The world has become more complex. The expectations we put on ourselves have gotten out of control.

“Make more money.”

“Be productive.”

“Focus on work.”

“Read 50 books.”

“Get fit.”

“Travel the world."

“Find a partner.”

“Be a great partner.”

“Learn a second language.”

“Meet new people”

“Get a work promotion”

😮‍💨

Ok, let's take a deep breath.

I know how it feels because I do this to myself too. And if you’re someone with multiple interests, it's not just external pressure—you genuinely want to learn and do things.

The tricky part? There is too much. We either get stuck:

• Before even starting (choice paralysis)

• In the “watching tutorials” phase

• Switching to another interest before making any real progress

It’s crazy—the easier it became to learn with the internet, the harder it got to actually make progress.

But it’s not your fault. The problem is in the system—and especially in your systems.

Fixing Your Systems: The 2-Step Rule

It’s 2020, the start of the pandemic. Like many, I was locked inside my apartment. I’ve always loved languages—especially Romance languages like Italian, Spanish, and French.

With this new reality, I decided: it’s time to learn Italian.

It wasn’t the first time I had made a decision like this. Years earlier, I had started studying Chinese. Before that, German and French.

I never learned Chinese, German, or French.

And this time wouldn’t be any different. I didn’t learn Italian in 2020.

After years of failings, studying productivity methods and how high-performers learn, I finally cracked the system that made it possible me: the 2-Step Rule.

Only after applying it did I finally become fluent in Italian—in 2023, three years after my first attempt.

You don’t have to lose that much time. Let’s dive in.

What prevents you from achieving your goals

Every person’s life is unique, but the root cause of not achieving your goals is lack of focus.

Listen, I was ready to learn Italian in 2020. I downloaded the apps, watched YouTube videos, listened to Italian music, even tried reading in Italian. I had the will, the resources—even the time.

But I also had too many things pulling me in different directions.

Work that drained me.
Fitness goals.
Side projects constantly running through my mind.
Overthinking life.
Feeling overwhelmed by the pandemic.

The result? I’d practice one day, then skip three. Try again, then drop it. It was like I wanted to learn, but my brain couldn’t hold onto it—too many “priorities” competing for attention.

When everything is a priority, nothing is.

So here’s the first rule.

Step 1: Find What’s Already Pulling You In

Most people think they need to “choose” a goal. But the truth is, the goal is already choosing you.

Think about it—what’s the one thing you catch yourself thinking about randomly, even when you’re doing something else?

It’s usually because:

• It’s a dream (e.g., building a business).

• It worries you (e.g., money issues, health problems).

• It has a deadline (e.g., an upcoming trip).

For me, back then, the thing I couldn’t stop thinking about wasn’t learning Italian. Speaking Italian was something I wanted, but it wasn’t what I wanted most at that time.

And because I lacked clarity on what truly mattered to me, I not only failed to learn Italian—I wasn’t making real progress on my actual priority either.

If you struggle with focus, motivation, or sticking to a goal (especially if you have ADHD tendencies like me), I’m telling you: this is why you fail.

Not because you’re lazy. Not because the goal isn’t important.

You fail because your mind is too divided. And when your attention is split, you don’t make progress on either your main or secondary goals.

Step 2: Make It Your ONLY Focus for 12 Weeks

Now that you have clarity on the one thing you truly want or need right now, it’s time to focus.

And when I say focus, I mean focus..

If you struggle with motivation, distractions, or feeling overwhelmed by too many goals, you know how hard it is to juggle multiple priorities. By locking in on just one focus, you remove that struggle.

Of course, you’ll still have daily responsibilities. This method doesn’t mean ignoring your job, family, or health—it means making ONE thing your #1 priority, so progress becomes inevitable

So what do we do?

• Set a time frame (at least 4 weeks, but I recommend 12).

• For this period, your only real commitment will be the daily tasks connected to your goal.

• Reassess your life every 4–6 weeks. Are you skipping the gym too much? Neglecting friends and family? Eating like crap? Pause and reassess.

