What is Your Number? (Part 4)

Okay, ready for Part 4! We've already talked about how motivation is actually a result of success, how crucial it is to develop a solid process, and how we can all become “professional serial achievers” by finding the right role models and mentors.

Now, let's look at another powerful idea from The Motivation Myth that can seriously level up our game. We need to stop trying to work smarter and start working our number instead.

What’s a "number"? It’s basically a quantifiable target for a specific task or goal, something we can measure and track. We use this number to gauge our progress and hold ourselves accountable, just like professional athletes, musicians or salespeople do.

Here’s a simple example from the book:

One day I was chatting with two cofounders of a relatively successful company. They were whining about their inability to grow their customer base. “It sucks,” one said. “We have to call ten potential clients for every client we actually land.”

I said, “Hey, that’s great. Now you know what to do. If you need five new clients a month, create a system that allows you to call fifty potential customers. As long as you keep selling at a rate of one out of ten, you’ll always hit your goal.”

“That’s stupid,” the other said.

I wasn’t fazed. I’m used to hearing that my intellect has been weighed, measured, and found wanting. “No, it’s not,” I responded. “If you must get five new customers every month, that’s what you need to do.” (Yes, I also hold the rank of Captain Obvious.)

This is the power of working your number. It turns success into a game, a game where we can measure our progress, see how much effort we’re putting in, and use that feedback to stay motivated.

But there’s a catch, "thinking probabilistically doesn’t come naturally." We tend to focus on those big wins and ignore all the little steps it took to get there.

Working our number helps us to embrace this truth:

"Success is the result of rolling the dice a certain number of times. The more shots you take, the more chances you have of hitting the target.”

In other words, failure is part of the process! When we understand our "number," we can also predict and even accept those inevitable setbacks.

We’re so afraid of failure that we try to avoid it altogether. But successful people? They expect failure. They know it’s part of the process. They know that every “no” gets them closer to a “yes”.

This is where working your number is so powerful. It shifts our mindset from “I hope I succeed” to “I know if I put in the work, the results will come, even if it takes time.”

# 100,000 Push-up Challenge

Here’s a slightly silly, but surprisingly insightful example from the book. Jeff Haden decided to do 100,000 push-ups (and 50,000 sit-ups) in one year, on top of his usual workouts.

Now, he doesn’t love push-ups, which was kind of the point. He wanted to see how working his number could make even a somewhat tedious task feel more achievable.

"The daily numbers were still big numbers, but they weren’t that big, especially compared with the total. The daily number made the distance between here and there seem short. Setting a daily number meant “all” I had to do was go day by day, one day at a time, and grind it out."

By breaking down this massive goal into daily numbers, it became more manageable, more predictable, more doable!

He created a system, tracked his progress and made those daily actions a non-negotiable part of his life.

This wasn’t always easy! He got sick, had personal stuff going on. But he built a buffer, doing extra reps on good days to compensate for those inevitable setbacks.

"That doesn’t mean every day went like clockwork. Most did, but several times along the way I fell behind due to illness or personal issues. I didn’t fall too far behind, because most days I did an extra 30 or 40 push-ups and 20 or 30 sit-ups to build up a buffer against the occasional days that I knew I would miss."

he worked to improve over time. At first, it took him 30 minutes to crank out those reps but by the end of the year? He was doing it in less than 15, without pushing himself. He got faster, more efficient, more strategic with his approach, he made his number work "for" him.

This applies to everything, from studying to building a business to developing those personal skills. Here are a few things I learned from the push-up example:

Consistency is Key: You don’t need to crush it every day; you just need to keep showing up and putting in the reps.
Progress is Addictive: When we see our numbers increase, it fuels our motivation to keep going. Even a tiny bit of progress can be a powerful motivator!
Forget the Goal: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by those huge numbers. Focus on what you need to do today.

# It’s Not Just About Push-Ups

This might seem silly. But this whole "work your number" concept applies to everything! Salespeople use it to hit quotas, writers use it to finish books, athletes use it to improve their performance, entrepreneurs use it to build businesses. It's about consistency, persistence, and a relentless focus on those actions that drive results.

Remember that ONE thing you said you wanted to start doing? What’s your “number” for that goal? How many reps do you need to put in to see results?

# Finding Your Number (And Making It Work for You!)

You’re probably thinking, "Okay, cool story. But what’s my number? And how do I find it?".

First, remember those two things you wanted to start and stop doing? This is where it gets really powerful!

To Find Your Number:

Focus on ONE Thing at a Time: Don’t try to change everything at once. Pick one area where you want to see improvement and make it your focus for the next month.
Get Specific: What’s the exact action you want to measure? Not just “study more”, but “study biology for 30 minutes every day”. Not just “write more”, but “write 500 words each morning”.
Set Realistic Targets: Don’t try to do too much too soon. Start small, track your progress, and adjust as needed. You can always increase your number later.
Make it Visible: This is crucial! Track your numbers in a notebook, use a habit tracker app, or create a spreadsheet. The more you see that progress, the more motivated you’ll be to keep going.
Celebrate Your Wins: Acknowledge those small victories along the way. It could be a high five, a delicious meal, or even just a moment of self-appreciation. Reward those efforts!

Want to ace your exams? Your number might be the hours you study each week, the number of practice problems you solve, or the number of times you review your notes.

Want to make the varsity team? Your number could be the practices you attend, the miles you run each week, the hours you spend perfecting your skills.

Want to launch a side hustle? It might be the number of products you design, the sales calls you make, or the hours you devote to building your online presence.

It’s not about becoming a workaholic! It’s about choosing your goals, creating a system, and then relentlessly working your number, even when it’s hard, even when you’re not feeling motivated, because you know that consistent effort is what ultimately leads to success.

# It's Your Game to Win!

Remember, working your number is about making progress, not about achieving perfection. You’re not going to hit those targets every day, and that’s okay. You're playing the long game.

This is your chance to become a “professional” in your own life. So pick your habit, set your number, and get to work!

Time for action! What’s YOUR “number” for that ONE thing you want to achieve? Write it down and commit to working it, every single day!

Let me know in the comments!

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