One Hundred Reps

“It takes 100 repetitions to become familiar with any new concept, technique, or idea. It takes 1,000 repetitions to become competent. It takes 5,000 repetitions to become skilled. It takes 10,000 repetitions to become gifted. But the 10,001st repetition will suddenly start to open doors. Your gift will make room for you. So my advice to you: get started.”

 – Carl Prude Jr.

One Hundred Reps

A reader asked about my process for writing The Twenty Percenter. While reviewing my notes, I realized this week marks the 100th edition! That’s 100 weeks of sourcing ideas, finding quotes, drafting copy, editing for grammar, designing, and publishing. During that time, my craft has improved and my confidence has grown. Open rates have drifted down but are still above 73%. We started with zero readers and today we have just over 8,000 subscribers in 135 countries. Huzzah!

My friend, Matt Ragland, has written about the importance of getting 100 reps. That’s often where momentum kicks in. You’ve worked out the kinks. The process is streamlined and work habits are set. When I started writing this newsletter, I would labor for 4 to 5 hours. Today, I can knock one out in 60 to 90 minutes. As with anything, competence (and confidence) comes with time on the task over time.

That’s today’s lesson: Whatever it is you’ve decided to try, don’t give up early. Get in your 100 reps. You may surprise yourself with how much you can grow and how far you can go.

To celebrate this milestone, we browsed the archives for the ten most popular articles so far. My ask of you is to share the Twenty Percenter with ten people you think will benefit. Invite them to subscribe!

The Top 10 from the First 100

1. ​#DearIntern – How to Leap Forward After a Stumble
   ​“We will all fail, sometimes publicly and spectacularly. Sometimes, it won’t be our fault but it will be our responsibility. How we respond matters.”
2. ​Game Sees Game 
   ​“You will never regret committing to the path of mastery…In the short run, yes, that commitment may prevent you from doing other things. In the long run, however, that commitment could open doors you never imagined.”
3. ​Self-Sabotage and the Spotlight Effect
   ​“So why do otherwise successful people make horrible professional decisions? Because they care too much about what others think.”
4. Topgrade Your Five – The Power of Playing Up
   ​“Nothing will impact your trajectory in life more than the five people you spend the most time with. Today is the best day to topgrade your five.”
5. ​Intentions Before Distractions – The Most Impactful Habit You Can Build
   ​“When you launch your day by jumping into your inbox or onto social media, you are inherently prioritizing other people’s agendas.”
6. ​The Power of Constraints
   ​“When faced with a challenge, we have a tendency to focus on what we don’t have and how those deficits will keep us from our goal…Limited budgets, resources, time, and even experience can actually work in our favor. Limitations lead to innovations.”
7. You’re Stronger Than You Think
   “When we remind ourselves of our resourcefulness and resilience, fear goes away, and confidence returns…The cavalry isn’t about to come over the hill. No one is coming to save us. That’s okay. You’re stronger than you think. You’ve got this.”
8. The Busyness Trap
   ​“We’re checking boxes in the name of progress while procrastinating on the true priorities. When you’re working hard on things that don’t matter, does it matter that you’re working at all?”
9. ​The Orangutan Effect
   ​“If you look at the Latin roots of “to educate,” you’ll see it’s derived from ex(out) and ducere (lead). To “lead out.” So maybe we should say, not all teachers are leaders but all leaders are teachers.”
10. Someone In Your Corner
    ​“Business can be extraordinarily stressful and lonely for leaders and founders. The benefits of receiving coaching go well beyond goal achievement. The confidence you gain from knowing someone is in your corner may be the best gift of all.”

One question to ponder in your thinking time: What do I want to do so much that I’m willing to be bad before I’m good?

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan

Co-author of The One Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent ​