This time last year, I took on the mental toughness challenge that is known as 75 Hard. For nearly 11 weeks, I followed a strict set of guidelines curated by Andy Frisella, in which every day I “had” to:
·  Drink a gallon of water
·  Pick a diet and follow it (no alcohol allowed)
·  Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book
·  Take a progress photo
·  Complete two 45-minute workouts, with at least 3 hours between them, and one being outside regardless of the weather
True to the name of the challenge, it wasn’t easy. The first week my body felt so stiff due to previous lack of movement that I really had to utilize walking and yoga. In the beginning, I had to set reminders to drink water so that I didn’t leave half of it for the end of the day. Even towards the end of the 75 days I was still fighting some wicked cravings of foods that I couldn’t have. That’s not to say that 75 Hard is a bad thing, in fact, I very much enjoyed the benefits I got out of it. Time management, discipline, strength, new-found hobbies, and even a bit of weight loss were all reflections of the hard work I put into myself. With all the good that came out of this challenge for me, I had a lot of people ask why I’m not doing it again. As much as I’d like to give it another go, and while I can think of 100 reasons to do it, there are so many more not to.
Time
I am not afraid to admit that I do not have the same amount of free time that I did last year. Just because I have the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else doesn’t mean I have the same commitments as everyone else. I am a full-time student who is currently writing a thesis, preparing to begin a master’s program, working two part-time jobs , and giving back to the community multiple days a week. Although I do my best to find 5 hours a week to workout, it doesn’t change the fact that I am out of the house for a minimum of 12 hours per day. Yes, 75 Hard is a mental toughness challenge and it is meant to be hard, but it’s important to remember that it simply isn’t feasible for everyone at any point in time.
It became my entire personality
When I was completing 75 hard, it was all I could think about. Of course, something with so many rules needs to be at the forefront of thought, but it didn’t give me much freedom beyond the challenge. If I had to go to school, I needed to make sure I packed enough food for the day. If I had an 8-hour shift, I had to make sure I woke up early enough to complete a workout before work. If my friends wanted to go out of town, I had to either pack my own food, find the nearest grocery store, or find the “best” fast food option. I wasn’t able to grab a quick meal if plans changed, or go to sleep immediately if I stayed out too long. Not only was it a toll on my life, but on my friends’ lives as well. If we went out to eat, we had to make sure I could eat there under the terms of the challenge. If I spent the day with a friend, I had to ensure I had the time to fit in an extra workout and some reading. Although my friends were very understanding and accommodating, I still ended up saying no more than I would have liked.