bunny jumping over aligators

Four months of intensity, then… nothing. For four months, I was locked in, powering through six focused-hours daily with no slacking—filled with real learning and rapid progress in math, computer science topics, and coding.

My routine began with mathematics, gradually incorporating computer science topics and coding, before ultimately returning to math once again.

Then, month five hit me like a gut punch: I kinda felt sick of it.

Raw-dogging math every day was taking its toll. I noticed it was taking me twice as long to learn the material of the same difficulty, and now family holiday trips were lined up.

Suddenly, I found myself losing months’ worth of forward momentum. What the heck??

Final straw? Summer heat and travel. First, I had to leave for a family vacation. Nothing kills your flow like stepping out of your environment. Then I came back, but the blazing summer heat made it feel impossible to kickstart myself again.

To top it off, another trip abroad smashed any semblance of routine I had left—my productivity, diet, sleep schedule, and workouts? Wrecked.

It’s October now, and I’m ready to start fixing it. So here’s my plan (and what you can do if you’re in a similar situation).

Fix Your Sleep. Seriously.

If your sleep is off, everything else will fall apart. You might think your day starts when you wake up, but that’s where you’re wrong.

It starts the evening before.

If you fail to prepare—staying up late, scrolling mindlessly, or stressing—you can kiss your next day goodbye.

Lack of sleep isn’t just about feeling tired.

Think about it—Bryan Johnson talks about how lack of sleep kills more than just your energy; it decimates your motivation. When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s easy to spiral. Your vision narrows, your optimism fades, and suddenly you’re convincing yourself that you’re just not cut out for this shit.

On the flip side, wake up well-rested, and suddenly everything seems possible. You can just do things, right??

(P.S. I’ll write more about sleep optimization in a future post—stay tuned.)

Next—Get Your Environment in Check

You wake up refreshed. What’s next? Jump right into work?

No. Absolutely not. Look around you. Is your room a mess? Is your desk cluttered? Clean that up first.

Your physical environment mirrors your mental state, and right now, you need clarity, not chaos. It’s the simplest fix, but you’ll be surprised how often people skip it.

Clean space? Good. Now, let’s start cooking.

Consistent Physical Exercise

Let’s be real: if you’re not training at least three times a week, you’re not passing the 80/20 threshold. It’s not about getting jacked or ripped—that’s a side effect. This is about something much more vital: mental dominance.

Hitting the gym or doing any sufficiently difficult physical exercise is like plugging yourself into a power source. You walk out stronger, not just in body but in mind. You feel like a badass—by default.

Do You Know What You Want? Clarity Is Non-Negotiable.

Most people fail because they lack clarity. They have vague, soft goals and wonder why they never hit them and are never satisfied.

If you want to win, imagine a future that truly excites you—and be specific about it. Don’t say you want to be rich. That’s some vague bullshit.

Bad example: “I want to be successful.”

Good examples: “I want to lead a team of 10 engineers building products that advance SOTA AI.”

“I want to earn $500K a year as a product manager for a top-tier tech company.”

“I want to build a SaaS business that generates $100K in monthly recurring revenue within three years.”

Your goals need precision. DO NOT BE A COWARD. Vague goals are for vague people. Be honest with yourself about what lights a fire inside you.

Reverse Engineer Your Vision

Got that clear picture in your head? Now start thinking in probabilities and life routes.

Want six-pack abs? Cool. What has to be true for that to happen? Maybe you’re on a calorie deficit and hitting the gym regularly.

Want to run a marathon? What has to be true? You’re probably training consistently, following a structured plan, and ensuring proper nutrition and recovery.

Want to write a book? What has to be true? You’re dedicating time every day to writing, outlining your chapters, and staying disciplined with deadlines.

Now let’s zoom out to your larger goals—whether it’s landing a dream job or attracting a certain type of partner—what must happen before those things are true? Break it down into actionable steps. Let’s say you list 30 things that need to happen. Great. That’s your map.

Now, it’s time to start checking off those boxes.

Your Three Daily Non-Negotiable Tasks

I know you want to crush everything at once. Stop right there. Focus on three key tasks for today. That’s it. These three tasks should be doable, but strategic.

They should make you feel proud when your head hits the pillow.

Why only three? Because most people wildly overestimate what they can achieve in a single day/week but completely underestimate what they can accomplish in a month/year (by stacking successful days).

Three tasks keep you focused on what is important so you don’t spend your days on low-impact tasks that don’t move the needle.

If you finish them early? Sure, go ahead and tackle more. But these three are your non-negotiables.

The real goal? To end your day feeling like a champion—like today wasn’t just productive but decisive.

You did what you set out to do, and that builds self-confidence.

Each day, you’re proving to yourself that you can show up, deliver, and finish.

Control What You Can Control

Most people set themselves up for failure by aiming for outcomes they can’t fully control.

Don’t be that person.

Instead of saying, “I’ll learn X by the end of the day,” set a goal you can control, like, “I’ll study for three hours.” You can’t guarantee learning something in one sitting, but you can guarantee showing up.

Consistency > Perfection. It’s the daily grind that builds the results. Stack up those small wins, and soon enough, you’ll be miles ahead.

Struggling With Focus? Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Focus isn’t just about willpower. It’s about setting the right conditions for your brain to perform at its best. Here are a few low hanging fruits:

1. Dopamine Detox: Fun Is Killing Your Focus

Video games, social media, Netflix—they’re engineered to be more fun than doing hard work like math or coding. That’s the dopamine trap. The more you chase those cheap thrills, the harder it is to get anything meaningful done. Eliminate the distractions, or they’ll eliminate your focus.

2. Delayed Gratification

Start practicing delayed gratification. Skip the easy wins—hold off on the dopamine rush until you’ve earned it. The longer you delay, the stronger your focus becomes.

3. Bad Carbs, Bad Brain

Eat junk, and your brain will work like junk. Keep your food light and clean during the day, and save the heavy carbs for when you’re winding down. Energy crashes aren’t part of the plan.

4. Don’t Overstuff Yourself

Overeating will bury your focus in a fog. Keep your meals tight, fueling you just enough to get through the grind.

5. Stimulants? Not the Shortcut You Think

Adderall, Ritalin, Modafinil, Caffeine (etc, etc.)—yes, they work. But here’s the truth: if you’re running on sleep deprivation, bad diet, and a messy routine, they’re not giving you an edge. They’re just bringing you back to baseline—the state where you should already be if your fundamentals were in place (roughly speaking)

You think you’re getting ahead, but in reality, you’re just catching up to those who have their basics dialed in. Fix your foundation first, and then these extras might actually give you a boost.

“But Lelouch, What If I Fail?” Bruh.

Failing a day doesn’t mean you’ve failed your mission. Perfectionism is the enemy here. You’re going to have bad days. It’s inevitable. The real damage isn’t the day you failed; it’s what you do next. The worst mistake? Beating yourself up and letting it destroy your momentum.

The real mistake is letting one slip-up snowball into something bigger. Don’t do that.

Get up. Recalibrate. Move forward.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t the first time I’ve hit a rut, and it sure as hell won’t be the last.

Ruts happen to everyone, and they’re inevitable.

It’s how you respond that defines the outcome. This isn’t the first time I’ve felt lost, and it won’t be the last.

But every time, I build a system that helps me claw my way back.

That’s the point of all this—having a game plan. This article? It’s just as much for future me as it is for you. Because the next time I find myself stuck, I’ll follow this path and break out, just like I have before.