There is a feeling. Some call it a “voice” in their head. They simply “know”.
They know their potential. They feel compelled. They hear a calling.
They allow themselves to imagine that maybe they’re destined for something more.
They can do better. They have a capacity for greatness. It is a feeling that haunts them.
I’ve long said, I haven’t been “bored” since I was twelve years old. I was always too aware of the fact that there was so much work to be done. There were dues to be paid, if ever I’d have a chance to make my dreams real.
I’d have to train. I needed to practice. I had to create. And hone my craft… If I could ever get a shot… If I could be worthy of a chance.
That compulsion bred an uncommon consistency. A routine hammered into place over the decades.
It is in this spirit—recognizing the transformative power of consistency, that we years ago launched the oft-imitated 40 Days x 40 Nights. A nearly 6 week period at the inception of Summer, 40×40 was our method of encouraging our consumer family—and ourselves, to improve the everyday factors within our control.
Taking the natural inclination to “get in shape” for the warmer months and using it as an opportunity to double down on our processes—to commit to getting better every day. Maybe in the gym. Maybe with our nutrition. Maybe in our intellectual pursuits… Our spiritual experiences… Our relationships with others and the external universe. Across the board, focused on progress. Real people in the real world, doing extraordinary things. It is for them that we seek to provide tools to empower.
Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit.”
Our habits are the building blocks of our lives. The more solid and strong, the greater the stature and integrity of the structure they together comprise. 40×40 is intended to help us build better, stronger, enduring habits through repetition. For 40 days and 40 nights, we will strive to be our best selves.
The Challenge? Aspire to be better daily – excellent in all we do. Making a priority of all that is important to us.
Greek mythology tells the legend of Sisyphus. A fallen king who would spend eternity pushing a boulder up a hill, over and over again, never reaching the top. For many of us, the consistency of our routine often feels like Sisyphus’ daily task. But it is in pushing the unforgiving rock that we find our purpose. It is in constantly shouldering that massive load that over time we grow strong.
For forty days and forty nights, let’s dedicate ourselves—mind, body and soul, to becoming a little better every day. It is this steady, determined progress that adds up over time. The aggregation of marginal gains, which will propel us past our personal bests, pushing ourselves to levels of daily excellence we once only imagined. Let’s keep pushing the boulder up the hill, even when it feels futile, confident that one day we will reach the apex.
We are indeed “built different” because we build ourselves. From the ground up, the architects and artisans, the leaders and laborers, we lay the bricks in place every day, determined to construct a monument to stand the test of time.