A routine saves you from hacks

There is no quick hack to grow, but people always share growth hacks.

The word hack is an evergreen buzzword du jour and is powerful to click, read, and buy the thing online. Our brain associates the growth hack with the outcome rather than the process. That is why hacks grab your attention.

For example, 90-day challenges are effective. They involve 90 days of consistent, albeit boring, tasks. This is better than just relying on a quick 5-minute hack to improve.

When I had nothing left to look forward to after losing a baby in 2021, I focused on ONE thing for 90 days. My body. I ate, clocked in around 10,000 steps every day, worked out, and slept 8 hours for 90 days. The same boring protein, vegetables, and carbs. No posting on social media, no manifesting mantras. Just a repeated boring routine for 90 days. I learned that the hack is my simple routine without the bells and whistles.

I went from 164 lbs to 130 lbs in 90 days.

Growth comes from doing the same boring tasks over time. It’s not just about downloading a checklist or reading online tips and hoping they’ll work. Hacks are for dreamers and routine is for doers. Doers move the needle.

Pick ONE thing you want to do.

Next,

Create daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

My daily goals were:

• 100 grams of protein
• 300 grams of vegetables
• 150 grams of carbs
• 10,000 steps
• 8 hours of sleep

My weekly goal was 3 out of 7 days of weightlifting per week.

My monthly goal was to lose 10 lbs a month with one Texas-sized junk-food cheat meal.

You need one person (coach, accountability partner) to call you out.

All you need to learn is to trust the process and stick to it for 90 days.

Think small, do the groundwork, and proof is progress.

Tip #1: The first week sucks, and it should. This means your progress muscles are waking up to the change and evolving into the new you. Embrace it.

Tip #2: After a month, do not celebrate. Put your head down and repeat. Now, you get used to the new norm. It feels good.

Tip #3: After 90 days, show up to the world without announcing it. People will praise you and ask you for tips.

Remember, believing in hacks gets you nowhere. You blend in with the procrastinators.

The better way is to do it as you mean it.

Also, interruptions are normal in a 90-day challenge. Accept it and continue to the next day. The good news is that research says people do get habits despite a miss or two in real life.