Let’s break this down.

Setting a time frame gives your mind direction and a “finish line.” It also makes it clear that this is your priority for now. Life changes. What feels urgent today might not even matter in three months.

So set a time frame. Not forever. Not “when I have time.” 4 to 12 weeks.

There’s a reason Olympic athletes train in cycles of 8-12 weeks—it’s the sweet spot for deep focus and real progress.

Now, as I briefly said before, making this your only real commitment doesn’t mean letting everything else fall apart. It means the only thing you’ll demand from yourself daily is progress on this goal.

You won’t beat yourself up if you don’t check every other box—as long as you’re moving forward with your goal.

That’s why reassessment is key. You’ll still be working, eating well, and going to the gym—but those won’t be high priorities. Just check in with yourself often to make sure you’re not neglecting something important too much.

How I Actually Applied This

This was my exact process for learning Italian—and for achieving many other goals.

First, it became the main goal in my mind.
Then, it became my only true focus.

Every day, I had to do at least ONE thing for this goal.

• Busy day? Watch Italian videos for 10 minutes during lunch.

• More time? 1-hour lessons + speaking practice.

• Zero motivation? Just sing along to Italian music with lyrics.

It didn’t have to be perfect. I just had to show up.

If everything else went wrong that day, I wouldn’t see it as a failure—which gave my brain more energy to focus on the main goal.

Speaking Italian, at Last

I finally learned Italian in 2023.

The best part? It only took 4 months.

Of course, some days felt like an eternity. Italian is full of rules and irregular verbs (shocking, I know). The first two months were brutal—it barely made sense.

That’s why this system was so important. Without it, I would’ve quit. Just like all the other times.

Here’s the thing: progressing toward any goal feels fun at first.

Then reality kicks in.
It punches you in the face.

And if you have a brain like mine—if you struggle with focus or ADHD—as soon as that punch lands, you switch to the next cool thing.

That’s the importance of sticking to one thing for a limited time.

The best part? Most goals don’t even take that long—if you actually focus.

But there’s one final step that makes all the difference.

[Bonus] Step 3: Set a “Point of No Return”

There’s one last thing that forces you to commit: create a responsibility you can’t back out of.

Italian didn’t just randomly resurface in 2023.

It became my main goal for those months because I was moving to Italy for at least a year to go through the citizenship recognition process.

I had already bought the plane tickets for August 2023.

And suddenly, my brain went:

"Oh shit, I actually have to be able to speak when I get there."

No more “I’ll do it later.”
I had a deadline.

This Works for Anything:

• Want to get fit? Sign up for a marathon or competition.

• Want to start a project? Announce it publicly (so people ask about it).

• Want to improve your skills? Pay for a course that requires participation.

Make quitting more painful than doing the work.

The Real Reason This Works

You don’t suck at commitment.
Your systems just aren’t optimized for your brain.

The truth is, you’re trying to do too much at once.

When I started using this 2-step rule, everything changed:

💡 Italian? Learned in 4 months.
💡 Body transformation? Worked out consistently for the first time ever.
💡 Side projects? Launched multiple projects instead of just dreaming about them.

And here’s the kicker:

After 12 weeks? I was already so deep in that it became part of my life.

Now, I can drop into Italian conversations without thinking.
I can build and launch apps because I’ve done it before.
I can stay consistent in the gym because I’m no longer trying—I just do it.

All because I stopped spreading my focus thin.
I adjusted my system and trusted the process.

So, What’s YOUR One Thing?

Right now, I guarantee there’s one goal pulling at you.

Instead of drowning in 50 different goals, pick one.

Give it 12 weeks. Make it non-negotiable. Set a point of no return.

Then watch what happens.

Because once you see yourself succeed like this once, you’ll never doubt your ability to do it again.

🚀 Now go start.

Feel free to reply with your thoughts—I’d love to hear them!

Can’t wait to see you again.

– Mateus, founder and developer of Blocos