Finding Your Why: Day 2 of the 7-40 Challenge

January 3, 2026 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Welcome back to the 7-40 Challenge. It’s Day 2, and momentum is strong.

Seven habits, all moving forward. The system is working. The real test comes next week when I return to work and the routine has to fit into normal life—but for now, we’re building the foundation.

Today, I’m reflecting on the why behind this challenge.

Like many of you, I’ve set goals over the years. Some I’ve achieved—many I have not. Year after year, I found myself frustrated, asking: Why do I set a goal and then watch it slip away, unachieved?

The Discovery in the Files

Over the Christmas holiday, I cleaned my office and sorted through years of papers, notes, and scribbled dreams. A theme emerged: I had saved goal lists from multiple years, desires to get in better shape, make more money, whatever mattered at the time.

Side note: I believe there’s real power in writing things down. Even if we forget about them later, the act of writing and considering our goals can set us on the right path.

But as I read through these lists, another theme surfaced. For years, I’ve been searching for my personal focus. Why am I here on Earth? Why has God put me in this place and time?

I have concrete answers to some of these questions:

I’m here to know God and serve Him
I’m here to love and serve my wife and care for her
I’m here to love my son and be an example for him
I’m here to be a good friend
I’m here to take care of people

But when I get to that last line—”I’m here to take care of people”—what does that actually mean?

The Ministry Years: 1998-2000

Let me rewind to 1998. At 20 years old, I felt called to serve in church ministry. I was still in college but had a deep desire to serve God and help people. I served nine months as a music pastor, then took on the youth pastor role for about a year and a half.

I enjoyed working with students, but the music ministry proved more challenging than I expected. Soon after, I moved to a different church to serve as youth pastor only—more enthusiasm, slightly higher salary, and the same desire to help people.

What I didn’t know then: I was woefully unprepared for either job.

Before the first position, I had minimal experience leading a choir—just a small ensemble at my college Baptist Student Union. Yet they expected me to hold choir rehearsals, help people sing in parts, make things sound beautiful, and work with people 30, 40, and 50 years older than me. I had zero knowledge of what to do.

With the youth group, I understood students better because I was closer to their age and knew how to communicate with them. But I had no idea how to interact with parents, build rapport with sponsors, or actually disciple students—because I was still very young myself. Whether through arrogance or oversight, I wasn’t receiving the training I desperately needed.

By the second church, my enthusiasm fizzled quickly. I became almost despairing in my misery because I didn’t know how to do my job, didn’t feel supported, and didn’t know how to ask for help.

At the core of it all: I wanted to help people. But I should have admitted sooner that ministry wasn’t the method by which I would help them. I became a “professional Christian,” and my own relationship with God suffered greatly.

26 Years Later: Finding the Answer

Why share all this? Why talk about failed goals and times when I wasn’t where I needed to be?

Because through 26 years of writing goals and working to achieve them, I finally figured out how I help people. I’ve discovered why I’m here. And now, I’m working to help others do the same.

There’s a famous quote: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Now that I know why I’m here—to help people, to meet them where they are, to keep working on myself so I’m an example—it all works together.

The Pattern Behind Achievement

Looking over 25 years of notes, I see things I’ve accomplished and many things I haven’t. Here’s what I’ve learned: I accomplish things when I know why I’m doing them. When I understand my purpose.

The purpose of the 7-40 Challenge is exactly this: to use myself as the lab rat and demonstrate through my own life whether seven habits practiced over 40 days, with deliberate intent and built-in time for rest and recharge, can build sustainable change. Can this approach help build a community and help other people do the same—with authenticity, honesty, and a genuine desire to fulfill what I was put here for?

To help people.

That’s my goal. That’s where we’re headed in 2026.

What about you? Have you found your “why” yet? Or are you still searching? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear where you are on this journey.

See you tomorrow for Day 3.

Embarking on the 7-40 Challenge: Welcome to 2026

January 2, 2026 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends. Welcome to 2026!

It’s January 1st, and I’m thrilled to kick off Round One of the 7-40 Challenge. This year, I’ve decided to make 2026 the most purposeful year of my life. To do that, I’m using my 7-40 framework: seven core habits practiced in 40-day cycles to build sustainable transformation.

