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Building the Habit, Finding the Fun
What 3,000 push-ups, a hidden short, and a fresh playlist reminded me about balance.
Corey Lightner
September 15, 2025 • Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”
Recently, I took on the challenge of doing 100 push-ups a day.
Sounds impossible, right? I thought the same — until I actually did it. Of course, I didn’t come up with this on my own, and I definitely didn’t do it alone. My good friend Tarahgee challenged me after I told him I wanted more accountability for my health. He sent me a video, and my first reactions were:
What did I just do?
I take it back!
This is gonna hurt like hell.
He can’t be serious!
This guy in the video looks like a jerk.
3,000 push ups later (30 days of 100 push ups each) I have some fun learnings and don’t regret committing to this challenge. In fact, after the 30 days had passed we increased the daily push up count to 125…Tarahgee wanted to kill me with 150, but I negotiated him down. Here’s what I found to be true from doing all those push ups.
Do the hard part first. Knocking out the toughest sets early makes the rest feel lighter.
Accountability is a superpower. Having someone reflect your goals back at you is the push you didn’t know you needed.
Earlier is better. Push ups at 9pm after a long day? Pure misery.
Consistency builds habit. Pain fades the more you show up. Quitting early only makes it worse.
Taking care of yourself feels good. It’s not just physical — there’s a mental refresh and daily sense of accomplishment.
So…will you take on the challenge?
COREY’S CORNER
Summer is just about done and holiday season is right around the corner. But you came here for Corey’s Corner…love that for you! As always, it’s been a full month. Tap in below for fresh picks in music, shows, films, and random gems worth your time.
Favorite Tune To Tune Into: I’ll be honest: I haven’t run through many Lecrae albums front-to-back. But his latest project, Reconstruction, grabbed me. It’s a thoughtful mix of modern hip hop, faith-rooted messaging, and personal storytelling. Standout for me? “There For You,” featuring Fridayy, the Haitian rapper/singer from Philly. It’s an upbeat, warm reminder that none of us are really alone.
Stream-Worthy Selection: Turns out the House of Mouse keeps more in the vault than just old classics. One gem that recently resurfaced on YouTube is Runaway Brain, a 1995 short Disney shelved for being “too scary” for audiences. I finally watched it and honestly? I loved it. The animation still holds up beautifully, but then again, I expect nothing less from Disney. Definitely worth a watch if you want to see Mickey at his strangest (and spookiest).
Watch this if: You enjoy hidden gems, darker Disney, or just want to brag that you’ve seen something most fans haven’t.
Something Stimulating, Shocking, or Silly: Pick less over more or in other words, quality over quantity. An age old lesson, but never more important than now in a world obsessed with productivity and stacking up progress points. Feeling overwhelmed? Totally natural. The good news: I’ve got just the person to help you cut through the noise and rethink this thing we call hustle culture.
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