Here are 3 quotes, the most interesting thing I learned this week, 1 essay, and 1 question to reflect on.

3 Quotes

“The study of philosophy is not that we may know what men have thought, but what the truth of things is.” -Thomas Aquinas, 13th-century theologian

“Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained” -Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales

“The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.” -Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

The Most Interesting Thing I Learned this Week

I’ve been thinking alot about units of time, specifically the number 100.

100 seconds are equal to 1.67 minutes.

100 minutes are equal to 1.67 hours

100 hours are equal to 4.17 days

100 days are equal to 14.3 weeks

100 weeks are equal to 700 days or roughly 23 months.

How often do we commit to trying something less than 100 times only to give up?

100 weeks are also equal to the number of times that this newsletter has been issued, as of today. I just hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

100 times anything

The Hundred Years’ War, or the Guerre de Cent Ans was a conflict that was fought from 1337 to 1453 between the kingdoms of England and France. It even included a civil war in France during what was known as the Late Middle Ages. A lot of the fighting was triggered by a claim to the French throne made by Edward III of England. The war grew into a broader military, economic, and political struggle. The Hundred Years’ War was fought across five generations of families in Europe.

“See to it that you temper yourself with one thousand days of practice, and refine yourself with ten thousand days of training. You should investigate this thoroughly.”  – Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings

Imagine fighting over five generations.

Now imagine instead to committing 1,000 days to training and a specific focus area of your life. How much better you would be with 100 days of reading? What would 100 days of running do for you? What about 100 days of not drinking? 

The possibilities are limitless.

Committing to anything of value requires not just belief but massive action.

You can’t just believe that training will make you faster, stronger, and healthier. You have to actually put in the work. Not just once a week for 100 weeks. You would miss out. 700 days versus 100 days. You could literally 7x your performance over two years if you commit to training daily.

Actions over ideas.

Writing makes you a better thinker. Writing helps you work out problems to improve your own life. Writing helps you bring ideas to life through action.

Instead of focusing on the idea of work, what if you made a commitment to put in 100 times of consistent work?

These actions could be compounded over days, weeks, or months. Don’t wait. Start now.

1 Question to Reflect on

What actions are you committed to for the next 100 times?

The Real Con 99