As Winston Churchill once said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” This year isn’t about perfection. It’s about purposeful, consistent change that compounds over time.

Some of you followed my 7-40 posts in 2025. You’ll recognize many of the same foundational habits, but with fresh additions and a deeper commitment. Here’s what the seven habits look like for 2026.

My Seven Foundational Habits

1. Daily Bible Study and Prayer

I’ve signed up for a one-year Bible reading plan and started strong this morning. As it has been for years, this remains my core habit—everything else flows from it. Charles Spurgeon put it well: “A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

2. Exercise: One Hour Daily

During each 40-day sprint, I’ll exercise for at least one hour a day. I’ll keep moving during reflection weeks too. This isn’t a rigid regime—it’s purposeful. I’ll listen to my body, take occasional rest days when needed, and focus on what serves my goals. My mix: weightlifting, daily walking, and yoga. I’m following DDP Yoga (more on why I love it in a future post).

3. Daily Calorie Tracking

I love food—sometimes too much. To stay honest, I’ll track calories and macros every day. My aim isn’t just weight loss; it’s giving my body the balanced nutrition it needs to thrive.

4. Water Intake: 100 Ounces Daily

Water and I have a complicated relationship. Some days I’m great at it; others, not so much. But it’s essential. My goal: at least 100 ounces daily—roughly three 32-ounce bottles or twelve 8-ounce glasses.

5. Reading: 30 Minutes Daily

I’ll read or listen to books for at least 30 minutes each day. In 2025, this habit brought fresh ideas and new perspectives—even on books I’d read before. It was one of the most rewarding parts of the challenge.

6. Creative Projects: Daily Progress

This year I’m opening up more about my creative work.

I’ve finished the first draft of a novel and will revise it with the goal of pitching to agents or publishers—or self-publishing via Amazon KDP.
I’m starting a personal memoir to capture and share stories from my life.
I’ll continue posting here and on social channels about the 7-40 journey.

But here’s the real experiment: I’m using myself as the lab rat. No more theory—just real results, authentic experience, and personal testimony.

7. Gratitude: Weekly Practice

Each week I’ll pause to express deep gratitude for:

God, who loves and saved me
My wife, who has walked with me through 27 years of marriage
My son, now a remarkable young man
Dear friends, parents, and in-laws
My job and the wonderful people I work with

Throughout the year, I’ll also reflect on the moments that shaped me—times when God’s grace or others’ help carried me through. Gratitude changes everything, and I have so much to be thankful for.

My Big Audacious Goal for 2026

I want to positively impact at least 1,000 people.

I may never know all their names or meet them in person. That’s okay. My hope is to brighten days, spark hope, and show what’s possible.

If a 47-year-old guy who’s 50 pounds overweight, who has wasted time dreaming instead of doing, who has beaten cancer twice by God’s grace—if I can look in the mirror and commit to real change, to achieving long-held goals, to loving people more intentionally—then anyone can.

That’s the message I want to live out and share.

Join Me

The 7-40 Challenge runs all year: seven 40-day habit cycles, woven with reflection weeks, celebrations, and (hopefully) a growing community supporting one another.

If this resonates, come along for the ride. Share your own habits in the comments, follow along on social, or simply cheer from the sidelines—every bit helps.

See you tomorrow for Day 2. Let’s make 2026 count.

Day 12 of the 7-40 Challenge: When Your Apple Watch Begs for Mercy

November 9, 2025 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Welcome to Day 12 of the 7-40 Challenge—where the garden-building saga continues, and my family and I are officially running on fumes.

Today was next-level. I did something I’m not sure I’ve ever done before: my Apple Watch clocked over 150 workout minutes. That’s right—150+ minutes of pure, real-life hustle. No gym, no long walks or yoga, just me, a mountain of wood, and sheer determination.

I hauled several thousand pounds of timber across the yard. By the end, my arms were noodles, my back was whispering sweet nothings of revenge, and my watch was basically screaming, “Are you trying to kill me?!”

But here’s the thing: it was worth it.

This wasn’t some scripted fitness app routine. This was a real-life workout—the kind that builds more than muscle. It builds grit. It builds progress. It builds a garden (and a story) we’ll look back on and say, “Yeah, we did that.”

The Short & Sweet Message for Tonight:

Keep working on the goals.

Do hard things. Do them well.

