All or Nothing

I’ve been on the self-improvement journey for 3 years.

Throughout this period, I’ve faced one big obstacle:

Myself.

My inner drive was out of this world.

But I always struggled with discipline and consistency.

The cause?

Drive works both ways.

On the one hand, I wanted a better future.

On the other hand, I wanted to live life now.

I really enjoyed:

• Video games

• Festivals

• Smoking weed

But these things weren’t leading to a better future.

So, I found myself in a constant war with myself.

What did i do to solve it?

I tried everything.

I read Atomic Habits by James Clear, but that approach never worked for me.

I’ve also read The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris.

But living a ‘’balanced’’ life didn’t work either.

If I kept doing bad things...

I just could’t force myself to do the right things.

I knew it from the start:

It had to be all or nothing.

The ‘’All or Nothing’’ Approach

Cheap dopamine had to go.

I tried ‘’monk mode’’ multiple times.

Each time, I made agreements with myself about what I could’t do and what I had to do for 30 days.

Do’s:

• Read 30 minutes a day

• Train 30 minutes a day

• Meditate10 minutes a day

• Journal daily

Don’ts:

• Video games

• Drugs and alcohol

By day 21, I started feeling tired.

I skipped journaling.

And because I broke my agreement...

Bad habits started slipping back in.

I tried it about 5 times.

Only twice did I complete the 30 days.

But no attempt made a real difference.

30 days was too short to create lasting change.

A New Plan: The No-Go Monk Mode

I created a new plan:

For 100 days, I would only focus on what not to do.

The No-Go list:

• Drugs and alcohol

• Video games

• Netflix

• Scrolling

After 2 weeks, boredom set in.

But boredom gave me time to think and learn.

This is when the greatest ideas started to emerge.

I began writing on X.

I finally found something meaningful to pour my energy into.

The 100-Day Battle

By day 40, the urges returned.

My friends kept inviting me to festivals and gaming sessions.

I kept saying no.

But my focus started to drift.

All I could think about was what I’d do after the 100 days were over.

The distraction of these thoughts became exhausting.

It was a constant battle.

‘’You’ve come so far. You deserve a break.’’

That’s what my mind whispered.

And on day 63, I gave in.

It was like a tsunami.

All my bad habits came flooding back.

I didn’t post on X for at least a month.

At first, the dopamine high felt amazing.

But 2 weeks later, my mental state started to decline.

It took a wave of built-up anger to the switch again.

90 Days to a Lifestyle

I came across a quote:

‘’It takes 21 days to form a habit, but 90 days to form a lifestyle.’’

I decided to push through to at least 90 days.

The same thing happened as before.

By day 40, doubts and distractions cluttered my mind.

It only got worse.

This time, I made it to day 90.

But by then, I was exhausted.

I didn’t feel transformed.

On day 93, I went on a vacation and gave in again.

There was no point pushing to those 100 days.

When I returned, my self-trust was shattered.

I quit everything for over 2 months.

A Moment of Clarity

During those 2 months, I realized something:

Running away from my problems didn’t make them disappear.

If anything, they got worse:

• My health declined

• Negative emotions piled up

• Meaningful connections faded

I understood the truth:

The only way was forward.

The alternative was the end of my life as I knew it.

The Breakthrough

I made the switch one more time.

But this time, I did it differently.

• Temporary sacrifice didn’t work—I’d just count down the days.

• Permanent sacrifice didn’t work—it felt too overwhelming to quit forever.

I discovered a third way:

Indefinite sacrifice.

The rule was simple:

No distractions until I achieved my goal.

My goal?

To make $10k per month.

I didn’t know how long it would take.

But I knew this: It required action.

For the first time, I felt a deep sense of peace.

52 Days Later

Today, I’m 52 days into this journey.

I haven’t lost focus once.

In just 6 weeks, I’ve:

• Gained 700 followers

• Created my coaching offer

• Doubled my newsletter subscribers

And I’ve kept up with my non-negotiables:

• Health

• Peace of mind

• Relationships

Indefinite sacrifice is only a small part of laser-focus.

But it’s the foundation for everything else.

Endnote

If this resonated with you, I might be able to help.

I’m helping 5 people breaking free from distractions and achieve laser-focus so that they can reach their goals in record time.

(FOR FREE)

Since you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you get first access.

DM me ‘’Focus’’ if you’re interested :)

(Don’t wait for too long!)

Much love,

Tibor