Portland State University. Road blurring under his feet. Sun shining. Warm breeze. Boom—reality hits. “He wasn’t paying the price for health. He was enjoying the benefits.”

Fast-forward: At 61 years old (just 16 years after that choice), Zig’s resting heart rate? In the 40s. He could blaze five miles faster and easier than guys half his age.

Zig Ziglar said it best: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

Discipline. Choices. Daily grind. That’s the ticket.

Why I’m All In on This Challenge

Zig’s been gone for several years, but his example? Still lighting a fire under me. I never met the man, but I’m chasing that same character. I, too, want to make choices that will lead me into a better future.

A future with a heart full of gratitude. A healthier, more vibrant me. Step by step, through this 7-40 Challenge, daily workouts, and every habit I’m stacking—I’m building it.

Healthy. Happy. Reasonably prosperous. And yeah—inspiring you to run your own race.

Who’s ready for Day 4? Let’s keep choosing better.

See you at the top.

P.S. Grab See You at the Top if you haven’t. Life-changer.

Day 2 of the 7-40 Challenge: Resistance Is the Starting Gun

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Welcome back to the 7-40 Challenge—seven core habits, forty days straight, no excuses. If you missed Day 1, here’s the short version: I refuse to drift through life. I’m locking in the seven core habits I described in yesterday’s post. And wouldn’t you know it—Day 2 hasn’t even ended and the challenge is already swinging back at me.

The First Punch Lands

I woke up yesterday with a neck that felt like it had been folded into a suitcase. How? I was asleep. Apparently, in my mid-40s, even unconsciousness is a contact sport. The ache lingered through Day 1, sharpened this morning, and tried to whisper the old lie: “Rest. Skip the workout. Tomorrow’s fine.”

That’s the pattern, isn’t it? The moment you commit, the resistance shows up—on time, every time.

Winston Churchill nailed it during the darkest hours of 1941:

If you are going through hell keep going.

He wasn’t talking about sore necks, but the principle is the same. Obstacles aren’t stop signs; they’re proof you’re moving.

I also like how Steven Pressfield described it in the War of Art:

The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear is what comes with the territory. He feels the Resistance and does the work anyway.

My Day 2 Reality Check

• Exercise: 60 minutes done—stiff neck and all.

• Nutrition: Food logged, hydration on point.

• Reading: One hour in the books.

• Faith: Morning Bible study and prayer, even when the body screamed louder than the spirit.

• Gratitude: Sent a personal message to a friend reminding them that I am proud of them.

• Writing: This post.

• Content Creation: Still learning this but will finish before end of day.

Every checkbox felt heavier than it should. That’s the point. Easy doesn’t forge anything worth keeping.

The Mindset That Wins

Resistance is inevitable. Response is optional.

Napoleon Hill spent 20 years studying the ultra-successful and boiled it down to this:

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.

My seed today? the routine will carry me forward even when everything else wants me to slow down. Lean on the routine and do the work.

The 40-Day Horizon

I’m not here to hit a number on the scale (though it’s trending the right way). I’m here to become the version of me who doesn’t need another reset in 2026. Smarter, stronger, closer to God, useful to people—that’s the target.

Your Turn

How are you doing on your goals? What are you working on? I pray my journey is an encouragement to you. Knowing you are reading these words is an encouragement to me. Thank you for that.

Day 2 is in the books. Day 3 starts at 5:00 a.m. See you on the other side of the alarm.

Press on.