Even when you’re exhausted. Even when the wood feels heavier than your will to live.

Because the best workouts?

They don’t always happen in a gym.

Sometimes they happen in the dirt, under the sun, with family beside you and a dream in front of you.

Tomorrow, we rest.

But tonight?

We celebrate the burn.

See you on Day 13.

(If I can still move.)

Embarking on the 7-40 Challenge: Day 1 – A Journey Toward Transformation

October 27, 2025 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey everyone, welcome to Day 1 of the 7-40 Challenge. If you’re new here, this is my personal dive into self-improvement—a 40-day sprint where I’ll commit to seven daily habits aimed at sparking real accomplishment, momentum, and lasting change. I’ve tackled two rounds of this before, but honestly, each time feels like starting fresh. We’re in this together: I’ll be documenting the highs, the lows, the wins, and the slip-ups right here on the blog. My hope? To push myself further than ever and maybe inspire a few of you to join the ride or craft your own version.

Let’s break down the name: Why 7-40? Numbers carry weight in the Bible, and they’ve always fascinated me. Seven often symbolizes perfection or completeness—like how God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, marking a divine rhythm of work and renewal. You see it echoed throughout Scripture, from the seven days of creation to the seven seals in Revelation. Then there’s 40, a number tied to transformation and intense periods of trial or growth. Think Noah’s 40 days of rain leading to a new world, or Jesus fasting for 40 days in the wilderness before launching His ministry. It’s a biblical motif for change under pressure, a time when the old gives way to the new.

For me, this structure hits the sweet spot. Long-term goals can feel overwhelming and easy to abandon, but 40 days? That’s bite-sized enough to track progress without losing steam. And seven habits? Just enough to drive meaningful shifts without scattering my focus. As Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” That’s the vibe I’m chasing—building excellence through consistent, intentional actions.

So, what are these seven habits I’ll be grinding through for the next 40 days?

1. Daily Bible Study and Prayer: This is my foundation. It grounds me, strengthens my relationship with God, and keeps my priorities straight amid life’s chaos. Without it, everything else feels off-kilter.

2. Nutrition Overhaul: I’ll chug at least 100 ounces of water daily, stick religiously to my calorie goals (tracking every bite), and swear off alcohol entirely. No cheats, no excuses—it’s about fueling my body for the long haul.

3. Exercise Routine: I’ve learned the hard way that without a plan, I plan to fail. So, every day starts with a walk, followed by either weightlifting or yoga, totaling at least an hour. I’ve got programs lined up for both—more on those in future posts. It’s not about perfection; it’s about showing up.

4. Reading for Growth: One hour a day dedicated to books. I’m an audiobook junkie, so expect a lot of listening, but I’ll mix in some physical page-turning too. The goal? Flood my mind with fresh ideas, stretch my thinking, and keep evolving. Knowledge is power, and I’m hungry for it.

5. Gratitude and Encouragement: Each day, I’ll pick one person and send them a thoughtful note expressing why I’m grateful for them and offering encouragement if it fits. It doesn’t need to be epic—just genuine and daily. In a world that’s often too rushed, this is my way of spreading light.

6. Daily Writing: I’ll capture my thoughts on this journey right here, sharing successes, failures, and those “aha” moments. Writing helps me process and stay accountable—plus, it’s therapeutic.

7. Content Creation: Building on the writing, I’ll create short videos or audio clips to share these insights on social media. I’m naturally a talker, so stepping into video feels authentic, even if it’s outside my comfort zone. Time to learn and grow in how I communicate.

Now, for some real talk—because transparency is key here. I’m not some super-motivated guru who wakes up at 5 a.m. ready to conquer the world. Like a lot of us, I default to the path of least resistance. Comfort calls my name, and before I know it, I’ve drifted from my big dreams to the easy routines. Rest is fine—essential, even—but I refuse to let comfort hijack my goals. As C.S. Lewis wisely put it in Mere Christianity, “If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth—only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.” That hits home. I don’t want despair; I want purpose.

I’ve got roles I’m proud to own: husband, father, friend, follower of Jesus, businessman, coworker, teammate. In each, I aim for excellence—not just to check boxes, but to honor the people entrusted to me. When it’s all said and done, I want to be remembered as a man who loved God fiercely, loved others as himself, and poured himself out to make his corner of the world better. A guy who cherished his wife and family passionately and left a legacy worth emulating. This challenge? It’s a step toward that—a catalyst for forward motion.

