Last week my post, “I Completed a 75 Hard” was all about how I navigated the many different aspects of 75 Hard and the physical changes that occurred during, at the end of my 75 days. This post is about the immeasurable mental strength I gained, and the lessons I learned.
There were many days during the 75 Hard that I didn’t want to do the workouts but I did them anyways. In life, you’ll always have to do things you don’t want to. It’s called being an adult. The more you practice by forcing yourself to do the things you don’t want to, the better you’ll get at doing things you don’t want to. You might even start to like those things.
I think in many ways we live in a world where we’re bombarded with messages about “doing what you love” or “doing what feels good.” While that all sounds great, the reality is that’s not always possible. You can’t just quit your job because you’re not “feeling it.” You can’t decide to go home and watch TV instead of picking up your kids from school. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to for our own benefit and for the benefit of those we love.
When you complete a task you don’t really want to do for yourself, like a workout (that has amazing benefits), you gain mental and physical strength to take on the other mundane but necessary tasks of the day and deal with the daily pressures of this crazy life with ease.
Naysayers are everywhere. On social media, at work and maybe even in your own family. They’ll come out of the woodwork when you’re trying to do what’s seemingly impossible, like completing a 75 Hard. Not because you can’t do the seemingly impossible but because they know they can’t.
In many ways, people like to “keep you in your place” and many times this isn’t even vindictive in nature. Maybe they’re afraid of losing you if you change too much. Maybe they won’t like the attention you’ll get. Maybe they have low self esteem and need you to feel small so they don’t. Whatever the case may be, it’ll inevitably happen.
The only way to deal with these people is to ignore them. Don’t let them get in your head. When taking on any challenge whether it’s 75 Hard, a new business, or some other huge change in your life, you’re going to have people trying to change your mind or maybe even outright sabotage you. Be on the lookout for those behaviors and know it says more about them, than it does about you.
“The ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses; the ability to pursue what one thinks is right despite temptations to abandon it.” Oxford Languages
I crave self-discipline. The more disciplined I am, the better I feel about myself and my abilities.
Self-discipline is getting off your phone at 10pm and going to sleep so you can get the rest you need to do two workouts the next day. Self-discipline is food prepping on Sunday when you just feel like watching football. It’s saying “no thank you” to people, places and things that don’t serve your goals (like completing a 75 Hard). It’s putting your jacket on in the wind, rain and cold and doing the 45-minute workout outside regardless of the weather.
I fell in love with walking during 75 Hard. I put my headphones on and shut out the (very) noisy world. My neighbors may have thought I was crazy because I “raised the roof,” “fist pumped” and even sometimes danced or sang along the way. It was quality alone time with myself and my thoughts (or no thoughts sometimes). It’s definitely a habit I’ll keep.
Doing 75 Hard with Rob was great. I also had two girlfriends that stuck it out till the end with me. Unless you’re actually doing the program with someone else, it might be hard for others to really understand the why or how behind it. We cheered each other on when we needed a little extra motivation and celebrated the hurdles we overcame along the way.
Sometimes we’re more accountable when other people are counting on us. We’re more uncomfortable not letting others down than we are uncomfortable letting ourselves down. I don’t love that train of thought, but it’s true.
Think about it. How many times do you push aside your own needs for others? Especially if you’re a parent, the answer is often. Which leads me right into the next lesson.
How many times have you said to yourself on a Sunday that Monday was going to be the day that you started working out? Or eating healthy? Or both? If you’re like most people, probably a lot.
Why did you break that promise to yourself? If you told your best friend that you’d take them to the airport at 5am on a Monday, would you just not show up? Of course not.
So why do you keep bailing on yourself? The promises and commitments we make to ourselves are the most important. It builds trust in yourself when you do for yourself what you said you were going to. A habit of breaking these promises creates low self esteem. You feel like a failure. Like you never do what you tell yourself you’re going to.
How do you break this habit? By just doing what you told yourself you would. I committed to 75 Hard in August. I told myself come hell or high water I was going to complete it. Period. Which leads right into the next lesson.
