I have the countdown widget on my phone that tells me exactly how many days are left in this challenge. Today it shows 900 days remaining, which means I've officially completed the first 100 days of my 1000-day transformation journey. That's 10% done!
So how's it going? Well, the spoiler is right there in the title.
The Brutal Reality Check
Remember how I started this whole thing with seven different projects? Body, Mind, Family, Work, Play, Personal Finance, and Driving Forever? I was going to systematically transform every area of my life through disciplined daily actions that would compound into dramatic results.
Yeah, about that.
If I'm being completely honest (and what's the point of documenting this journey if I'm not?), I've achieved basically none of the major goals I set out to achieve. The weight I wanted to lose? Still there. The consistent workout routine? More like a sporadic workout suggestion. The business milestones for Driving Forever? Let's just say the app development has been more "planning to plan" than actual development.
I could beat myself up about this, and trust me, I've tried. But somewhere around day 30, I started to realize something important was happening that I hadn't expected.
What I Actually Learned
Here's the thing about the first 100 days - they weren't a failure, they were an honest attempt at change that started teaching me what I actually need to know.
I've spent most of my adult life having good ideas but struggling with execution. I can plan brilliant systems, understand exactly what needs to be done, and then somehow still find myself scrolling through my phone at 11pm instead of doing any of it. This pattern has been consistent for... well, let's just say a very long time.
Recently, I've started to understand something about how my brain works that explains a lot of patterns I've experienced for years. I'm not ready to share the full details yet, but this insight is changing how I approach everything. The gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it isn't a character flaw - it's about working WITH my brain instead of against it.
This discovery is probably worth more than hitting any of my original targets would have been.
The Great Simplification
Seven projects was cognitive overload disguised as ambition. I was essentially trying to become a different person in seven different ways simultaneously while working full-time and raising a young family. Even writing that sentence makes me tired.
So I'm paring back. Way back.
From now on, it's two main focus areas:
- Personal: Everything that makes me a better human - sleep, fitness, mental health, family relationships, personal finance
- Business: Driving Forever development - the app, content, community building, all of it
That's it. Two buckets instead of seven spinning plates.
Personal success enables Business success. When I'm sleeping well, exercising regularly, and present with my family, I have the energy and focus to build something meaningful. When the business starts generating results, it reduces financial stress and creates more options for Personal life quality.
Simple. Clear. Actually manageable.
What's Actually Working
It hasn't been all doom scrolling and missed targets. There have been some genuine wins:
I've maintained relatively consistent sleep patterns (not perfect, but better). I've had some really good stretches with workouts and seen real fitness improvements when I stick with it. The Heart Foundation walking challenge was a particular highlight - doubling my original fundraising target and exceeding my distance goal felt amazing.
More importantly, I've kept showing up to write these updates. That might sound small, but for someone who historically starts projects with enthusiasm and then quietly abandons them, just continuing to check in and reflect is actually significant progress.
And the Driving Forever vision is clearer than it's ever been, even if the execution has been slow. Sometimes clarity is the foundation everything else builds on.
The Next 900 Days
I spent years thinking about what Driving Forever could become, sketching ideas, and drafting plans. The first 100 days taught me that I need to stop thinking and start doing - but with a more realistic understanding of how I actually work.
Two focus areas instead of seven. Systems that work with my brain instead of against it. Progress over perfection. Small daily actions that I can actually sustain rather than ambitious plans that collapse under their own weight.
The countdown continues, just with better self-knowledge and more realistic expectations. 900 days is still an enormous runway for change if I use it properly.
There's something to be said for the power of just starting, even when that start is messier than you hoped. The first 100 days weren't what I planned, but they were what I needed.
Drive on. No matter what.
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