• Resource: 100-Day Reading Challenge • Video: Learn copywriting in 76 minutes • Tool: Visual timer for productivity • Article: How to find your Zone of Genius • Funny: Watching a movie is deep focus
A 100-day reading challenge to fix your attention span
Let's face it, the modern attention span is cooked.
Reading is becoming a lost art. And with it, we’re losing our ability to focus, imagine, and think deeply.
That’s why I believe this plan is genuinely a great idea.
In fact, I liked it so much, I put together my own version.
1,000 nights felt like a stretch. But 100 seemed manageable.
So (with the help of ChatGPT), I curated a 100-day list of essential poems, short stories, and essays, plus links to find them online:
Seriously, this 76-minute video taught me more than any writing class I took in university.
Harry Dry built one of the most beloved newsletters on the internet (Marketing Examples) by mastering clear, curious, and compelling copy.
If you write anything online, you should watch this.
Here are 6 (out of about 100) takeaways from the video:
1. Write to one person, not a crowd Good writing feels personal. Imagine you're speaking to a friend, not a stadium. It helps your tone stay conversational and your message more direct.
2. Steal structure, not sentences Don’t copy what someone says. Copy how they say it. Study their flow, pacing, and transitions — then apply that to your own work.
3. Use repetition to make ideas stick If something matters, say it again. Repetition reinforces key points and helps your reader remember what matters most.
4. Curiosity is your greatest asset Start with something intriguing. Make people lean in before you explain. If you can make them curious, they’ll keep reading.
5. Cut the fluff without cutting the soul Be ruthless about trimming excess words. But don’t lose the voice that makes your writing feel human. Brevity works best when it still sounds like you.
6. Say the quiet part out loud Good copy often says what the reader is already thinking. Call out the tension, the fear, or the objection. It builds trust fast.
Matt Mochary is a CEO coach who has worked with founders at companies like Coinbase, Reddit, and Opendoor.
In this article, he breaks down:
The 4 zones (Zone of Incompetence, Zone of Competence, Zone of Excellence, Zone of Genius)
What your Zone of Genius ACTUALLY is
The fear most people have of living in their Zone of Genius.
He also shares a practical way to surface your “Zone of Genius,” which many struggle with.
Here’s the hack:
To do this, identify a group of people who interact with you regularly. Send them each a message: “I am trying to understand the things that I am uniquely good at in the world. It is difficult for me to see them myself. But I am hoping that you can help me identify them. Would you be willing to take 10 minutes to answer the following questions? If yes, thank you. If not, no problem at all. I understand that this is an imposition on my part. In your interactions with me: - What do I do that you experience as “world-class”?
- What do I do where I appear to be experiencing fun, peace or joy (if different from above)? - What do I do that I am good at but that I don’t appear to enjoy? - What do I do that I am not better than others? - What do I do that I am actually worse than others?”
😂
Watching a full movie without checking your phone feels like an achievement in 2025.
P.S.
Want to double your productivity?
My friend Dr. Christian Poensgen is opening up 3 spots in June for his Becoming Ultraproductive 1:1 coaching program.
From his page:
The Becoming Ultraproductive 1:1 coaching program is designed for executives, entrepreneurs and CEOs who are ready to make a meaningful investment in achieving sustainable peak performance and holistic well-being.
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