Tag: self-improvement

Day 10: Data First, Theory Second (Why Sherlock Holmes Got It Right)

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

I listened to “Made to Stick” this morning during my walk, and I hit the chapter on credibility. The Heath brothers made a point that stopped me cold:

Don’t make up your mind and then go looking for data to prove you’re right. Look for the data to help you make up your mind.

It reminded me of Sherlock Holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote in “A Study in Scarlet”: “It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”

Two different sources, separated by over a century. Same truth.

The Temptation

It would be very easy to say: “By March 15th, I’ll weigh 245 pounds. By April 1st, I’ll have my novel published. By June, I’ll have 10,000 social media followers.”

Make up the goal. Hunt for the data to prove it’s possible. Force yourself into unsustainable practices to hit the deadline.

I’ve done this before. Multiple times in my life, actually. And here’s what happens: I hit the deadline (maybe), but the transformation doesn’t stick. The moment the deadline passes, I’m back where I started. Downward spiral. Rinse, repeat.

Why the 7-40 Challenge Is Different

The physiology of weight loss doesn’t work on my timeline. Exercise recovery doesn’t care about my deadline. Sustainable habits don’t emerge from forcing performance.

So instead of demanding that the data conform to my goal, I’m letting the goal emerge from the data.

Seven daily habits. That’s my theory.

Bible study. Exercise. Reading. Water. Calories. Gratitude. Creative work.

I’m not promising you specific results by specific dates. I’m collecting data through daily practice. And I’m letting that data tell me where I’m headed.

Weight loss? It’s happening (3.7 pounds in 9 days), but I’m not demanding it hit a certain number by a certain date. The data will tell the story.

Novel revision? I’m at 50 chapters. Not because I promised myself 50 by Day 10, but because the daily habit of creative hour produces consistent output. The data shows up.

Social media strategy? Still figuring it out. No false promises. Just daily attempts and learning.

The Sustainable Difference

By committing to the practices instead of the deadlines, I’m building something that becomes part of who I am. Not a sprint to a finish line. A permanent shift in daily behavior.

Sherlock Holmes didn’t demand the facts bend to his theory. He collected evidence and followed where it led. That’s credibility. That’s how you build real transformation instead of false performance.

I don’t want to hit a goal and bounce back. I want sustainable change that sticks because it’s now my daily rhythm, not an unsustainable forced performance.

Day 10 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise ✅ Reading ✅ Gratitude ✅ Water, calories, creative hour

Ten consecutive perfect days. Data collecting. Theory emerging.

The best time to stop making up your mind and start collecting data? Now.

See you tomorrow for Day 11.

Day 9: Twenty-Seven Years and Just Getting Started

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Today is my 27th wedding anniversary.

Twenty-seven years ago, I married my best friend. And sitting at the table with her this morning, talking about all the unlikely things that had to align for us to even meet, I’m reminded why Day 9 of the 7-40 Challenge matters more than any other day so far.

This isn’t just about me. It never has been.

The Butterfly Effect (Or God’s Perfect Timing)

April 1, 1998. I walked into a church in Bethany, Oklahoma, volunteering with the college minister—for what, I don’t really remember. As we walked in together, a beautiful lady with blonde hair walked toward us.

The minister introduced us. She quickly said hello, then politely ignored me. Talked with the minister and was on her way. Little did I know I had just met my future wife.

It was like we were destined to meet. But here’s the thing: I was only at that church because of a singing scholarship that brought me to that university where the college minister was a student. My bride had only transferred to that university three months earlier because she wanted to be closer to home. I’d been at a different church where I was the youth leader until just a month before. Then a rappelling trip in late April. A whitewater rafting trip in June.

Every random piece had to fall into place exactly right.

Twenty-seven years later, we’re still here. Still talking. Still building a life together. I can’t even describe how grateful I am.

Here’s the truth: I’m 47 years old, staring down the reality that 27 more years won’t be enough time to know her, to be her friend, to do everything we still want to do together. It just isn’t long enough to love her completely.

