Reconfiguring Matt D’Avella for Personal Achievement
In search of productivity porn, Matt D’avella answers the call like superman — only with bigger biceps and a shittier costume
You’re lying there in a haze of post-nut clarity as you close the Pornhub browser for the second time today. You’ve managed to get the day off work and at 3pm you’ve done the social media rounds; visiting everything from Reddit to the spam folder of your Gmail account. In your misdirected attempts to ‘make the most’ of your day off, you waddle on over to YouTube (for the 5th time today) and in your recommended feed you find yourself presented with a new character.
Who is this handsome, well adjusted man with an enticing tagline and eye-catching thumbnail?
In some convoluted attempt to achieve ‘productivity’ you click on the following video:
A Day in the Life of a Minimalist
He introduces you to novel concepts such as minimalism, financial freedom and purchase intentionality. The very act of consuming his content alleviates any feelings of ‘unproductiveness’. You finish a 7 minute and 33 second video without skipping a scene, scrolling the comments or searching for additional content simultaneously.
This is how i was first introduced to Matt D’avella.
To the say his content has had a profound impact upon me is an understatement. It found an 18 year-old me at a time where being sober was irregular and getting high was the norm.
The lessons he taught me and the concepts introduced have undoubtedly changed my life for the better.
With a 7 minute and 33 second video as my fuel, i set myself on a trajectory of self-discovery, self-development and growth. I’ve experimented with minimalism, The Two Day Rule, breathwork and more. Seeing personal results from the aforementioned factors assigns credibility to his name in my eyes; thus, i listen closely, with intention, when he speaks.
Something that’s stuck with me for a long time was what he attempted and achieved in 2019. He split the year in to month long increments and assigned a challenge to each month. From quitting caffeine to intermittent fasting, he experiments with a diverse range of challenges that could supposedly change your life.
You can see all 12 challenges across all 12 months summarised in this video:
While watching these i had a thought to myself: why don’t i set 12 things i’ve always wanted to try for myself and publish the results to Medium?
This sort of intellectual hijacking is usually frowned upon but i believe Matt would love to know that his work is inspiring others.
CAVEAT: Before jumping in to my personal list i do want to point out that this is the quintessential example of productivity porn. Your life doesn’t need to be dictated by constant achievement, this is just one manner in which i like to improve myself and take pride in my actions.
Hijacked Challenges
Writing for 60 days straight (#1) — May/June 2021
Fuck it. Decided to spread this challenge across 2 months because I really, really, really, really want to get better.
4 Skills in 4 Weeks (#2) — June 2021
I’ve not decided what the 4 skills are yet but I imagine they’re going to be Mike Boyd-esque. Lockpicking, skateboarding, book spinning, blind-folded rubix cube etc — you get the point.
Meditation (#3) — July 2021
I’ve dabbled in this before but my maximum sessions usually last around 30 minutes. Furthermore, the longest i’ve ever sustained the practice is 3 months so challenging myself to 30 days of 1 hour long meditation practices should prove to be challenging.
Exercise for 30 Days Straight (#4) — August 2021
Wether it’s running, climbing, cycling, yoga, kickboxing, the gym or anything else, the rules are simple, exercise every single day for 30 days straight. No excuses, no “oh, not today”’s, no caveats.
30 Days of Van Life (#5) — September 2021
Last August i bought a beat-up 2004 Ford Transit Connect for £650 and converted it for Van life. For numerous reasons, i’ve not managed to spend more than 10 days in it at a time. I’m about to rectify this and explore the UK in my tiny, shitty, bright yellow van.
Media Ban (#6) — October 2021
I abide by the idea that social media is bad for you. I barely use any at the moment, only sometimes delving into Twitter or YouTube for the latest crypto news. What i intend to do is ban all media — from movies to TV shows to digital content. One month completely uninterrupted by media so my creativity can flourish.
Quitting Sugar (#7) — November 2021
I’m not exactly a sweet tooth at the moment but i still succumb to the sultry temptation of a chocolate cookie occasionally. This will possibly be one of the hardest challenges as from a young age we’re all exposed to artificial sugars in almost all foods.
Cold Showers (#8) — December 2021
Done this before but never documented the experience. Chose December as i wanted to suffer even more. Starting every day with a shower of a similar temperature to outside is sure to be a challenge. Maybe i’ll just find the nearest pond and swim in that instead?
6am Rise (#9) — January 2022
I love getting in a good routine and the staple of any productive day is an early start. The earliest i remember routinely getting up at is 7:30am so 6am is sure to suck. Fuck you David Goggins and Jocko Willink, i’m coming for you.
Start a Business (#10) — February 2022
I’ve ran drop-shipping businesses before and i currently work with 2 mates from university on our clothing brand but each of these adventures were months in the making. I want to challenge myself to set up, market and make sales from a drop-shipping business in less than 30 days.
30 Days of Yes Theory (#11) — March 2022
The guys at Yes Theory have been inspiring me for years. Their idea of Seek Discomfort is something i deeply connect with, so i decided to imitate their beginnings for my own journey. Have a look at Yes Theory’s project 30 and imagine a more Scottish version of that. Will possibly be a lot more getting told to “Fuck Off” by my fellow Scots.
30 Days of Walking (#12) — April 2022
I’ve been dying to do the Camino De Santiago for around 2 years now. Covid fucked that plan up. I literally cannot wait a moment longer.
Closing Thoughts
Matt D’avella is a handsome bloke with nice biceps, shitty t-shirts and good ideas. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery; therefore, i’m going to steal his ideas and use them myself — hopefully for profit.
If you’re reading this Matt, i’m not sorry.
What excites me most about this project is having goals to strive for. As Tinder fuckboys would say
“You can’t score without a goal”
As Always,
Yours Honestly,
Liam Lawson.
