75 Hard Challenge #75Hard

If you haven't heard much from me lately, it's because I've been BUSY!

Busy doing #75Hard!

75 is a crazy-intense-life-changing-awesome "mental toughness" challenge.  I've read that only 1% of people who attempt this challenge complete it...and your girl here got herself in that 1%.

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1. The 75 Hard Challenge - the overview

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you have probably seen me post non-stop about 75 Hard most recently. This challenge is what has been on my mind.

I'm not even sure how I first heard about it or what initially got me interested in participating, but at some point, 3 months ago, I decided to give it a try.   

Look, I LOVE challenges.  I have been creating challenges for myself and others for over a DECADE.  Yes, a decade! However, before this challenge, I have never enjoyed challenges created by others because, frankly, most of them suck.  Most "challenges" created by "experts" are just random assignments put together without any logical order, progression, or understanding in the psychology of motivation or habit formation.  Of course, the challenges I create all consider those factors. :)

And this challenge I attempted, created by Andy Frisella, is a good one as well!

The challenge lasts for 75 CONSECUTIVE days.  
Here are the daily tasks:

1. Follow a diet (you choose your diet and stick to it)
2. 2 separate 45-Minute workouts (at least 3 hours apart).  At least one of the workouts MUST be outdoors.
3. No alcohol or cheat meals
4. Take a progress picture
5. Drink 1 gallon of water
6. Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book focusing on business or personal growth.

And that's it!
Before I go on...
Does this list seem easy or hard to you?

I am inquisitive to know what you think.  Hit a quick reply and let me know your initial thoughts on the assignments.

Plus, now you know the challenge.  If you want to jump on board and try it yourself, go for it.

2. My experience 

The challenge was HARD!  (Thus the title, 75 Hard)

Each assignment had its own "hard" element to it.  

For example, working out outdoors can be challenging at times.  
What happens when there is a heatwave?  
Or when it's raining? 
Or if it's super windy, cold, or icy, or flooding, or... "unfavorable weather conditions"?

The answer is, you go outside ("like a crazy person," as my husband defined it), and you do your workout anyway!  

With time you get used to the outdoors, regardless of the weather.  The environment no longer affects you as much as it used to.  You get more focused and more "mentally tough," which is the real goal of this challenge.

And to confirm, yes, I have worked out in the rainstorms we have recently had in New York.

Drinking so much water has some challenges, too.  
What if you are not thirsty?
Or you don't like plain water?
Or do you have to use the bathroom non-stop from drinking so much?

With time your body gets used to the water intake also.  
Plus, when you are working out 2x every day (as the challenge requires), you sweat more and thus need more water to stay hydrated.  You get more organized by starting to drink early in the day and not leaving it all for the last minute.

Following a diet can be slightly uneasy, but the good news is that YOU select your own diet.  Mine was intermittent fasting, plus NO sugar, no coffee, and nothing made with white flour.  I went pretty intense with this, BUT I have been doing nutrition-related challenges for years, and I was ready.

While each task has some slight challenge to it, the hard part was not the actual assignments.  The hard part was the CONSISTENCY.

I can do anything - for a day.
And so can you, by the way.

The hard part was to do it for 75 consecutive days.  If you skipped a single assignment on any day for any reason, you go back to day 1!

This was my 3rd attempt to do the challenge, by the way.  The first time I went for it, I failed on day 1.  I could not get through it all.  The next day I started again from the beginning and only got a few days into it, and then forgot to do one of the assignments. Guess what?  Back to day 1!   

And then, on attempt #3 - I stayed consistent and finished the full challenge.

I feel so proud of myself.
So much stronger, fitter, and mentally tough.

If these intense challenges are your thing, I highly recommend this one.

If it's just too much for you, and I get it, it's NOT for most people, then try an easier challenge.  I'm relaunching my signature program, "The Easy H2O Cleanse," for energy, beauty, and weight management.  No exercise is required.  If you want more info, email me.  It's much easier, fits into a busy woman's schedule perfectly, and is totally effective.

Let's summarize the life lessons from all of the above...

3. Life Lessons

1.  When you take on a challenge (of any kind), you build your own self-confidence.  

What goal, pursuit, or challenge are you excited to pursue?

2. Consistency is key.  It's not about doing something once or twice.  It's about doing it many, many, many times - in a row.

Whatever goal you are working on, work on it consistently.  It can mean every day, or every morning, or a few times throughout the day, or every weekday.  Decide what's relevant to your situation and stick with it.

3. If you fail, try again, right away.  
I failed on my first attempt of 75 Hard.  I started over the very next day.  

If you get a rejection or your tech breaks, or an unexpected problem occurs, or someone says something negative that puts doubt in your mind, and you get off track....shake all of it off, and start again fresh the very next day.

4. You don't know what will be easy for you and what will be hard for you until you try it.  Reading 10 pages every day was super hard for me.  It makes no sense because I love to read.  But I usually binge-read 50 pages and then pause for a week.  The rules for the challenge were different.  

On the other hand, working out outdoors felt impossible, and yet toward the end of the challenge being fearless enough to be the ONLY person outside during a storm or while it's raining heavy turned out to be a highlight of this challenge.

5. You can do more than you know.

I initially didn't tell anyone about this challenge except my husband, a close friend who I convinced to try it as well, and my mother-in-law, to whom I had to explain why I'm not eating her delicious homemade goodies (no sugar for me, remember?)

I didn't write about it in my newsletter or share it on social media at first.  Do you know why?  I thought I would fail.  I gave it my all, I was hoping to get through it, but I did doubt myself.  "No excuses," "you can do it," and "get tough" were my mantras to push me.

6.  Find a support group

I joined a Facebook group of others doing the challenge.  And I had tremendous support from my husband - and about 3 weeks into it - even my kids were cheering me on!  
Create a positive support circle around yourself for any goal you pursue.

In summary:
We all are capable of doing more than we know.  Just stay consistent; if you fail, start again and don't give up, find a support group (or create your own) - because the rewards are: confidence, energy, focus, well-being, mental toughness, inner strength.    

And yet, we are always a work in progress, and there is always more growth.  No challenge, course, or program solves every problem and makes your every wish come true.  That's why I use the word "upgrading."  I'm on the next level from before, but I still have many stairs to go.

Thank you for reading!
I plan to be back in your inbox next week.

You are strong, you are beautiful, and you are worthy of happiness.
#friendlyreminder 

Love, 
Nelly





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