What is #75HARD?

Have you seen the #75HARD hashtag on social media? I came across it on a friend's Instagram who has successfully reached Day 5 and was curious as to its meaning. So I did some research, listened to a podcast, and joined a mailing list... and then decided to jump in headfirst and begin the challenge myself. 

Prepare yourself -- #75HARD is no joke! This 75-day program designed by Andy Frisella from the Real AF podcast is a mental challenge to help you "take complete control of your life." 

In Episode 14 of his Real AF podcast, Frisella explained that, following an interview with James "The Iron Cowboy" Lawrence (look this guy up later! seriously cool dude), he had an epiphany that mental toughness is a perishable skill. To have a high level of mental toughness, one must practice the skill consistently. The #75HARD challenge is meant to be a tool to elevate your mental toughness skill set -- or lack thereof. 

The challenge in itself looks simple. Here are its guidelines:

• Follow a diet
• Exercise with two 45-minute workouts daily
• No alcohol or cheat meals
• Take a daily progress picture
• Drink 1 gallon of water a day
• Read 10 pages of a book every day
• If you compromise, substitute, or fail in any way, then you MUST begin again on Day 1.

Simple enough, right? Well, Frisella argues that simple and easy are not the same. #75HARD may be simple to understand, but the difficulty to follow every guideline perfectly for two and a half months is by far the hardest thing he's ever done. However, Frisella also explained in his podcast that the point of the challenge is to help you achieve confidence, self esteem, self-worth, grit, perseverance, and resilience. By pushing yourself to stay committed to these guidelines and to develop discipline even when it gets hard or uncomfortable, once the 75 days are completed, you will be a different person. "Guaranteed."

After listening to the podcast for my first time, I thought the challenge was straight forward. Knowing myself, though, I questioned if I could succeed. I cannot even count the number of times I have began a self-improvement program only to allow myself to modify the challenges, substitute the goals, and ultimately fail in completion. My inner "bitch voice" (verbiage by Frisella) was telling me all the ways I would fail over the next 75 days: I won't be able to enjoy the foods I want, I'll have to find time to workout twice a day, I'll not be able to enjoy wine for the remainder of the summer, I can hardly remember to drink 8 ounces of water a day, I don't like nonfiction books! On and on and on the excuses rolled inside my head. 

I listened to the podcast for a second time as I showered one day. As I listened, again the bitch voice spoke up. "You couldn't possibly succeed with this program." "You don't have the strength to beat yourself!" "You'll be a slave to your own insecurities forever."

But as I got out of the shower, shying from the mirror which showed the magnitude of my discomfort, I had an epiphany -- that little voice in my head is the exact reason why I needed to try #75HARD.

No, not try.

Do. 

I had to do #75HARD.

And so here I am, diving headfirst and telling that little bitchy voice in the back of my mind to shove off. 

Here is how I am going to succeed over the next 75 days:

• Follow a diet. Last week I began the Nutrisystem diet program, and I am going to continue following the diet over the next two plus months. 
• Two 45-minute workouts; one must be outside. For my indoor workouts, I registered for the early release of Beachbody's #mbf and will be completing the 6-week program before moving onto something else. Outdoors, I will enjoy a fast-paced walk daily with my husband and dogs, or an indoor/outdoor cardio challenge on the treadmill and jump roping. 
• No alcohol and no cheat meals. Thankfully, Nutrisystem allows for "Flex Meals" which still have guidelines to eat clean and portion control. I will be staying away from salty treats specifically though as they are a trigger food for me. I'll also be refraining from indulging in Happy Hour while I work at the winery on weekends. The point is to teach me to stay focused on goals I set for myself, and this will definitely be a difficult area for me!
• Take a progress picture every day. I will be posting these daily pictures in my journal entries throughout the challenge.
• Drink one gallon of water. Frisella explains that this guideline is supposed to teach you that sometimes the simplest tasks can be the hardest to do. Drinking water should be instinctual, but not for me. I have gone days without barely drinking anything, let alone water. However, I'm choosing to look at this guideline as not one gallon of water but eight water bottles, which allows for me to pace the process throughout my day and be more successful.
• Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book. My husband and I have been wanting to become better at doing daily devotions together, so this guideline not only improves my focus on achieving goals, but also improving my marriage and my relationship with God. Three birds with one stone, eh?

The fine print also states that there is zero compromise and substitutions. I have until I go to sleep each day to complete this list. If I fail, guess what? I restart at Day 1.

So here I am, stating my commitment to myself over the next 75 days to harness my self-control and learn discipline in a number of areas of my life. 

I got this.