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Tamrat Tesfaye, Addis Ababa (2025)

16/08/2025

Day 31 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Day 31 and I am feeling charged. It was one of those rare days where every task was completed and there was still space to enjoy the process. I am having fun, learning, and noticing how much growth can happen in a month when you show up consistently.

From my reading I was reminded of the power of simply putting in the reps. It is not about waiting for the perfect plan or the right moment, it is about doing the thing again and again until it becomes second nature. Progress lives in the repetition, not in the theory.

Whether it is fitness, learning, or building any new habit, the real shift happens when we stop overthinking and start doing. Every action is a vote for the person I want to become and I am proud of the votes I am casting.

Here is to making it easy, taking action, and moving forward one rep at a time.

15/08/2025

Day 30 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Day 30 and it is officially one month in. I am feeling so happy, grateful, and proud of the consistency so far. It has been a great day, the kind where you just feel thankful for the journey and the people around you. One thing I have been struggling with over the past few days is hitting my daily water target. It has been a challenge, but I am reminding myself that small efforts still count and each day is a chance to get a little better.

From my readings of Atomic Habits, I was reminded that cravings and habits often come from deeper motives, the ancient human needs to connect, belong, feel secure, and grow. Our habits are not random; they are modern solutions to old desires. The real game-changer is reframing your perspective. Instead of saying “I have to,” say “I get to.” I do not have to drink more water, I get to nourish my body. I do not have to work out, I get to strengthen my mind and body. That shift changes everything.

This journey is teaching me that habits are attractive when we associate them with positive feelings and that the way we interpret our actions shapes our experience. By choosing to see them as opportunities rather than obligations, we create motivation and joy in the process. Here is to forty-five more days of progress, reframing, and gratitude.

13/08/2025

Day 29 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Everything is going really well. I feel strong, grateful, and inspired. Every day I’m surrounded by people doing incredibly hard things and it pushes me to keep going, keep learning, and keep growing.

My reading from Atomic Habits was about the role of family, friends, and culture in shaping our habits. I read about the incredible story of the Polgar sisters, three girls raised with one clear goal to become chess prodigies. Their father believed talent was not born but built through consistent practice and the right environment. Surrounded by a home filled with chess books, games, and encouragement, they went on to dominate the chess world.

We naturally adopt the habits of those closest to us, the many around us, and the powerful we admire. Belonging to a group where your desired habits are the normal habits makes change feel easier and more natural. Community shapes identity and when you share the journey with others, it becomes part of who you are. I am realizing how much my own progress is tied to the people and culture around me. When you choose the right community, growth stops feeling like a solo grind and starts feeling like something you get to do every day.

11/08/2025

Day 28 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Day 28 and I’m feeling really grateful. Everything on my list is done. I’m staying consistent and met some amazing new people who are also doing hard things.

From my read of Atomic Habits I’ve reached the 2nd Law of building habits which is all about making habits attractive. There’s this really cool story about baby gulls who instinctively peck at red spots on their mom’s beak. It turns out our brains are wired to respond to exaggerated cues like that which scientists call supernormal stimuli.

For us humans that means craving salty sweet and fatty foods because our brains haven’t evolved as fast as our environment. Dopamine is the real driver here It spikes not just when we get a reward but when we anticipate one which is why cravings feel so strong.

A cool way to use this is temptation bundling. Pair something you want to do with something you need to do. Like only watching Netflix when you’re on the bike. Suddenly working out doesn’t feel like a chore anymore. Making your habits attractive is a game changer. It’s not just about willpower it’s about setting yourself up to want the right things.

10/08/2025

Day 27 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Feeling super grateful and happy for life, the people around me, and the work I get to do. Workouts complete, reading finished, water target met, diet on track, and progress picture taken. The routine is flowing and the mindset is getting stronger every day.

From my read in Atomic Habits, one story really stood out. In 1971 during the Vietnam War, researchers discovered that nearly 20% of U.S. soldiers were addicted to he**in. But here is the surprising part — when they returned home, 90% of them quit almost immediately. The reason was simple. Their environment changed. The cues that triggered the habit in Vietnam were gone, and so was the addiction.

The lesson is powerful reminder as to why self-control is often less about willpower and more about shaping your surroundings. People who seem to have incredible discipline usually design their lives to avoid temptation altogether. You cannot always fight your environment, but you can change it. If you want to break a bad habit, remove the cues that spark it. If you want to build a good habit, make the cues obvious. It is easier to design for success than to rely on endless willpower. That is the real secret to self-control.

09/08/2025

Day 26 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Another solid day locked in. Workouts complete, reading finished, water target met, diet fully in check, and progress picture taken. Things are going really well, even though life has been non stop lately. Even with a packed schedule, the commitment stays strong and the habits are sticking.

My takeaway from Atomic Habits really stood out to me: “Motivation is overrated; environment often matters more.” The truth is, you do not always need more willpower. Sometimes you just need to make the right choice the easiest one. Small tweaks in your surroundings can quietly shift your actions without you even realizing it.

Your spaces shape your behavior. If you want better habits, make the cues for them obvious and the path to them simple. Build an environment that pulls you toward success every single day. Environment is the invisible hand that shapes behavior. Design it wisely, and success becomes the obvious choice.

