Tag: Fitness

Embracing Forward Momentum: Day 37 of the 7-40 Challenge

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey there, friends! Welcome back to my corner of the internet. If you’ve been following along, you know we’re deep into the 7-40 Challenge—a 40-day sprint where I’m committing to seven daily habits to build rhythm, spark progress, and unlock that next-level transformation in my productivity and personal growth. Today marks Day 37, and let me tell you, this ride has worth every moment. Sure, there have been bumps, but the overall momentum? Moving at full speed ahead.

For those just tuning in (or if you need a quick refresher), here’s the lineup of those seven powerhouse habits I’ve been grinding on:

1. Daily Bible study and prayer – Starting the day in God’s word.

2. One hour of workout – Getting the blood pumping and building that physical resilience.

3. Counting calories – Keeping my nutrition in check for sustained energy.

4. Drinking 100 ounces of water a day – Hydration is key to feeling sharp and alive.

5. Practicing gratitude daily – Shifting focus to the positives amid the chaos.

6. Reading or listening to books for 30 minutes – Feeding the mind with fresh ideas.

7. Writing daily or working on business objectives – Turning thoughts into actionable steps.

Not every day has been a flawless victory. Over the past five weeks, I’ve had to skip a workout or two due to sheer exhaustion or unexpected curveballs. But here’s the beauty: as a general rule, I’ve nailed these habits consistently. The result? Real, tangible progress that’s turbocharging my goals and reshaping my routine.

As I edge closer to the end of this 40-day cycle, my mind is already racing ahead to the next iteration. Remember, the 7-40 Challenge isn’t a one-and-done deal—it’s designed for seven cycles total. The genius of it? Once certain habits become second nature, woven seamlessly into my daily life, I swap them out for new ones. This keeps the growth engine revving, ensuring I’m always learning, evolving, and pushing boundaries.

Take my daily Bible study and prayer, for instance. This has been a non-negotiable part of my mornings for over three years (and honestly, much longer as well). It’s no longer something I “practice”—it’s just who I am. The same goes for chugging 100 ounces of water or tracking calories; these are habits on autopilot now, fueling me without the need for deliberate tracking. Why keep them on the list when they’re already embedded in my active lifestyle? Freeing up those slots lets me introduce fresh challenges that stretch me further.

I’m older now, and I’ve let too much time slip by in the past. No more wasting precious moments—it’s time to pour maximum effort into what truly matters. The goals I whisper about? They need to roar at the forefront of my mind. Over the next few days, I’ll be clarifying and sharing those specifics for the upcoming cycle. But here’s the thing: I don’t have all the details nailed down yet, and that’s okay. Growth isn’t about having a pixel-perfect roadmap; it’s about committing to forward progress.

Think of it like a cross-country road trip from Oklahoma to New York. There are countless routes—highways, backroads, scenic detours. You don’t need to plot every mile in advance; you just need a clear destination and the willingness to course-correct. As long as each step (or turn) pulls you closer to where you want to be, it’s progress. If something veers you off-track? Reassess and pivot. This mindset has been my anchor: focus on the outcome, embrace the journey, and keep moving.

At its core, this challenge is a reminder that true transformation comes from sustained evolution. Not all goals require rigid practice forever—if they’re already part of your active rhythm, celebrate that win and make space for new horizons. It’s about building a life of continuous growth, where complacency has no seat at the table.

So, what’s on your horizon? What big goals are you chasing for the rest of the year? Drop them in the comments below—let’s spark a conversation and inspire each other. I’d love to hear your stories and cheer you on.

See you tomorrow for Day 38. Let’s keep the momentum going! 🚀

Keep Feeding Your Dreams: A Journey of Growth and Self-Discovery

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

For as long as I can remember, one question has followed me like a shadow: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a child, it sparked curiosity and wonder. As an adult, navigating multiple careers and now in my mid-40s, it lingers—not as a sign of failure, but as a reminder that growth never stops. I’m not questioning whether I’ve “grown up.” I’ve lived independently for nearly three decades, built a life, and found passions. Yet, the question persists, whispering: Is there more? Is there something inside me still waiting to be discovered?

The answer, I’ve come to believe, should always be yes. Not because we haven’t found what we love or what we’re good at, but because life demands evolution. As the Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “As long as you live, keep learning how to live.” If we stop dreaming, stop exploring, stop stretching, we risk becoming stagnant—like a neglected sourdough starter.

The Sourdough Metaphor: A Lesson in Tending to Growth

I’m a passionate sourdough baker. There’s something magical about the process—whether I’m crafting crusty loaves, gooey cinnamon rolls, or delicious cakes, the possibilities with sourdough are endless. But the heart of it all is the starter, that living culture of flour and water that needs constant care. Neglect it for a few days, and it slows down. Ignore it longer, and a bad spot might form on the surface, or it might start to smell off. Without fresh flour, water, and attention, it loses its vibrancy.

