The theory is simple “if you can consistently do something for 21 days it becomes a habit” but is it really that simple? In this blog, I will share my own experience together with that, that studies show.

On March 2022, I started my blog “How to start a blog.” Everything seemed too easy for me at the beginning considering that I had been doing some research since December of 2021. Watching tutorials on youtube on how to; start a blog, write a blog, and monetize a blog, always seemed too easy not until I started one.

Starting a blog required me to buy domain and hosting and this was my first this kind of transaction. At first, I was hesitant but finally did it after 7 hours of doubting myself. Within a few hours, I had installed WordPress, created some basic pages, and started writing blogs. How fast you may ask?

Time goes off by fast. The first month then the second, third, and now 7 months gone with no results. Despite monetizing my blog with AdSense, I didn’t earn. What’s the problem? With only a few “low quality” blogs there was no way I was gonna make money. Am done, yes! Am done! “I said to myself” The last thing I wanted my mind to think about was the blog.

I needed to act quickly. For the next few weeks, I spent doing nothing. Well… not totally nothing but strategizing my blog. A few things were; What do I want to do with my life? Do I enjoy blogging? What niche should I consider then? How long will it take me to make money? Can I be able to create quality content in exchange for money? Value = money of course, What do I need to do next? What steps exactly?

At this point, I developed a strategy to take back control of my life. With the hopes of creating a blog that is full-time and helps me retire just at 25 (am 22 now), a heavy cost is to be paid. I simply mean, all this comes at a cost. Am I willing to pay that cost? Discipline, Consistency, and Hardwork/work smart, etc.

1. Discipline

No one is perfect and neither am I. Yes, I don’t like waking up early in the morning. Am the kind of person that sets 3 alarms. The first wakes me to delete the second, and when the third ring it’s already too late for me to wake up and so I continue sleeping.

You see growing up in Africa, Kenya to be specific; our parents have developed a say “Education is the only key” but not most of them understand that “NOT anymore, it isn’t” and don’t get me wrong “Knowledge will remain to be the most powerful weapon” With it we are able to develop technology, even the laptop am using.

To sum it up, “it is the passion to learn that helps us acquire knowledge.” Most people are graduating and end up tarmacking looking for jobs while non-graduates (not all) with the passion to learn new skills are continuing to beat the heck out of graduates. Am not gonna say Bill Gates or Mark Zukerberg… hahaha! But in Kenya, I can say that dropouts (not all) are living a life that a graduate can never have or afford in 1000 years to come. What is paycheck to paycheck?

While at the university, I only studied to pass exams and so did my fellow students. Cramming a few points the night of the exam was our habit. If am asked I can say that universities are a business but not for the benefit of the student and so I dropped out to start my blog.

Now it has been 7 months with no results. A few days ago I went ahead and called a meeting with myself “Zakaria: I think I regret it…?

Zakaria: I think I regret it.

Githae: What?
Zakaria: Dropping out.

Githae: What made you drop out?

Zakaria: Eeeeh,eeeh? To start a money making blog.

Githae: Money making?
Zakaria: Yes.

Githae: I see the issue here

Zakaria: (silently peeping at Githae)

Githae: You see at first the idea/dream was to start a blog and at the same time monetize it. You said you thought it was easy because of how people do it in youtube tutorials. Yes, they seem perfect, but at a cost of a few takes. They have a discipline in them, “the take is not good, do it again, again and again.”
Zakaria: So you are saying I need discipline?

Githae: Yes. If you are writing a blog, then; write it, and edit it until it is perfect. Quality over quantity. Value = money (but not always).


Zakaria: You are saying I should spend all day writing and perfecting a blog?

Githae: No, that is not… (what I said)

Zakaria: Yes, that is what you just said.

(argument arises)


Githae: Have a plan and develop a discipline. If it is time to work on your blog, use it to the maximum. If it is time to get some rest, then get rest. If it is time to eat, sleep get a walk, or even socialize; Everything at its own time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Zakaria: Mmmmh? I will try it.

Githae: Just don’t say it. Do it. Procrastination is the thief of time.

(meeting ends)

2. Consistency

The first day of implementing discipline was ok, I mean good. What about the second day?

I don’t know who said it “if you can consistently do something for 21 days, it becomes a habit (of doing that thing)” The best part is “once you’ve established that habit, you continue to do it for another ninety days. If you can keep up something for three weeks and then ninety days, then it should become a permanent lifestyle change.”

Consistency is backed up by discipline. Here is an example (not the best but works for me): A chicken has to lie on eggs to keep them warm for 21 days. It has the desire to do so backed up by discipline. If it goes out to feed, only for a few minutes then back. If this chain is broken even for a few hours, then; Congratulations you have  0 (zero) chicks that will be hatched.

Consistency comes at a cost of good discipline.

3 Potential goals to pursue with the 21/90 rule

Learn more

1. Find three things in your life that you feel need the most help. Focus on one at a time.
2. Find a task that brings you joy for just five minutes a day. Always appreciate yourself first by keeping yourself happy.
3. Always staying positive (every day)

3. Hard work/ work smart

Have you ever burned out? Yes, I have. For the first few months, I spent day and night just writing content. I didn’t care what I was writing but what I will get. I was been selfish, i.e with the hope of making tons of money. Unfortunately, I didn’t. It was all scrap content that no one enjoyed reading and if they did click on my website, their next click would be the exit button.

That was hard work. Hard work is a good thing but only if you add work smart to it. Simply, within the last few weeks, I have been updating my content from low-quality to high-quality content. How does this work? You may ask.

Putting extra effort into research is hard work. Working smart is knowing how to make money with the content in the long run without having to work hard again. A good example is running ads on your blog and the second is adding affiliate links on your blog. Affiliate links generate recurring revenue every month or year without having to write the blog again. The same goes for ads that will always show to every user that reads your blog, again, again and again.

When this method (hard work/ work smart) is combined with the first two (discipline and consistency), I realized I could finally make my blog a money-making blog while still providing high value to every user.

5 habits that can improve your life

1. For Success

• Stay motivated
• Set goals
• Work hard
• Try again after failure
• Talk with people who failed, worked hard, and then got success.
• Read books

2. For Life

• Make some good hobbies.
• Sit with your grandparents and parents to get a life-living experience.
• Go on some adventure trips.

3. For Health

• Get up early in the morning.
• Start having a balanced diet.
• Drink more water.
• Start doing exercise.
• Avoid junk food.

4. For Social

• Start Saying No to people.
• Cut off some unwanted people from your life.
• Make some genuine friends.
• Stop being available every time.

5. For Emotionally

• Always Forgiving yourself.
• Never think about the past and future.

Every good habit makes your life better!

Conclusion

If you’re not familiar with the 21-Day Rule, it’s based on a simple premise: it takes three weeks to break an old habit and replace it with a new one. By day 21, your lifestyle change will be part of your routine – something you do easily and automatically.

After 21 days of myself practicing the 21-day rule, I can finally say that am in control of my life again. The blog is also running smoothly and with good results. Discipline, Consistency, and Hard work/ work smart for the last 21 days have paid off.

In other words, the more disciplined you are with this method, the more consistent you are, and even the more you work hard and work smart; the more chances you have to succeed – and the fewer chances you have to fail.

Using this rule as a guide can help you develop new habits that will improve your health and make lasting changes in your life.