Feeling Unmotivated? Follow This Rule

Hey y’all,

I just spent the last week in San Francisco for a YouTube event! I had the chance to sit on a panel and share my content creation journey with an audience of industry leaders.

Although I absolutely loved my time out there, I’m not a fan of taking time off work. I usually can’t stand taking more than a couple days off filming or scripting videos.

I spent most of my trip running around, so I seldom had the time (or even the energy) to write scripts or film any videos. Yet in these sorts of moments, I always turn to one of my guiding principles: no zero days.

What is a Zero Day?

A zero day is day when you make no progress towards your goals.

Conversely, a non-zero day is when you make even the tiniest amount of progress. For example, by doing a single pushup, reading a single page, or even writing a single line of code.

What’s So Bad About a Zero Day?

Consistency is the foundation for success. No successful student, athlete, or entrepreneur has gotten where they are through inconsistent, haphazard efforts. It’s the compounding effect of daily effort that helps us achieve our goals.

A zero day breaks disrupts this consistency, however, making it easier to slip into inactivity and perhaps even abandon your goal entirely.

On the other hand, a non-zero day is a way of keeping your promise to yourself—a way to maintain that rhythm. It’s a signal to your brain that you haven’t given up despite whatever obstacles may be in your way.

How I Applied This Concept

During my trip in San Francisco, I leveraged the moments in between events to brainstorm video ideas, take notes on potential topics, or jot down a few lines for future scripts.

While I could’ve easily used my chaotic schedule as an excuse and given myself the week off, I used those brief intervals to make even the tiniest amount of progress on my videos. And over the course of the week, those tiny actions added up.

The Takeaway

Ultimately, a non-zero day is a way to hold yourself accountable and maintain forward momentum, which is a powerful force as we strive towards our goals. The next time you’re tempted to skip a day, remind yourself: even a single step forward is still progress.

Apologies for the shorter newsletter today—guess this is an example of “no zero days” in action. 😉

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I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar