“Hard” means a challenge, it means that when we succeed we absolutely are the most awesome human ever, right?! I’m here to say that “hard” isn’t always better. I’m looking at you, 75 Hard challenge. The 75 Hard Challenge has claimed many a victim, I have seen well-intended clients, friends, and even health professionals get roped into it. The premise of the 75 Hard Challenge is to create a life that will deliver everything you want…in 75 days, of course.
If you aren’t familiar with it, let me enlighten you.
- You choose a diet, whichever you want, and then for 75 days you adhere to it every single day, with as the “creator” of the challenge says; ZERO cheat days with no alcohol. I am assuming most folks pick a typical ultra-restrictive diet, but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe folks pick a balanced, moderate diet. I sure hope so.
- The next thing you do is you find a book that fits under personal development and or entrepreneurial and you read 10 pages every day. I like this, as a fan of books I’m all for it, but is this realistic for everyone?
- Let’s not forget you also pick 2 – 45 minute workouts EVERY single day. One you MUST do outside, weather, safety, location be damned. I mean hurricane, snowstorm, fire, smoke, dangerous neighborhood, who cares? The 75 Hard creator dude said you gotta make it happen.
- I mean, what’s a challenge if we don’t throw in drinking water. So for the next 75 days, it’s a gallon daily. Yep, a whole gallon. Even if you barely drink any water currently, you will surely be able to keep up with a gallon over the course of this “adventure”.
- Then somewhere into the mix, the creator of the challenge feels that your life will be inherently better by adding in a 5-minute cold shower every day. Nothing says self-love and personal development like a cold shower.
- And, if you need a daily reminder of how your life is improving, you also take a daily progress photo. That’s KEY, because how else will you adhere to these arbitrary and ridiculous rules if you aren’t reminded daily that your worth is based on your appearance.
Does this anger me? ABSO-EFFIN-LUTELY! This is yet again a misleading nonsensical plan on how to improve your life. I believe the creator throws in the book requirement just so that it appears slightly less vapid.
I don’t blame the folks that get wrapped into it, as humans we want to succeed, we want to know that we can do hard things. I’m here to tell you, my friend. If you are alive and not some kind of rare unicorn of nature, I can guarantee that life has already proven to you that you are capable of doing hard things. You have likely suffered a loss in one way or the other, disappointments, heartbreak, illness, and the list goes on.
You are a survivor, you don’t need a bullshit “hard” challenge. You don’t need a drill sergeant calling you a worthless maggot when you “fail” the third day into this overly-restrictive, unsustainable 75-day challenge. You need to apply compassion, give yourself grace, yes, eat better to fuel that incredible body of yours, exercise to celebrate movement, read to inspire and move your soul, drink water, yes, girl this one I know you need to do, but it doesn’t have to be a gallon, just hydrate, take photos to remind yourself of sunsets and marvel at the beauty of the world around you, and then screw the cold shower. Nobody needs a cold shower to prove that they can do hard things. That’s just plain dumb.