The Year End Sprint: October Update - What 30 Days of Goal Achievement Taught Me
What I've discovered in the past 4 weeks will completely transform how you think about goal achievement. 3 mind-blowing Insights from month one.
We're just days away from November, which means we're almost 30% through our Year End Sprint (YES) challenge. But this isn't just a progress update what I've discovered in the past 30 days has completely transformed how I think about goal achievement.
I'm excited to share these insights with you, along with some game-changing lessons that could revolutionize your final push to December 31st.
When I first shared the YES ritual at the beginning of October, I had no idea that 500+ incredible people would join this movement. But here we are, one month in, and the momentum is real, Thank you for joining this journey! Now grab your favorite productivity drink (mine's a Karak tea), and let's dive into what these 4 weeks have taught us about turning year-end goals into reality.
If you're just joining us, here's a quick recap: The Year End Sprint (YES) is about flipping the script on New Year's resolutions. Instead of waiting for January 1st to start changing your life, we're using December 31st as our DEADLINE to make those changes happen. And let me tell you – the results so far have been eye-opening.
Where We Stand: The 30% Milestone
We're 30% through our Sprint, which means we should ideally be around +30% towards our goals. But here's the thing: progress isn't always linear, and that's perfectly okay. Let me show you what I mean by sharing my own progress scorecard.
My October Scorecard:
Health: 31% Progress
Current weight: 67.55 kg (148 lb for my American friends)
On track with my top priority goal
Made some fascinating discoveries about exercise effectiveness (more on this below!)
Fun: 17% Progress
Attended 1 out of 6 planned events
That stand-up comedy show was pure gold for my mental wellbeing
Business: 13% Progress
Startup OS 2.0: 5% progress
New secret project: 8% complete
Pivoted some priorities (and learned a valuable lesson about flexibility)
Financial: 6% Progress
Increased my business revenue by 38% this month, which is 6% progress towards my new financial goal
Small gains, but heading in the right direction
Personal: 1% Progress
Currently at 368 followers towards 3k goal on X
Still working on that content strategy!
Looking at these numbers, you might think, "Wait, most of these are below 30% – isn't that bad?" And that's exactly what I want to talk about. Because this first month has taught me some game-changing lessons about progress, data, and what really matters in achieving our goals. Here are 3 mind-blowing Insights from month one.
1. You can’t improve what you don’t measure
Remember Akiki's words from my previous post? "What you don't track, you don't progress." I thought I understood this when he said it, but now I get it on a whole new level.
Here's a story that illustrates this perfectly: For 50 straight days, I was grinding away at strength training, feeling pretty good about my commitment. The result? A small 0.3% body fat loss. Frustrating, right?
Then I did something that changed everything, I went detective mode on my own data. I looked back at the period when I was at my ideal weight and noticed something fascinating: strength training only accounted for 5% of my physical activity back then. The other 95%? Activities that boosted my step count were walking, running, hiking, and cycling. I walked +5.3M steps last year!
Armed with this insight, I pivoted my strategy just 10 days ago. I reduced the strength workouts and increased my daily steps. The result? A 0.4% body fat reduction in just 10 days that’s more than what I achieved in 50 days of strength training!
I’m not suggesting that strength training is bad and cardio is better, I’m simply saying that while it felt great It didn’t align with my fat loss goal, it’s definitely better for strength and muscle growth, but increasing my step count is more effective towards losing fat.
This is why I'm now obsessed with data. Not just collecting it, but actually analyzing it to understand what works for ME. Your scale doesn't care about your feelings or how hard you think you're working – it just shows you the truth. And sometimes, that truth is exactly what we need to make real progress.
2. When a better path emerges, take it
Here's something I got completely wrong at the start: I treated my initial goals like they were written in stone. Classic rookie mistake.
During week two, while chatting with my co-founder, we stumbled upon a brilliant product idea. Immediately, I felt this internal conflict: stick to my original goals or pivot to this new opportunity?
That's when I realized something crucial: being disciplined doesn't mean being rigid. In fact, sometimes the most disciplined thing you can do is recognize when your current path isn't the optimal one.
Think about it like this: if you're climbing a mountain and discover a better route to the summit, does it make sense to stick to the original path just because that's what you planned? Of course not!
The key is distinguishing between:
Changing course because you've found a better path to your goal
Giving up because the current path is challenging
I ended up adjusting my business goals to prioritize this new project, and you know what? It felt right. Because the goal isn't to blindly follow a plan, it's to make meaningful progress in the areas that matter most to us.
Now is a good time to take a deeper look at each goal you set and ask yourself: Is there anything I would add or change that would increase my progress in that area of my life?
3. Get in The Cycle of Growth, And Stay in
Here's the most fascinating discovery of the month, doing hard things makes everything else easier. It's like a superpower that grows stronger the more you use it.
Following Akiki's advice, I implemented a challenging morning routine:
130-200 push-ups, sit-ups, and squats
10 minutes of full-body stretching
5-10 minutes of meditation
Total time: 30-45 minutes (If you’re just starting, start slow it would take 10-25 minutes)
Yesterday I had just crossed a 60-day streak, and here's the mind-blowing observation: around day 30, I noticed something strange. Other challenging tasks throughout my day started feeling... easier. Not just physically, but mentally too. Tasks that used to require endless self-convincing now just... got done.
Want to experience this for yourself? Try this quick experiment: Hold something heavy for a few minutes, then pick up your phone. Notice how incredibly light your phone feels? That's exactly what happens to your other tasks when you start your day with something challenging.
It's a beautiful cycle of growth:
Consistency in doing something challenging
Increased self-discipline
Everything else becomes easier
More consistency becomes natural
Think about it - when you're disciplined enough to do those 25 daily push-ups (discipline), you create a streak (consistency). That streak then makes it mentally harder to break the chain (enhanced discipline), which leads to even longer streaks (greater consistency).
It's a beautiful cycle of personal growth, the longer you stay in that cycle the faster you grow.
For those interested in the tools I use (no affiliates, just personal preferences):
FoxyFitness for push-ups, sit-ups, and squats
Fitify for stretches and strength workouts
Medito for meditation
Looking Ahead: The Next 60 Days
As we head into November and December, here's what I want you to remember:
Track Everything That Matters: You don't need to go full data scientist, but keep tabs on the metrics that directly relate to your goals. The insights you gain might surprise you.
Stay Flexible But Focused: Your goals can evolve as you learn more about what works for you. Just make sure any changes are strategic, not escapist.
Build Your Discipline Muscle: Start each day with something slightly challenging. It doesn't have to be 200 push-ups, just make it harder than your usual routine.
Your Turn
We're 30% through our Sprint, which means there's still plenty of time to make massive progress. Whether you're ahead of schedule, behind where you'd like to be, or just joining us remember this: You're still lapping everyone waiting for January 1st to start.
I'd love to hear about your journey so far:
What unexpected insights have you discovered?
How are you tracking your progress?
What's been your biggest challenge?
Also, I'd like to ask you:
Drop me an email or DM – I'm here to help, and your story might inspire others in our next update!
Keep sprinting! 🏃♂️💨
Ali
P.S. Just discovering the Year End Sprint? It's not too late to join! Get the free Notion template and start your sprint today. Remember: small progress beats perfect plans that never start.
Share your journey with me! ⬇️