The 7-40 Challenge

7 Habits. 40 Days. 7 Rounds. 280 Days of Transformation.

On January 1, 2026, I stopped planning and started doing.

The 7-40 Challenge is simple: pick seven daily habits that move you toward the life you actually want. Practice them for 40 days. Evaluate. Adjust. Repeat — seven times. By the end of the year, you’ve got 280 days of documented transformation and habits so deeply rooted they’re part of who you are.

I’m not teaching this from a stage. I’m running the experiment on myself, in public, every single day.

My Seven Habits

These are the seven I chose because they address the areas where I need the most growth. Yours might be completely different — and that’s the point.

1. Bible Study & Prayer — My foundation. Everything else is built on this.

2. Exercise — Lifting three days a week with my son. DDP Yoga on the off days. Walking every day.

3. 100 oz of Water — Simple. Fundamental. Easy to skip. That’s why it’s on the list.

4. Calorie Tracking — Not a diet. Accountability. Know what’s going in so you can manage what’s coming off.

5. 30 Minutes of Reading — Audiobooks while walking, physical books in the evening. Lifelong learning is non-negotiable.

6. Creative Work — Writing novels, blogging, creating content, building something every day. This is where the dreams stop being dreams.

7. Gratitude — Daily thankfulness, plus a weekly Thank You Campaign post where I go deeper on the people and blessings in my life.

Why 40 Days?

Because 40 days is long enough to build real momentum but short enough to course-correct before you’ve gone too far in the wrong direction.

Think of it this way: if you’re driving and you realize you’re heading the wrong direction, you don’t have to wait until you reach the next town to turn around. You make the adjustment now. The 40-day cycle gives you a built-in checkpoint to ask: is this working? Do I need to change anything? Am I still heading where I want to go?

Seven rounds means seven chances to get it right. Seven opportunities to evaluate, adjust, and go again.

The Schedule

Round 1: Foundation — January 1 – February 9 ✅ Completed. Perfect execution. 12.4 lbs lost.

Round 2: Declaration — February 15 – March 26 (In progress)

Round 3: Expansion — April 5 – May 14

Round 4: Deepening — May 22 – June 30

Round 5: Momentum — July 8 – August 16

Round 6: Refinement — August 24 – October 2

Round 7: Mastery — October 10 – November 18

Year-End Celebration — November 19 – December 31

Assessment weeks fall between each round for evaluation and planning.

Why I’m Doing This

I’m 47 years old. I’ve survived cancer twice. I’ve been married 27 years. I’ve filled notebooks with goals and dreams for over two decades.

The ideas were never the problem. The desire was never the problem. What was missing was a system — a framework that turns intention into execution, day after day, until the person you’re becoming catches up with the person you’ve always wanted to be.

The 7-40 Challenge is that system.

The Lab Rat Approach

I’m not a guru. I’m not selling a method I perfected years ago. I’m documenting this experiment in real time — every win, every struggle, every insight — through daily blog posts right here on this site.

You get to watch it happen. And if it works — and so far, it’s working — then you’ll have 280 days of proof that transformation is possible. Not theory. Data. From a regular guy with a day job, a family, and a lot of reasons to have kept making excuses.

What About You?

The 7-40 Challenge isn’t just for me. The framework works for anyone willing to do the work.

Your seven habits don’t have to look like mine. Maybe you need to get your finances in order. Maybe you need to repair a relationship. Maybe you need to finally start that thing you’ve been putting off for years.

The question is the same: What seven habits, practiced daily, would lead you to the life you actually want?

Name them. Start them. Give yourself 40 days. See what happens.

Follow the Journey

Read the daily blog. I post every day. Start here:

Join the community. Sign up here to get updates and be part of what’s being built.

The best time to start was years ago. The second best time is today.