So I saw this thing called “100 24 works” floating around productivity forums and figured I’d give it a shot. Sounded like magic – supposedly makes complicated stuff simple fast. Grabbed my notebook and coffee, sat down expecting quick results.
The hype
Everyone claimed you could break down any big idea into 24 micro-steps and repeat it 100 times for instant mastery. Sounded too good? Yeah definitely. But desperation makes you try weird things when work piles up.
First attempts
Started with something basic: learning chess openings. Wrote step one “google Italian Game rules”. Step two “watch YouTube tutorial”. By step eight I was already bored outta my skull. Mind kept drifting to laundry and unpaid bills. Realized 24 steps is WAY too many for simple tasks.
The pivot moment:
- Ditched the notebook on day three
- Stared at my messy step list thinking “this feels like doing taxes”
- Tried just watching chess streamers for 30 minutes instead
Weirdly? Learned more from two Twitch streams than 17 steps of note-taking. Felt like cheating but worked better.
The illusion collapses
Gave up halfway through step 45. Truth bomb? 100 repetitions ain’t happening unless you’re a robot. Tried practicing piano chords “24 times” – fingers turned into sausages after round seven. The method assumes you’ve got nothing but time and monk-level focus. Meanwhile my dog barked for walks and phone kept buzzing.
What actually helped
Found this works better:
- Identify the absolute core of what you need to know
- Break it into 3-5 chunks max
- Repeat the hard parts, ignore the easy fluff
- Take actual breaks so your brain doesn’t melt
Yesterday I finally grasped that chess opening in 20 minutes using this dumbed-down way. No notebooks burned, no existential crisis.
The bitter truth
“Easy” systems become cages when you force yourself through unnecessary steps. That original guide? Probably written by someone with no job, no kids and a personal chef. Real life needs wiggle room and forgiveness. Now if you’ll excuse me, my neglected laundry pile has started resembling Mount Everest.