Our dreams and aspirations are much the same. If we don’t feed them with new ideas, new books, new experiences, they stagnate. They start to “smell” of complacency, and in the worst cases, they become irredeemable—not because they were flawed, but because we stopped tending to them. “We are what we repeatedly do,” Aristotle reminds us. If we repeatedly ignore our inner spark, we risk losing it.

But here’s where the metaphor offers hope: a sourdough starter can be revived. Scrape off the bad spot, feed it fresh material, and with a little care, it bubbles back to life. So can we. No matter how long we’ve let our dreams sit untouched, we can always start again.

The Power of Asking Hard Questions

The question “What do you want to be?” isn’t just for kids. It’s a lifelong challenge to keep asking ourselves: Am I doing what I’m meant to do? Am I pursuing the things that set my soul on fire? These questions aren’t meant to haunt us but to push us toward clarity and action.

In my own life, I’ve taken on a personal challenge—what I call the 7-40 Challenge—committing to seven habits daily over 40 days to find my focus and turbocharge my achievement. It’s been a game-changer. It’s forced me to sharpen my focus, to clarify what I want to achieve, and to prioritize my goals. Some dreams move forward; others take a backseat, not because they’re unimportant, but because life requires us to choose what matters most in the moment. As Marie Curie once said, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” Understanding our priorities helps us move forward without fear.

Staying Alive and Bubbly

Like a thriving sourdough starter, we need to keep ourselves “alive and bubbly.” That means feeding our minds with new ideas, challenging ourselves with new goals, and taking responsibility for turning our dreams into reality. It’s not enough to have a spark of inspiration—you have to do the work. You have to show up every day, even when it’s hard, even when other priorities clamor for attention.

For me, this means continuing to ask: What’s next? What’s inside me that I haven’t explored yet? It means staying curious, staying open, and never settling for stagnation.

A Call to Keep Growing

So, wherever you are in your journey, I encourage you to keep feeding your dreams. Tend to them like a baker tends to their starter—with care, consistency, and a willingness to start again if things go awry. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and keep asking the big questions. They’re not a sign of being lost; they’re a sign you’re alive.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

Here’s to day 37 of our journeys—may we all keep growing, keep dreaming, and keep bubbling with possibility

Face the Challenge: Prioritize and Execute for Transformation

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Welcome to Day 29 of my 7-40 Challenge—a 40-day journey of committing to seven daily habits to spark transformation and focus in my life. As I kick off week five, I’m amazed at how far I’ve come. This challenge has been a game-changer, forcing me to reflect deeply on what I’ve accomplished over the past 28 days—things I couldn’t seem to tackle for weeks or even months before. I hope you’re out there chasing your own bold, wild ideas and crushing it on your corner of the internet!

Today, I want to dive into a principle that’s been a cornerstone of my progress: prioritize and execute. This concept hit me like a ton of bricks when I read Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. It’s a principle that’s not just about getting things done—it’s about getting the right things done with precision and excellence.

The Chaos of Competing Priorities

Life throws a million things at us, doesn’t it? To-do lists pile up, notifications ping, and before you know it, you’re juggling tasks like a circus performer. The temptation to multitask is real, but as Willink and Babin point out, trying to do everything at once often means doing nothing well. In Extreme Ownership, they write:

“When overwhelmed, it’s easy to get sucked into a cycle of trying to do everything at once, which leads to accomplishing nothing effectively.” (Extreme Ownership, Chapter 7)

Their solution? Prioritize and execute. List out what needs to be done, identify the highest-priority task, and tackle it with full focus before moving to the next. This approach isn’t just a productivity hack—it’s a mindset for thriving under pressure.

The authors share a gripping example from their time as Navy SEALs in Iraq. During a high-stakes operation, their team faced a crisis: an explosive device was about to detonate, one of their soldiers had fallen through a rooftop, and they were exposed to enemy fire with no cover. Chaos could have taken over, but the leader did something critical:

“He took a deep breath, prioritized the most immediate task, and executed. Secure the roof. Establish cover. Locate the fallen soldier. Account for the team. Evacuate safely.” (Extreme Ownership, Chapter 7)

By training relentlessly for such scenarios, they ingrained the habit of prioritizing under stress. They didn’t just survive—they succeeded because they focused on one task at a time, executed with precision, and moved forward systematically.

Applying Prioritize and Execute to My Life

When I reflect on the past 29 days of the 7-40 Challenge, I see this principle at work in my own life, even if I didn’t always realize it. I’ve set out to transform my fitness, refine my diet, sharpen my mind, and share my story with the world—goals that felt overwhelming before this challenge. But by making a daily commitment to prioritize and execute, I’ve made real progress.