But I’ll take every second I can get.

Why I’m Doing This Challenge

For years, I’ve worked on bettering myself in various ways—career, faith, creativity. But I’ve simultaneously neglected things that matter just as much. My physical health. My strength. My energy.

And here’s what crossed my mind this morning: I have to be here. Not just alive, but present, capable, and strong. I want as many more years as I can have. God willing, that’s a whole bunch.

We love being married. We love building our family. We love being creative together. We love working on homes together—improving things, building things, creating beauty out of work. That requires strength. Stamina. Being physically able to show up and contribute, not just watch from the sidelines because I didn’t take care of myself.

I need to be a helpmate to my wife—not a burden she has to accommodate because I let myself fall apart.

I need to be an example for my son. I want him to see his dad doing the hard thing at 47, not talking about it someday. I want him to watch me transform, so when life gets hard for him, he knows it’s possible to choose differently. To start now, not later.

I want to see my grandchildren. I want decades more with my best friend. I want to keep growing, keep achieving, keep building.

The best time to start taking care of myself? Not someday. Not when things settle down. Now.

Because 27 years from now, I want to be sitting at that same table with her, talking about all the things we built together in these next decades.

And that starts with Day 9.

Day 9 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (Workout A) ✅ Reading ✅ Gratitude ✅ Water ✅ Calories ✅ Creative hour

Nine consecutive perfect days. For her. For my son. For the life we’re still building.

Happy anniversary, my darling. Here’s to 27 more—and I’m going to be strong enough to live every one of them well.

The best time to start is now. Not for yourself alone. For everyone counting on you to be here.

See you tomorrow for Day 10.

Day 8: Why I’m Still Walking (And Why You Should Too)

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Seven days down. One week of perfect execution.

This morning I laced up for my walk thinking about something unexpected: I never saw this coming.

When I was younger, walking was what old people did. Real exercise meant running, lifting, sweating buckets. Walking? That was just… transportation.

At 47, walking is one of my favorite parts of the day.

Not the lifting (though Workout B yesterday destroyed me in the best way). Not the yoga. The walk.

Here’s why that matters for the 7-40 Challenge: Simple works. Sustainable beats intense.

Hippocrates said it 2,000 years ago: “Walking is man’s best medicine.” He was right then. He’s right now.

Three reasons walking wins:

Fresh air. Whether it’s scorching summer or crisp winter, stepping outside and filling my lungs pulls me away from screens and routines. It resets my energy in a way indoor workouts can’t match.

Audiobook time. I’m working through “Made to Stick” while walking. Physical movement + mental input = how I learn best. Double productivity.

My brain needs motion. I’m still that energetic kid who thinks better while moving. At 47, I feel it every time—blood pumping wakes up my brain. Nietzsche nailed it: “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.”

The practical magic: Walking is low-impact. Easy on joints. No jarring bounces or overuse injuries. It strengthens your heart, aids weight management, releases endorphins that lift your mood. And it’s accessible—no gym required, no equipment needed.

Just shoes and intention.

I never thought I’d be the guy who loves his daily walk. But here I am, Day 8, proving that the best habits are often the simplest ones.

The best time to start walking? Now. Not when you’re “in better shape.” Not when the weather’s perfect. Now.

Lace up. One mile. See how you feel.

Day 8 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (walk + more today) ✅ Reading ✅ Water, calories, gratitude ✅ Creative hour

Eight consecutive perfect days. The simple habits stack.

What’s your go-to movement? Drop a comment—let’s build a community of people actually doing the work.

See you tomorrow for Day 9.

Day 6: When Knowledge Gets in the Way of Starting

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

Challenge update: Down 3.7 pounds in six days.

My shoulders are still protesting yesterday’s first free weight workout—incline press, standing press, the whole deal. Good sore, not bad sore…but still sore.

Here’s what’s been rolling around in my head during my 30 minutes of reading today.

I’m working through “Made to Stick” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath as part of my daily reading habit. Today I hit a concept called the “curse of knowledge”—and it punched me right in the gut.

