This Is Why You’re Not Seeing Results (Yet)

Most people quit too early.

They post for a month.

Two months.

Maybe three.

The numbers stay flat. So they quit.

They think they’re failing.

Or worse, that this game is only for the “lucky ones.”

But compounding always hides early.

Like the gym.

You go for 2–3 weeks, nothing changes.

Quit too soon → no results.

Ask anyone who stuck it out for months.

They’ll tell you: the curve spikes later.

So the real question isn’t: How do I stay motivated?

It’s: How do I keep showing up without burning out?

The Huberman Rule: 30%–80%

Andrew Huberman once said:

The way you build max muscle isn’t 100% effort every day.

Go all-out daily → you burn out.

You miss sessions.

Progress dies.

Real growth comes from 30%–80%.

On bad days - do 30%.

On good days - do 80%.

But you put in the reps every single day.

That’s how you build identity.

Not by chasing intensity.

But by repeating consistency.

Identity > Motivation

James Clear wrote: “Outcomes are a lagging measure of habits.”

• Net worth = financial habits.

• Weight = eating habits.

• Knowledge = learning habits.

• Clutter = cleaning habits.

You get what you repeat.

Over the past 5 weeks, I've changed my identity to that of a creator.

I write. I post. I DM. I connect.

Even when results don’t show.

Less than 30 engagements on X.

<100 views on my first YouTube video.

Numbers are flat.

But habits compound.

Inputs stack. Identity shifts.

Now creating feels automatic. No willpower. No hype.

Just who I am.

2. State → Inputs

Wandering is normal. Returning is the skill.

Meditation proves it.

Your mind drifts → your job is to return.

Same with work.

Your mind will wander. But do you get back to it as soon as you realise it's wandering? That's the real question.

I make it easy for myself with this simple formula:

• Green tea

• Nicotine gum

• Headphones

• Open document

• Type: “Time to get to work.”

That’s my 9 A.M. switch.

No waiting for the zone. I build the state.

(Learned it from Joe Dispenza)

Knowledge → system → execution.

3. Environment > Willpower

Motivation is fleeting.

Setup is permanent.

For me:

• Study room = writing zone.

• Evening walk = DM block.

The room scripts my focus. The walk scripts my outreach.

Design your environment → willpower becomes irrelevant.

4. The Stoic Reset

Epictetus: “Some things are in our control, and some are not.”

Here’s how I apply it:

• Get distracted → log it.

• Note the trigger + time.

• Reflect → reset with breath. (4 sec in → 6–8 sec out.)

I don’t fight distraction. I train the return.

I don’t control the world. But I control my next move.

Mini-Protocol (Copy + Paste)

When metrics are flat, say: “Daily inputs. Don’t worry about the result.”

My daily system (iterated, battle-tested):

• 4 A.M. writing

• 9 A.M. build (product/newsletter/script)

• Read mid-day (11–2 P.M.)

• 5 outbound DMs (evening walk)

• Log reading → wake → write (no guessing)

• Phone on DND (family only)

10-second cue:

Green tea + gum + headphones → open doc → start building.

Consistency → automatic.

Final Word

Consistency isn’t a mood. It’s training.

Return fast. Start small.

Let compounding do its invisible work. Until it spikes all at once.

This slice comes from my upcoming product The Knowledge Athlete ($29).

But you don’t have to wait.

👉 Download the free Intellectual Athlete Playbook: vaibhavcreates.com/the-intellectual-athlete-playbook

Short. Free. Built to make discipline automatic.