For me, the top priority is starting each day with Bible study and prayer—a habit I’ve maintained for over three years. It grounds me and sets the tone for everything else. From there, I tackle my fitness goals, writing, and other priorities, one by one. This disciplined approach has helped me avoid the “higgledy-piggledy, all-over-the-place” style that used to leave me with half-finished tasks and no real progress.

The Four Quadrants of Prioritization

This idea of prioritization also connects to another book that’s shaped my thinking: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In it, Covey introduces the Time Management Matrix, which divides tasks into four quadrants based on urgency and importance:

  1. Urgent and Important: Crises and deadlines that demand immediate attention.
  2. Not Urgent but Important: Long-term goals, planning, and growth—where we should spend most of our time.
  3. Urgent but Not Important: Interruptions or distractions that can often be delegated or ignored.
  4. Not Urgent and Not Important: Time-wasters we should avoid.

Covey emphasizes the power of focusing on Quadrant II—tasks that are important but not urgent:

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 3)

By focusing on what’s important before it becomes urgent, we prevent fires from starting in the first place. For me, this means carving out time for fitness, writing, and reflection before they turn into regrets or crises.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

Let’s be real: we’re busier than ever. I’m speaking for myself, but I have a hunch you feel it too. The demands of life—work, family, social media, endless notifications—can pull us in every direction. It’s easy to check things off a to-do list without really moving the needle on what matters most. As Covey puts it:

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 3)

The 7-40 Challenge has forced me to confront this head-on. By setting clear priorities and executing them daily, I’m not just checking boxes—I’m building a life aligned with my values and goals. Whether it’s on a battlefield, in a boardroom, or at home with family, the principle of prioritize and execute is universal.

Your Turn: What’s Your Priority?

So, I’m curious: How do you handle the chaos of competing demands? Have you found ways to prioritize and execute in your own life? Maybe it’s a morning routine that sets you up for success, or a system for tackling your biggest goals. Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your strategies!

As I head into Day 30, I’m more committed than ever to staying focused and executing with excellence. Thanks for following along on this journey. Here’s to crushing it, one priority at a time!

References:

  • Willink, J., & Babin, L. (2015). Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win. St. Martin’s Press.

• • Covey, S. R. (1989). The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.

The 7-40 Challenge: Embracing Progress Over Perfection

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

“Success is not the absence of obstacles, but the courage to push through them.” – Joshua J. Marine

Four weeks ago, I embarked on a personal journey called the 7-40 Challenge—seven daily habits over 40 days to transform my routine and mindset. Today, on day 28, I’m reflecting on the progress I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned, and the beauty of embracing imperfection in pursuit of growth. This isn’t just about checking boxes; it’s about finding balance, staying productive, and learning to roll with life’s ebb and flow.

The Seven Habits of the 7-40 Challenge

For those just tuning in, here’s a quick rundown of the seven daily habits I committed to:

1. Bible study and prayer to grow closer to God and center my day.

2. Counting daily calories to stay mindful of my nutrition.

3. Drinking 100 ounces of water to keep hydrated.

4. Working out for an hour to stay active.

5. Practicing gratitude to cultivate a positive mindset.

6. Reading for 30 minutes (audiobook or paperback) to feed my mind.

7. Writing or working on business goals to move my projects forward.

These habits are my roadmap to becoming a better version of myself. But as I’ve learned over these four weeks, progress isn’t always linear, and perfection isn’t the goal—productivity is.

A Day in the Life: When Life Becomes the Workout

Today was one of those days that reminded me flexibility is key. I accomplished nearly all my habits, but the “workout” box didn’t get checked in the traditional sense. No gym session, no structured exercise routine. Instead, life itself became my workout.

After breakfast and church, I tackled mowing my sprawling yard. Riding the lawnmower? Easy. But the weed-eating? That’s where the real work kicked in. An hour and 45 minutes under the blazing sun left me sweaty, grimy, and physically spent. Then, I dove into a woodworking project, hauling a 6-foot butcher block countertops, measuring, cutting, and carrying materials back and forth. Add in a Costco run, helping with dinner, and knocking out a hefty to-do list, and my body was screaming, “You’ve done enough!”

Did I have a “workout”? Not in the conventional sense. Did I work out? Absolutely. My body was tired, my tasks were completed, and I felt accomplished. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Today, I lived that truth.

The Lesson: Balance Over Burnout

The 7-40 Challenge isn’t about being perfect every day—it’s about staying committed while giving yourself grace. Some days, life’s demands take precedence, and that’s okay. The key is finding a sustainable balance that allows you to pursue your goals without burning out. As Aristotle wisely noted, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

I’m learning that there’s an ebb and flow to challenges like this. Some days, you nail every habit. Others, you adapt, prioritizing what needs to be done while still moving forward. For me, that meant recognizing that mowing, carpentry, and running errands were just as valid as a gym session. It’s about progress, not perfection.