You’re no more stressed or overworked than the next person. Those are the excuses you tell yourself to make yourself feel better about letting yourself down. I know people that run multi-million dollar companies, are active in their kids’ lives and take care of their health and wellness. So can you.
In fact, almost every very financially successful person I know takes great care of their health and wellness. They know if their body and mind isn’t functioning at a high level then they can’t run their business at a high level either.
Life is about prioritizing what needs to get done and doing it. My husband and I are up almost every day by 5am. Getting a workout in before the demands of kids and our work is crucial for us. We know once the day gets started there’ll be inevitable issues that may cause a problem for workouts later in the day, so we get it done early.
If you have time to “Netflix and chill” or scroll Instagram, you have time to make yourself and your health and wellness a priority.
75 Hard was a hard reset for me. Covid lockdowns and the mandates left me feeling out of control, angry, blaming others and 8 lbs heavier. I needed to do something like 75 Hard to get me back on track.
Could I have just started “tweaking” my diet and keep up with my old workout schedule? Yes, I could have and I would’ve seen results, eventually. But I wanted HUGE results so I took HUGE action.
I wanted something that was going to push me, and hold me very accountable. 75 Hard was the answer. The “rules” are very clear. Break them and you start over. I wanted to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I did just that. There were days that I dragged myself out of bed, mumbling under my breath as I got dressed to work out. I was sore, tired, had shin splints and was exhausted on several occasions but I did those workouts.
Completing 75 Hard made me stronger mentally and physically than I’ve been in a long time. I feel more prepared today to tackle the next “pandemic” or election cycle. I’ve realized I can accomplish and overcome anything when I stop making excuses, block out the noise (there’s so much right now), commit and take action.
When things go wrong in my life (which they will, just like they do for everyone else), I’m mentally more prepared to deal with the pressure, come up with a plan and put that plan into action. The problem is only temporary when you act and find solutions. I’m better equipped to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life.
I decide to get up early to go to the gym. I decide whether to eat that cupcake or not. I decide if I’m going to waste my time and energy arguing endlessly on Facebook. No one is in control of my life and my actions except me.
Being in control of my life makes me responsible for everything that happens to me in my life. Which is a good thing. When I remember that I’m responsible for what happens to me, it pushes me to make choices that’ll serve me and my mental and physical wellbeing.
Too many people endlessly blame others for their choices and decisions. They get upset when someone “hurts their feelings” or “drags them into a fight.”
No. You decide to act, react or not react to everything in your life.
Why are you allowing people to “hurt your feelings?” No one can do that without your permission.
No one “drags you into a fight” — you make the conscious decision to engage in it. People use these excuses all the time when it comes to diet and exercise too. No one forces you to eat the donuts in the break room instead of the prepped meal you brought. You make the decision to eat them; you and only you are responsible for that choice. Not the coworker that brought them in to “tempt you.”
Taking on the 75 Hard challenge is for anyone that knows they’re capable of being above average.
Listen, I get it. Between the kids not being in school, the election, work, and the financial, emotional and physical fall out of Covid; we’re tired. We’re actually exhausted and stressed. This is when average people step up and do above average things. I’m better for having done 75 Hard.
Can’t run? Walk. Can’t lift weights? Do body weight exercises.
Is it hard? Yes. Just like everything else in the world that’s worth achieving. People regularly underestimate the amount of time and effort that achieving goals requires. It’s about hard work, sacrifice, accountability, self-discipline and prioritization.
Do you want to be “average” like everyone else? Sailing through life?
Or do you want to see what you’re really capable of when you get uncomfortable?
I don’t want to be like everyone else, I know I can be and perform at an above average level. You’ve got it inside of you too. You’ve just ignored it, shushed it and put it at the back of your mind for too long.
Stop ignoring that little voice that keeps telling you you’re capable of more than average, that you can do great things. Make a commitment, do a challenge (if not 75 Hard, try something else!), and push yourself out of this mediocrity that seems to be the “new normal.”
