One of the things I’m learning most on the 7-40 Challenge—and what excites me most—is seeing how daily goals turn into long-term progress.
Here’s the math: A 1% improvement every single day compounds to a 37x return in a year. That’s not motivation speak. That’s mathematics.
You can erode a foundation one brick at a time. Well, you can also build one brick at a time. The principle is the same—small, consistent actions create massive results over time.
The Thirty-Year Dream
I’ve wanted to write a novel since I was fourteen years old. That’s over thirty years of “someday I’ll do that.”
Thirty years of wishing. Failed attempts. Abandoned drafts. Good intentions that never materialized.
In the late 2000s, I wrote a small children’s Christmas book—about ten to fifteen pages. I was proud of it. I think it sold two copies. But that wasn’t the dream. I wanted a full-on, full-length novel.
Last year, I finally decided I was going to do it.
It didn’t take nearly as long as I thought.
How It Actually Happened
Here’s the thing about writing a novel: you write a scene. You read it over. You write some more. The story keeps building. You have a decent idea, you turn it into a better idea through revision and notes. And gradually, something really cool emerges.
But it still follows this principle: you have to have repeatable daily goals and tangible milestones you can accomplish every single day to build toward larger goals.
They don’t just happen. You have to actually make time for them.
I started small. One scene at a time. One chapter at a time. I kept building, and before I knew it, I had a complete first draft: 105 chapters.
Where I Am Now
It’s a YA novel about teens with superpowers in the nineties. I’m not going to tell you more than that yet—I’m in the editing process and want to roll it out properly. But here’s what matters:
I’m currently revising chapters 61 through 65. That means I’m over halfway through the revision process on a 105-chapter manuscript.
Thirty years of “someday.” One year of actual work. And now, halfway through polishing something I’m genuinely proud of.
Why The 7-40 Challenge Made This Possible
This is why the 7-40 Challenge has been perfect for this season. I work on seven daily habits. I’ll keep working on these seven daily habits. And in my creative hour, I continue to refine and revise this novel.
One chapter at a time. One day at a time. Compound interest in action.
By early this year, I’ll be working on getting it submitted for publication or publishing it myself. We’ll see what unfolds.
But what I know for sure is this: the dream didn’t change. My daily actions did.
For thirty years, I talked about writing a novel. Last year, I started. This year, I’m finishing.
That’s not luck. That’s compound interest. That’s one brick at a time.
Day 13 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (Walking) ✅ Reading ✅ Calories ✅ Water ✅ Gratitude ✅ Creative hour (chapters 61-65 )
Thirteen consecutive perfect days. One brick at a time.
The best time to start building? Not looking back to what I should have done thirty years ago. Not someday. Now.
See you tomorrow for Day 14.
The 740 Challenge 