Why This Matters

If you’re reading this, you might already be a pro at balancing life’s demands with personal growth. Or maybe, like me, you’re still figuring it out. Either way, I’m sharing this journey because I believe in the power of small, consistent steps. The 7-40 Challenge is teaching me to celebrate the wins—big and small—and to keep going even when things don’t go as planned.

What’s Next?

With 12 days left in the challenge, I’m more motivated than ever to keep pushing forward. I’m learning to adapt, to listen to my body, and to prioritize what matters most. Tomorrow is day 29, and I’m excited to see what it brings.

Does this resonate with you? Have you ever had to pivot your goals to fit life’s demands? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts, tips, or experiences. Let’s keep the conversation going and inspire each other to keep moving forward, one productive day at a time.

Here’s to progress, balance, and the courage to keep going. See you tomorrow for day 29!

The Ripple Effect: How Our Choices Shape Lives – Day 25 of My 7-40 Challenge

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hello, friends! Welcome to Day 25 of my 7-40 Challenge, where I’m diving deep into practicing seven transformative habits daily to spark meaningful change in my life. I’m David, your host for this journey, and today, I want to share something that’s been on my heart: the incredible ripple effect of our choices and how they touch the lives of others in ways we might never imagine.

Have you ever stopped to think about how every decision you make—big or small—sends ripples out into the world? It’s like tossing a pebble into a pond; the waves spread far beyond the point of impact. I’ve been reflecting on this a lot lately, and it’s humbling to realize that we don’t live in a vacuum. Our choices don’t just affect us; they shape the lives of those around us, sometimes in profound ways.

Take a simple example: if I hit the snooze button and sleep in, I might miss my alarm, get to work late, and skip an important meeting. My productivity takes a hit, and that could impact my team, my projects, or even my workplace’s vibe. Or consider this—if I neglect my health and let my body fall into disrepair, someone else might have to step in to care for me, carrying a burden I could have prevented. On the flip side, when I choose to wake up early, work diligently toward my goals, or express gratitude to someone who needs to hear it, I can brighten their day and inspire them to do the same. Our choices matter—not just for us, but for our communities.

This idea reminds me of a concept I explored years ago in a Toastmasters speech: the butterfly effect. You’ve probably heard of it—the theory that a butterfly flapping its wings on one side of the world can set off a chain of events that, over time, could lead to something as massive as a hurricane on the other side. Now, I’m no scientist, and I won’t pretend to know the physics behind it, but I do know this: the small things we do create ripples that can change the course of someone’s life.

Let me share a story that brings this to life. Back when I was in college, I met a guy who was both a student at my university and a college pastor at a local church. He was a cool, genuine person, and one day, he invited me and a few others to join his church’s weekly Bible study. I didn’t think much of it at the time—I just wanted to hang out with this guy and be part of something meaningful. Little did I know, that single invitation would set me on a path that changed my life forever.

Fast forward to April 1, 1998. I showed up to volunteer at the church, not even sure what I’d be doing—just eager to help out. As I walked in with my friend, a beautiful blonde woman came down the hall. He introduced us, and she gave me a polite hello before turning her attention back to him. I had no idea that I’d just met my future wife.

That moment was the start of something incredible. We started hanging out at church, went on a church trip together that summer, and before long, we were dating. By the end of the summer, we were saying “I love you,” and just a few months later, we were engaged. In January 1999, we got married. That one invitation to a Bible study—a small, seemingly insignificant choice by my friend—led me to my best friend, my partner, my wife.

When I think about the ripples of that moment, I can’t help but wonder: what if that college pastor had decided not to invite people to his church? What if he hadn’t been so intentional about building community? Would I have met my wife? Would I be where I am today? I like to think I’d have found her somehow, but I’m so grateful I’ll never have to answer that question. His simple act of reaching out created a ripple that changed my life forever.

This 7-40 Challenge has me thinking about the ripples I’m creating right now. The habits I’m building, the stories I’m sharing, the choices I’m making—they’re not just for me. I hope they inspire someone else to step up, chase their goals, or share their own story. I want my life to send out positive ripples, encouraging others to create their own.

I’m so thankful for that college pastor’s friendship all those years ago and for the community he invited me into. I’m endlessly grateful to God that it led me to my wife. Now, I want to hear from you. Where have you seen the butterfly effect in your own life? How have your choices—or someone else’s—created ripples that changed everything? Drop your stories in the comments below; I’d love to chat about it!

Until tomorrow, friends, keep making choices that send out good ripples. See you on Day 26!