If this resonates, drop a comment below. What’s one habit you’re committing to today? Let’s hold each other accountable. Stay tuned for Day 2—I’ll share how it went and any early insights. Here’s to transformation, one day at a time.

Chasing Purpose Over Perfection: Day 36 of the 7-40 Challenge

October 14, 2025 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey there, friends! Welcome to Day 36 of Round 2 of my 7-40 Challenge. Wherever this post finds you today, I hope you’re thriving, crushing your goals, and kicking off the week with a spark. I’ll be real with you—when I glanced at my watch and saw it’s already October 13, 2025, I did a double-take. Time is flying. The older I get, the faster it seems to slip through my fingers. Life’s been a whirlwind lately, and I’ve been wrestling to slow it down and get a grip on the chaos.

That’s exactly why I’m so laser-focused on my daily habits. Without them, time would just flitter away, leaving me at the end of the year wondering, “What the heck happened?” As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Lost time is never found again.” That hits hard, doesn’t it? My daily to-do list is my anchor, guiding me to make sure I’m steering my days with intention rather than letting them drift.

For those who’ve been following along, you know I’m working on seven core habits in this round of the 7-40 Challenge:

1. Daily Bible study and prayer

2. Tracking calories and drinking 100 ounces of water

3. Exercising for an hour each day

4. Reading or listening to audiobooks for 30 minutes

5. Practicing gratitude

6. Writing daily to capture my journey and thoughts

7. Pursuing my business and entrepreneurial goals

If I’m being honest, I’d give myself a B or maybe a B-minus for Round 2. I’ve been rock-solid on some habits, like my Bible study—I just hit three full years of reading the Bible every morning, which feels like a cornerstone of who I am. I’m also pretty consistent with my water intake (100 ounces daily? Nailed it). Reading has been a win, too—I’ve devoured eight books over the last 75 days, only missing one day. Right now, I’m diving into Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David, Desire by John Eldredge, and Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis. Each one’s sparking new ideas and perspectives.

Writing daily has been a game-changer, too. Getting my thoughts on paper (or screen) helps me process what I’m learning and keeps me grounded. It’s like a daily checkpoint to reflect on how I’m doing and what’s on my mind. And gratitude? I’m trying to weave it into the fabric of my days—saying “thank you” for my family, my friends, my job, and the small kindnesses that come my way. As the 17th-century poet George Herbert once wrote, “Thou that hast given so much to me, give one thing more—a grateful heart.” I want gratitude to define me, not just be a box I check.

Now, where I “‘ve stumbled a bit is with my entrepreneurial goals. I haven’t been as consistent as I’d like in chasing those creative and business projects. But here’s the plan: as Round 3 kicks off in a few days, I’m doubling down. I want to get laser-focused and make daily progress on those dreams. The last 2.5 months of 2025 are going to be about clarity and action.

Here’s the thing—I’ve done challenges like this before, whether it’s 75 Hard or ones I’ve cooked up myself. In the past, I’d hit resistance, miss a day, and quit. Then I’d restart, hit another snag, and repeat the cycle. It was exhausting, and honestly, it got me nowhere. Perfectionism was the enemy, leaving me neither perfect nor productive. As C.S. Lewis wisely noted, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

This time, I’m doing it differently. These two rounds of the 7-40 Challenge haven’t been flawless, but they’ve been meaningful. I’ve lost 20 pounds in the last two and a half months. I’ve read more in the past 75 days than I have in years. My mind feels sharper, my days more purposeful. I’m not chasing perfection anymore—I’m chasing purpose and progress. And let me tell you, consistent productivity feels so much better than occasional perfection.

So, how about you? How do you tackle your goals? Do you beat yourself up when things aren’t perfect, or do you give yourself grace and focus on moving forward? I’d love to hear your thoughts—drop them in the comments or shoot me a message.

Thank you for being here, for reading along, and for joining me on this journey. You’re appreciated more than you know. Here’s to winning one day at a time. See you tomorrow for Day 37!

A Quick Note: If you’re curious about the 7-40 Challenge or want to follow along, keep checking in here. I’m documenting the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Let’s keep pushing forward together!