The 100 Day Rule

I’ve got a rule for you. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just something that will actually change your life—if you’re willing to read, learn, and apply.

This is a rule I developed through trial, error, and reflection. It wasn’t handed down to me or something I found in a book. It was born out of lived experience—tested multiple times, across multiple disciplines—and every time I applied it, it worked.

So now, I’m passing it along to you. Because I believe there are others out there like me—OG Millennials who want to grow, who want to level up, and who might just need a clear, actionable framework to help them do it.

What Is the 100 Day Rule?

It’s simple:

If you want to learn something new, see if you like it, and make the skill or knowledge stick—do it every day for 100 consecutive days.

That's it. Not 50 days with a break. Not 90 days with a pass. 100 days. In a row. No skips. No interruptions. No shortcuts.

Where It Came From

The rule didn’t come from a study or statistic. It came from me wanting and feeling the need to get better—first with my mental health, then with learning new skills.

Back in 2017-2018, I was exploring mindfulness and meditation. I did all the “right” things: read the books, downloaded the apps, and listened to the podcasts, but I couldn’t stay consistent. Nothing stuck.

In 2020, I made a goal: meditate 100 times before the year is up. I ended the year with 111 sessions logged, but it didn’t feel like progress. Why? Because those 111 days were spread out, with long, unproductive gaps in the middle.  Sometimes whole months went by without me doing anything related to meditation or mindfulness.  I didn’t like that.

The next year, I aimed higher, this time for 200 sessions total and at least 100 by mid-year. Somewhere around day 40 (which was mid-February), things shifted. I didn’t just want to hit a total—I wanted a streak.

I made it to 69 days before missing a day. That one miss hurt, but it showed me I had the discipline to go the distance. Eventually, after starting over a couple times, I hit the 100-day streak and finished the year with 263 total sessions. That year, the change was real. My mindfulness improved, my confidence grew, and meditation became a permanent part of my life.

Applying the Rule Elsewhere

The next challenge? Learning to code. It always intrigued me, but I could never stick with it. I had the same challenges I had with mindfulness and meditation.

Until I applied the 100 Day Rule.

Every day—for 100 days—I did something related to learning code, even if it was just for five minutes. The results? Game-changing. I got better. I started enjoying it. I even realized that while I might not want to code full-time, it was a skill I wanted in my toolkit.

Then I tried it again—this time with writing. Same result. I didn’t just grow in skill; I grew in confidence. So confident that I stopped hiding my writing and started sharing it. Like I’m doing right now. My quest to improve my writing became greater than my fear of how bad my writing could possibly be in the present moment.

Why It Works

Doing anything for 100 straight days builds discipline.

You learn to manage your time better. You stop relying on motivation and start building systems. You start following through on your promises to yourself—even on the days you don’t feel like it.

That’s where the real growth happens.

The truth is, life will always throw distractions, temptations, and excuses at you. There will always be a reason to not do something you want or need to do.  Especially when it comes to achieving a goal in the future.  However, when you commit to 100 days straight, you train the muscle of consistency. You build the habit of showing up. You take the emotion out of execution.  You focus on the process (or the journey), as opposed to the end result (or the destination).

It also just happens to be that, while you're focused on simply not breaking the streak, you're also getting better. Day by day.

What You'll Learn in 100 Days

• If the thing you’re pursuing is really for you

• How to stay disciplined even without motivation

• How to manage your time to prioritize your growth

• How to follow through on your own word (especially to yourself)

• How to embrace progress over perfection

• Slow motion is better than no motion

Even if it turns out the thing you’re exploring isn’t for you, that’s still a win. You’ll walk away sharper, stronger, and more self-aware.

Conclusion: Stacking Wins

The 100 Day Rule isn’t about grinding for 100 days and becoming an expert overnight. It’s about building momentum. It’s about rewiring your brain to focus on the process over the outcome.

It’s one of the cleanest mental hacks I know. It detaches your effort from arbitrary finish lines and anchors it to daily consistency. It transforms your mindset from “I need to be great at this” to “I just need to show up today.”

It’s about stacking small wins, because success is really just a sum of little things done right, over and over again.

That’s the OG Millennial way:
Progress over perfection. Always.

Ready to Try the 100 Day Rule?

If this post resonated with you, if there’s something on your heart you’ve been wanting to start—this is your sign. Pick one thing. Start today. And keep going for 100 days.

I’d love to hear what you’re taking on.