One day, I came across a piece of advice from an experienced director to a novice podcaster:
"Don't worry! Your first 100 podcasts will be bad anyway. Just record them and keep moving forward."
This thought stuck with me, but I didn't apply it right away. It lingered somewhere in the back of my mind, waiting for its moment.
That moment came a few months later when my friends and I were snowboarding.
I decided to take things to the next level and jump off a big ramp. Standing in front of it, I felt fear paralyzing me. And then, I suddenly remembered that quote:
"The first hundred times will be failures."
That changed everything. I thought, "I'll start counting!"
I made my first attempt. Failed.
The second—failed again.
I kept trying and counting.
On the 17th jump, I finally soared into the air and landed smoothly.
That was a moment of truth—I physically experienced the power of this concept. Overcoming fear, the adrenaline, and the joy of success inspired me.
That same evening, back home, I decided to apply this approach to another area of my life—meditation.
I took a sheet of paper, drew 100 circles, and wrote at the top:
"Meditation – 100 hours."
I promised myself I would complete it, no matter how bad I was at it in the beginning.
Why meditation?
At that time, my work consumed me entirely. I was the director of a fast-growing company, juggling multiple roles at once. I had to constantly switch my attention from one task to another. Most of my stress came from the fear of failure and the pressure from my business partner.
I had dreamed of independence and carving my own path, but instead of freedom, I found myself trapped by obligations and fears.
The challenge of 100 hours of meditation came to me for several reasons:
I had tried meditating before. I had heard it was beneficial, but my attempts never lasted long. My back would hurt, my legs would go numb. I couldn’t understand what I was supposed to feel.
Then, I attended a meditation class, and that’s where I had my first revelation: You don’t have to sit in a lotus position!
We sat on chairs, leaning back. The only instruction was: "Try not to move."
This shattered my stereotype and opened up new possibilities. It made me realize that I had never really questioned my assumptions before. A spark ignited in me—a desire to study meditation more deeply.
I asked myself: "What other stereotypes do I have in my mind?"
I remember my first hour of meditation.
It was incredibly difficult. I felt like there was a huge beast inside me screaming, "What are you doing? Stop it! Stop it!"
But I kept sitting. My body burned with discomfort, but I didn’t give up. I opened my eyes more than once to check the timer. Time moved agonizingly slowly.
That first day, I wrote in my journal:
"Meditation is not rest; it's training, just like in the gym."
Once again, I shattered a stereotype—the idea that meditation should feel relaxing. I started treating it like a physical workout.
I continued practicing every day without skipping. At the same time, I filled in the circles on my paper and kept a progress journal. During the day, I read articles and books about meditation. I experimented with different techniques, but my main principle was simply to sit still.
My previous 'failed' experience with gamification naturally shaped my approach.
I imagined myself exploring a new world. Filling in the circles became a kind of quest—a tool for studying this new reality.
After about 50-60 hours, I started to feel the effects of this practice.
It became easier to shift my focus. When I got distracted, I could calmly bring my attention back. The practice itself became easier, and I started to enjoy it.
I played nature sounds, imagined myself in a forest, and relaxed after work. It brought me deep peace while sharpening my focus. In this practice, I discovered something remarkable: meditation wasn't just a relaxation technique, but a sophisticated exercise for developing the mind. Like physical training builds muscle, this mental training was strengthening my ability to focus and maintain awareness. My awareness expanded in ways I hadn’t expected.
When I share my experience of 100 hours of meditation, I often see people react with disbelief:
"100 hours? That's impossible!"
But here’s the key thing: It’s not about the number of hours. It’s about the personal challenge I set for myself.
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The most important thing I realized is that a personal challenge is not about numbers. It’s not about how many hours you meditate. It’s about how you choose to set the challenge for yourself and how you carry yourself through the process. Your attitude is what truly matters.
The biggest impact was that I became my own detective, my own scientist, studying the practice.
I chose the number 100 because I knew it gave me at least some guarantee that after 100 hours, I might understand something.
And if not?
Then I could honestly say to myself that I gave it 100%.
Meditation opened new horizons for me, becoming a tool for exploring the mind and achieving inner peace. Like any other skill, it can only be mastered through practice. It’s not an easy path, but the results are worth the effort.
My experience with meditation inspired me to apply the "Theory of 100" to other areas of life.
But that’s a story for another time.
Would you like to try your own experiment?
Experiment with your own numbers! Create your own challenges. Start with what feels right for you.
Play the role of a detective—observe, explore, and uncover a world full of mysteries and fascinating discoveries.
Just keep moving forward—with curiosity and an open mind.
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