Why Gratitude Is Habit #7 in My 7-40 Challenge: Three Gifts That Changed Everything

January 5, 2026 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

When I designed the 7-40 Challenge—seven daily habits practiced for 40 days, repeated throughout 2026—I had to make hard choices. Only seven habits. Not eight. Not ten. Seven.

Bible study made the list. So did exercise, calorie tracking, water intake, reading, and creative work. But the seventh spot? That one is special to me.

I chose gratitude.

Not because it’s trendy. Not because some productivity guru told me to keep a gratitude journal. I chose gratitude because without it, I forget who I am and whose I am.

Gifts, Not Guarantees

I’ve always tried to be a grateful person. Whether through things people have done for me or gifts I’ve received, I’ve understood—or mostly understood—that those gifts were just that: gifts. Not things to expect. Not things to demand.

But I’ve received some gifts in my life that go far beyond my deserving. And I see gratitude as a way to remain centered in those gifts and how thankful I am for them.

The first is my relationship with Jesus.

I recognize that I need Him, and He saved me when I called out to Him. He forgave me of my sins and made me His. I am forever grateful.

The second gift is my wife.

We met when we were 19 years old. Somehow we had the clarity of mind and the foresight to know we had found the person we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with. We celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary this week, and she is the best friend I have ever had aside from God Himself.

The third gift is my son.

We prayed for a very long time for his arrival. When he finally came, it was not without complication. But God took care of him, and he has grown to be such a fine young man—so loving, so smart, so many other things. I am so grateful for him.

These three gifts—Jesus, my bride, my son—aren’t things I earned. They’re treasures I’ve been given. And gratitude is how I remember that.

And there are other ways gratitude has shaped me as well.

When Gratitude Becomes Survival

I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004 when I was 26 years old. I went through chemotherapy in 2005 and thought I was cancer-free. I was beyond relieved and so grateful for a new start, a new opportunity to do good and be with my family.

For 13 years, life was normal.

Then in 2018, the doctor found a 13cm tumor that had shut off my left kidney. I was in excruciating pain. The diagnosis wasn’t good. It’s only by the grace of God that I am still here.

Because of that, I know I have purpose. I know I have more to do.

For this reason, I choose to be thankful every day.

Sometimes I start to forget. Life gets busy. Habits get routine. The miracle of waking up becomes ordinary again.

But it always comes back.

My heart is filled with so much gratitude for the opportunity to still be here with my family, to love them as hard as I can, and to do my best to live the life God wants me to live.

Gratitude isn’t a nice addition to my life. It’s how I survive with purpose.

Why Sundays Matter

That’s why gratitude is Habit #7 in my challenge. And that’s why every Sunday in 2026, I’m launching a Thank You Campaign—a weekly practice of publicly thanking the people who shaped me, believed in me, and invested in me even when I didn’t deserve it.

Because transformation doesn’t happen in isolation. I didn’t get here alone. And if I’m going to document 7 40 day rounds (280 days) as a “lab rat” proving that change is possible at any age, I need to acknowledge the truth: I am who I am because of the gifts I’ve been given and the people who gave them.

I choose to make my gratitude more tangible. I’m going to start saying thank you as often as I can because I choose a grateful heart.

Not just feeling it. Not just thinking it.

Saying it. Writing it. Making it real.

Because the best time to be grateful isn’t someday.

It’s now.

#thankyoucampaign #gratitude #thankyou

Day 3: The Best Time to Start Is Now

January 4, 2026 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

For more than 20 years, I’ve written lists. “Someday I’ll get in shape.” “Someday I’ll write that novel.” “Someday I’ll…”

Here’s what I’ve learned: someday never comes.

I’ve had wins—career success, creative projects completed. But they came out of balance. I’d crush it at work while my health tanked. I’d focus on one goal while others collected dust.

The pattern? Waiting for the perfect moment that never arrives.

So here’s my core message for the 7-40 Challenge: If it matters enough to want, it matters enough to start today.

Want to see your toes when you look down? Start today. Every day you wait, you’re choosing the opposite.

Want to write a novel? It costs nothing but focused time. The only question is whether you’ll trade scrolling for sentences.

Want to visit Bora Bora? Don’t buy the ticket on credit today—but start saving today. Take one step toward standing on top of the mountain and staring out at that ocean.

This is why I launched the 7-40 Challenge on January 1st instead of “when things settle down.” Things never settle down. I didn’t wait until I felt ready. I didn’t wait until I’d lost weight. I started messy, imperfect, and 280 pounds.

Seven daily habits. Forty days. Documented in real time.

Not because I’ve figured it out, but because I’m tired of waiting to start.

What’s been sitting on your shelf labeled “someday”?

Make today the day.

See you tomorrow for Day 4.

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.

Reevaluating the 7-40 Challenge: Habits, Identity, and Becoming Who I’m Meant to Be

November 13, 2025 ~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Hey there, friends! Welcome back to the 7-40 Challenge. It’s a bright, shiny day out there, and honestly, I’m to be out in it and writing these words. If you’ve been following along on my blog, you know I’ve been all in on this journey of building seven daily habits over 40-day cycles. It’s my way of zeroing in on consistency, one small step at a time, to spark real transformation in my life.

Lately, though, I’ve been taking a hard look at the goals laid out in front of me—tweaking, rethinking, and reworking what they look like moving forward. One habit I’ve been crushing is my daily 30 minutes of reading. Over the past three months, I’ve powered through nine full books and dipped into several others. It’s been incredible, and I’m fired up to keep that momentum going. But as I am in the midst of my third round of the challenge, something’s been nagging at me: Are these habits aligning with what I want to achieve? Or the person I want to become?

This hit home while I was diving into Atomic Habits by James Clear—the book I’m currently wresting with. He drops this gem: “The process of building habits is the process of becoming yourself.” At first, I paused and thought, Wait, aren’t I already me? But after mulling it over, it clicked. We’re not static; we’re works in progress. These programs we set up aren’t just about checking boxes or knocking out tasks. They’re about evolving into a different—hopefully better—version of ourselves. It’s not about the habits for habits’ sake; it’s about the identity they shape.

That realization made me reflect on how, in this latest cycle, I’ve caught myself going through the motions on a few of these habits. My original intention was to dial in harder, to optimize and elevate them. But after those first few chapters of Atomic Habits, I saw the gap: I need to crystal-clear define who I want to become. Only then can my daily actions truly propel me in that direction.

And then Annie Dillard landed the knockout punch with one sentence that’s been living rent-free in my head:

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

That’s it. No fluff, no loopholes. The 30 minutes I give to reading, the way I show up (or don’t) for my workouts, the quiet moments I protect for prayer and reflection—these aren’t just line items on a habit tracker. They’re the raw material of my life. If I’m half-hearted today, I’m half-hearted forever. If I’m intentional today, that intention compounds into the person I’ll look back on years from now.

So yeah, I’m hitting pause. Not quitting—just stepping back for a few days to get brutally honest about the “who.” Who am I becoming with every sunrise? Are these seven habits still the truest expression of that person, or do I need to adjust some of them? None of them are bad (they’re actually really good), but good can be the enemy of great when it’s not aligned.

I’ll be doing some deep thinking, a lot of head-scratching, probably more than a little praying, and asking the big questions:

• What kind of man do I want standing here in five years?

• What daily practices will make that version of me inevitable?

Thanks for riding shotgun on this reflective detour. I’ll be back tomorrow with whatever clarity (or beautiful mess) comes out of this reset. Until then—let’s keep choosing our days on purpose. Because as Annie reminded me, that’s exactly how we choose our lives.

See you on the other side.