The 99/1 rule

I’ve been thinking about consistency this week and what it takes to keep going with nothing visible is changing.

Staying consistent even when it's not immediately rewarding is where the shift happens.

Let's be honest about what that means. You need to work an insane amount for an insane amount of time before you see results. There's no way around this. And it's hard. That's the entire reason most people don't make it.

The reality is 99% of the time it's boring. It's you grinding with no feedback, no progress bar, no confirmation that it's working. And only 1% of the time you get those moments - the breakthrough, the achievement, the thing you worked toward.

Most people can't handle that ratio. They show up for a few weeks, maybe a month. And when they don't see dramatic change, they assume it's not working. They quit right before the shift.

I think this happens because they’re measuring the wrong thing. They’re focused on outputs when they should be tracking inputs. Without inputs, there are no outputs.

The hard work changes you. The results just proves it happened. By the time you achieve the thing, you’re already someone different. That’s why the grind matters more than the win.

The shift doesn't announce itself. You don't get a notification that says "transformation in progress." You just keep showing up. Keep doing the work. Keep following through when you can't see evidence it's working.

The problem isn't the process. It’s that we expect the process to feel different than it does.

The best things in life can't be bought. A fit body. Peace of mind. Mastery of a craft. They have to be earned through effort and sacrifice over time. That's what makes them valuable. Anyone can want them. Not everyone can put in the boring, unglamorous work required to build them.

You have to find something in the process itself worth showing up for. Not the future results. Something in the work.

The clarity that comes from writing. The feeling of euphoria and power after you lift. The experience of pure focus and flow while you create. If there's nothing in the daily work you actually value, you won't last long enough to see what it builds.

Measure your inputs. Track the days you showed up. The reps you put in. The hours you committed. Build your identity around being someone who does this, not someone who's achieved this.

Most days will feel like nothing is happening. That's normal. Boredom isn't a sign you're doing it wrong. It's part of the process.

Every successful podcast you listen to had episodes with 47 downloads. Every fit person you follow had months of workouts where nothing visible changed. Every business you admire had years of grinding before the breakthrough. The difference isn't talent or luck. It's that they kept showing up through the 99% when nobody was watching and nothing was happening.

The moment you stop needing to see results is the moment you start getting them.

Because that’s when you become someone who does the work regardless. The one who shows up without needing confirmation. And the one who achieves everything you want.

If you keep showing up with discipline and intention, the results will take care of themselves. Focus on the daily effort. The commitment. The follow-through.

It's not about being perfect. It's about doing the best you can each day with what you have and who you are.

You don’t need to believe it’s working. You just need to believe you’re capable of showing up… and never stop.

Talk to you next week,

— Johnathan