07/08/2025

Day 25 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

One third of the way through. That’s 33.3 percent done. Day 25 felt solid. I had an amazing day, hit every target, and wrapped it feeling grateful, clear, and proud of the progress so far.

My reading from Atomic Habits focused on implementation intentions and habit stacking. It’s powerful how small changes in structure can double your follow-through. People rarely fail because they lack motivation. They fail because they lack a plan. The more specific your intention is about when and where something will happen, the more likely your brain is to follow through. That kind of clarity removes friction and turns intention into identity.

Habit stacking takes it even further. By linking a new habit to an existing one, you create momentum that builds naturally. It is one of the simplest ways to let your habits trigger each other and strengthen your routine without force.

This challenge continues to show me that discipline is often just better design. The more your systems do the lifting, the less willpower you need to show up. That’s how real change becomes possible.

We keep going, one day at a time.

06/08/2025

Day 24 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

The cold is getting stronger, but so am I. I hit every target again and had a great day. My energy has been a bit off, but the habits are holding steady, and that’s the power of systems doing the heavy lifting when you are not at your best.

My reading explored how our brains become wired to pick up on patterns, often without us realizing. Experience teaches us what matters, and with repetition, our actions become automatic. This is how habits take root through consistent exposure, attention, and feedback. We build our instincts through what we practice, intentionally or not. Awareness is the starting point. Change only becomes possible when you begin to notice what you are actually doing.

04/08/2025

Day 23 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Another clean day. I hit all my goals, including workouts, water, reading, progress photo, everything. It is starting to feel more automatic. The resistance is still there, especially as I am dealing with some sickness, but the momentum is stronger. I am not thinking twice, I am just doing.

My reading from Atomic Habits reinforced that habits are not just about action, they are about solving life’s problems with less effort. They exist to free up mental space so we can focus on growth. The better your systems, the easier it becomes to show up.

We are building routines that carry us even when energy is low. That is the real win. You create better habits by making them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. You break bad ones by doing the opposite. It is not about willpower, it is about systems. Real change lasts when your environment supports the identity you are growing into.

03/08/2025

Day 22 Complete. 75 Hard Challenge ✅

Momentum is building and things are clicking into place. I hit every target. Water goal met. Both workouts done. Reading complete. Progress picture taken. Feeling strong and deeply fueled by the people cheering me on through calls, texts, and in person interactions. I’m beyond grateful for every bit of encouragement. It’s made this journey lighter and more meaningful.

From Atomic Habits, I read about how habits form in four steps: cue, craving, response, and reward. Thorndike’s puzzle box experiment showed that learning starts with trial and error, but with consistency, behavior becomes automatic. That’s the essence of habit formation. Your brain turns effective responses into default actions. Habits are not about restricting your freedom. They are what create it. The more your fundamentals are automatic, the more space you unlock for creativity, deep work, and presence.

Doing the work. Building the identity. Becoming someone better.

31/07/2025

Day 20 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Nothing is quite as inspiring as watching someone willingly take on a hard challenge. To grow, to push limits, and even more powerfully, to do it in public. Meet Samuel Bereket, a friend and fellow builder, who just began a 100-day journey focused on leveling up as a developer and as a person.

He is committing to coding every day, running consistently, reading with intention, and building strong habits along the way. It's a journey rooted in discipline, growth, and consistency. Watching him step into this space and share openly was a reminder of how much impact commitment can have. You can follow his journey on LinkedIn - Samuel Bereket and be part of it as it unfolds.

I completed everything on my list. Balancing all the habits is not easy, but sticking to the routine, even when it feels hard, continues to shape who I am. Seeing others step into their own challenges keeps pushing me forward. The presence of a community choosing to do difficult things is a force in itself.

My reading from Atomic Habits explored how habits shape identity and how identity shapes habits. Real change comes from aligning actions with beliefs. The more consistently you behave like the person you want to become, the more you embody that identity.

Here’s to showing up, doing the work, and becoming who we are meant to be.

29/07/2025

Day 19 Complete ✅ | 75 Hard Challenge

Day 19 was a great day. I completed everything on my to-do list, and even though the evening run was tough because of the cold, I pushed through. My breathing is getting better, and my focus is sharper.

What made the day even more meaningful was seeing my friend Kidus Nesibu begin a powerful new challenge. He is committing to 100 Days of Dev and Grit, working on full-stack development projects while running every single day to build both mental and physical discipline.

His goal is simple but ambitious. By Day 100, he plans to ship a full-stack project from scratch and help others build alongside him. Every day, he is sharing what he is learning, where he gets stuck, and how he keeps going.

Reading his post, seeing his roadmap, and catching his first progress photo on Telegram gave me a serious jolt of motivation. There is something deeply inspiring about watching someone choose discomfort and growth, and then decide to do it publicly.

I want to dedicate today’s post to him. To his courage and to the spark he has lit for others. If you are reading this, take a moment to cheer him on. Follow his journey. Drop a word of encouragement. It matters more than we realize.

📲 Follow Kidus here
LinkedIn: Kidus Nesibu
Telegram:

Today’s read from Atomic Habits reminded me why this matters. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The small actions may not feel like much at first, but over time, they quietly build something powerful.

Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep building.

Tamrat Tesfaye

16/08/2025

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