Hey Reader 👋🏻,

“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion” — Newton's first law of motion 🍎

In my last email, I got a ton of positive responses on my 100-Day challenge idea so we’re going to make this a real thing. It officially kicks off on Thursday, September 21st, and runs for 100 days until Friday, December 30th.(I shifted the timeline a little to allow for some prep and also to bring us to the end of the year.)

Quantity > Quality

We often hear the term “quality over quantity”. But to improve, it’s better to practice for progress instead of aiming for perfection.

In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear shares a great story demonstrating this idea. It starts with Jerry Uelsmann, a professor at the University of Florida who at the beginning of a new semester split his class into two groups.
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Group A = the quantity group.
​Their grade would be dependent on the quantity of work they produced (no matter how good or bad it was.)

Group B = the quality group.
They would be graded on the single best piece of work they submitted.

Surprisingly, by the semester’s end, those in Group A produced higher-quality work than those in Group B.

Why? Because Group A was focused on getting those reps in 💪🏻, good or bad it didn't matter. They would test and experiment with composition, lighting, and effects to create more and more work.

While Group B spent their time theorizing about creating the perfect photos… but without practicing their craft as much.

This creative freedom and deliberate practice made Group A into better photographers.

100 Days Doing

This is the reason behind the 100-Day Challenge. A forcing function to get those reps in 💪🏻

What have you been wanting to do that you haven’t made time for? Writing? Coding? Publishing content? This is the sign you've been waiting for to start. See:

What can you commit to doing for 100 Days that could change your life Reader going into 2024?

This challenge will be applying two scientific frameworks that will make you more likely to complete this challenge:

1. Loss aversion

According to behavioral economics, carrots aren’t as effective as sticks. That’s why I’ve created a $159 buy-in because if you put money on the line you’re more likely to do the thing.

The idea behind loss aversion is that the pain of losing is psychologically 2X as powerful as the pleasure of gaining. ​
This means you'll do more to not lose $100 than you will to gain $100.

Most people fail at New Year’s resolutions because there are no consequences for failure.

I’ll give you back $100 if you complete the challenge 🤝. Therefore your consequence for failing is $100.

2. Group accountability

There’s been a ton of scientific studies showing that people change their actions when they know they will be accountable to others. That's why you'll be invited to a private discord community with others involved in this challenge.

If you’re ready to commit — here’s what’s included:

• Daily check-ins
• Private discord group
• Weekly office hours/chat
• Group accountability & support

I'll also share strategies, tools, and lifehacks that I'm doing throughout the challenge (that I typically reserve for consulting clients) because I want you to win 🤌🏻

Challenge: 100 spots available

Buy-in: $159 ($100 will be refunded upon completion). If you signup you're committing to start with us on September 21st, no backsies 🤝

If you're ready to take massive action, click here and sign up!

🔨 Tool: Personal User Manual

We as humans are much more complex than a microwave or blender yet we don't come with manuals... until now. Introducing the Personal User Manual.

This is a tool I learned about a few years ago that essentially serves as a how-to guide for you. It covers areas like:

• values
• pet peeves 🤬
• working styles
• how to win with me
• communication preferences

When building BestSelf I created one and shared it with team members and they created their own. This way we could learn how to work effectively with each other.

An example: Consider Jane, a startup founder. Her team kept misinterpreting her pensive silence for dissatisfaction. Insert - Personal User Manual. This clarified her need for quiet reflection, reducing misunderstandings.

In related news, here's a snippet from my manual 😅:

If you’re curious here’s mine, and here’s a link to the template to create your own!

Have a great week!
​
- Cathryn

P.S. Here’s the link to sign up for 100 Day Challenge 🔥