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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