I have always believed it takes 40 days to make or break a habit. That’s why I found 75 Hard to be an interesting approach to achieving a desired lifestyle.
Andy Frisella is a “best selling author, highly sought after consultant and public speaker.” Many enthusiasts know of the challenge he put forward in 2019 called 75 Hard. His book 75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself is said to help a person gain mental toughness and achieve one’s real potential. 75 Hard became an internet sensation.
When I first heard about it more than a year ago, I knew I would not be successful in completing the 75 Hard Challenge. The challenge is extreme goal setting, with predefined rules. To say you have achieved the goal, you must complete five specified tasks every day for 75 days without fail. No cheat days. No days off. In fact, if you miss one of the tasks on any given day, you must start over to honestly say you completed the 75 Hard Challenge.
The daily rules that must be followed for 75 consecutive days are
- Follow a structured diet without deviations, alcohol, nor cheat meals.
- Two 45-minute workouts per day, one of which must be outside regardless of the weather.
- Drink a gallon of water.
- Read at least ten non-fiction, educational pages geared toward improving your life
- Take a progress picture.
The idea behind the challenge is to build confidence, self-esteem, fortitude and discipline – all great attributes to have.
Much has been written and reported about the value, or lack thereof, of following this program. Some question its extreme rules suggesting it could trigger individuals into making unhealthy decisions. For me, this pointed to the problem the author was trying to address – people need to think for themselves and act accordingly.
I liked the concept if not the actual challenge. Much as a New Year’s resolution or a health and fitness goal, the 75 Hard Challenge is a guideline for a healthy lifestyle focusing on mental, physical, and emotional improvement. So, I built a personal challenge* and set a time-line of 40 days. Additionally, I allowed one cheat day per week. A day off, if you will. A day of rest for my mind and body. I found that day was the hardest! I learned through the process that taking a “me day” was my biggest challenge.
Ultimately, my take-away is this. Evaluate your own needs periodically. Ask yourself what you need, to be the person you wish to be. Then set your own guidelines as goals and work towards achieving those changes in lifestyle. You will come out on the other end proud of your achievement, knowing you did it for yourself.
*My Daily Personal Challenge included riding my exercise bike for at least 30 minutes, drinking a glass of water every 90 minutes, going to bed at approximately the same time every night, and writing a minimum of 1,000 words. I also eliminated take-out food during that 40-day period. Taking a daily picture did NOT make my list!
Silver Sage Sisters 