Here’s the curse: Once you know something, you can’t un-know it. You forget what it’s like to not understand.

The Heath brothers describe this experiment: Someone taps out the rhythm of “Happy Birthday” on a table. The tapper hears the full melody in their head—lyrics, tune, everything. But the listener? Just random knocks. The tapper predicts 50% success that the listener will know the tune. Actual success rate? 2.5%.

The expert can’t imagine the beginner’s confusion anymore.

And that’s exactly why so many of us never start.

For over twenty years, I had lists. “Someday I’ll get in shape.” “Someday I’ll write that novel.” “Someday I’ll build better habits.”

But I was waiting to know enough before I started. Waiting until I had the perfect plan. The right program. All the answers. I was waiting until the perfect time.

Here’s what I’m realizing on Day 6: The curse of knowledge works both ways.

I’ve spent 18 years in data management. I know how this curse shows up professionally—I’d stand in front of rooms explaining concepts, watching eyes glaze over, thinking “Why don’t they get it?” Because I’d forgotten what it’s like to be confused.

But I’ve also let other people’s expertise paralyze me. All those fitness gurus who’ve already lost 50 pounds. The productivity experts with their systems perfected. The writers with published novels.

They made it look so obvious. So simple. “Just do these seven things!”

And I’d think: “If it’s that easy, why can’t I do it? What’s wrong with me?”

Nothing was wrong with me. I just didn’t know what Day 6 felt like for them.

They’d forgotten the confusion. The soreness. The scale moving too slowly. The creative hour that produces three decent pages instead of a masterpiece. The moments you want to quit.

That’s why I’m documenting this challenge in real time. Not after I’ve succeeded. Not when I have all the answers and can package it nicely.

Right now. Day 6. Still figuring it out.

Because the best time to start isn’t when you know everything. It’s now. Messy, confused, 3.7 pounds down with a long way to go.

You don’t need expertise to begin. You just need to begin. The best time to start is now.

Today’s scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (yoga + walking) ✅ Reading (Made to Stick) ✅ Five novel chapters revised (30 total now) ✅ Water ✅ calories ✅ gratitude

That’s Day 6. Not perfect. Not polished. Just real.

What’s been stopping you from starting? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear what curse you’re breaking.

See you tomorrow for Day 7.

Day 5: Why I Got Up at 5:00 AM

~ David Willis ~ Leave a comment

My alarm went off at 5:00 this morning. Not because I’m a morning person—I’m not. But because I made myself a promise: all workouts done by noon during these first rounds of the 7-40 Challenge.

An hour of exercise doesn’t happen by accident.

Eight years ago, I was in a hospital bed with a 13 cm tumor. Chemo. Surgery. Radiation. By God’s grace, I’m cancer-free. But that door? I don’t ever want it to open again.

So I get up. I move. I lift.

Today was my first free weight workout of the year—incline press, standing press, triceps work. My shoulders are already telling me tomorrow’s going to hurt. Good. That means it’s working.

Here’s what daily exercise gives me:

Mobility I can’t take for granted. At 47, I notice how quickly things tighten up. Daily movement keeps me loose and energized.

Strength for real life. Not just gym strength—the kind that lets me help around the house, take long walks, tackle whatever comes without hesitation.

A fighting chance. Exercise strengthens my body and acts as a defense against the illness I’ve already beaten. It’s a tool to help me fulfill my purpose: caring for my family and making a difference in the world.

Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew: “Give about two hours every day to exercise; for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the mind strong.”

I’ll be honest—I’m carrying more weight than I should be…over 40 pounds more. That’s exactly why I’m committing to an hour daily right now. Once I’ve made progress, I’ll ease back to 30 minutes for maintenance.

For some, exercise is already solid and other areas need work. For me, this is a focal point.

The best time to start? Not Monday. Not next month. Today. The best time to start is NOW.

What’s your focal point in your own challenge? Drop a comment—let’s keep each other moving.

See you tomorrow for Day 6.