Chapter 1: The Challenge Begins

Taking on a challenge can be beneficial when you are both committed and capable. If you set yourself an overly ambitious task and struggle to visualize its completion, it’s likely that you won’t successfully form that habit. It’s often more effective to assign yourself attainable goals rather than overly difficult ones. For instance, if your aim is to read for an hour daily but you’ve never opened a book, starting with just 10 minutes a day can lead to gradual progress.

Thirty-two days ago, driven by curiosity, I made the decision to create 30 videos over the course of a month. Achieving a goal, whether it’s a challenge, habit, or task, becomes much easier with careful planning, a willingness to experiment (and sometimes fail), and a well-structured workflow. I meticulously planned each aspect to minimize decision fatigue and pressure on my mind; rather than seeing this as a challenge, I aimed to cultivate a new habit.

Upon making this decision, I needed to organize content for 30 days. I opened Excel, created a spreadsheet, and began brainstorming topics. I outlined my entire workflow: Research, Script, Record, Edit, Publish, Promote. Each step was also carefully mapped out.

Each morning, I would record a video, followed by editing and publishing it, before planning for the next day in the evening. In the past, my attempts at daily videos often fell short due to procrastination and lack of motivation. Through this challenge, I realized that my previous failures stemmed from inadequate planning and execution. Planning is essential as it fosters a sense of purpose and drive.

According to the 80/20 rule, 20% of your efforts can lead to 80% of your results. However, planning is futile without execution. Creating a video daily proved challenging, and I faltered during five days when procrastination took hold. Interestingly, I even documented my struggles with procrastination during this period. Nevertheless, I managed to produce a video every single day.

Completing the challenge was a significant achievement, and I created a video reflecting on my experience. I am grateful that I approached this endeavor without overwhelming myself, instead embracing the challenge and succeeding. Setting challenges for yourself can be a powerful way to achieve your goals.

Chapter 2: Insights and Adjustments

While the experience was rewarding, there were downsides. When creating videos daily, I often felt pressured to produce high-quality content, which left little room for exploring new ideas. The workload can be overwhelming when juggling projects every day.

As a result, I decided to shift my focus to creating three videos per week, allowing me to also dedicate time to writing articles. On the technical side, I noticed positive developments: my YouTube channel began to gain traction, and my podcast received 150 plays within 30 days. This success prompted me to increase my activity on Twitter and engage more with communities on platforms like Quora, which in turn boosted visibility and visitor numbers.