Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, purr like a car engine hiss meow slap owner's face at 5am until human fills food dish, lay on arms while you're using the keyboard or destroy couch. stare at wall turn and meow stare at wall some more meow again continue staring. i love cats i am one.
Week 1: February 1-7
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Drink water (3.75L)
Eat healthy! (┨│)
Read & learn (10p)
Exercise OUT (45min)
Exercise IN (45min)
Take a photo (┸┐)
Reflection
Here we are with my first ever attempt at 75HARD. I was pretty excited about the outdoor exercises, but on Tuesday— 30 minutes into the session— I fell down and skinned my knee. It hurt so badly to walk, sit, and even lay down that I decided to take it easy. I'm healed enough now— 6 days later— that I feel ready to get back into it.
Injury notwithstanding, I admit I wasn't trying even half as hard as I needed to. I never once tried to do the indoor exercises. Sometimes I didn't track how many pages I read, so I couldn't tell if I'd read enough. For the most part I remembered to take progress photos, but "didn't care" much if I missed them. Probably because I'm SO [insults here] that I dislike looking at myself. Plus, it feels disingenous to call them "progress photos" when I'm doing nothing to progress!
The bottom line is that, if I want to succeed, I need to put in more effort. The regime is meant to be challenging— participants rise to meet it.
It'd help tremendously if I finished unpacking/organising my room to make space for exercising indoors. While I'm still lacking some furniture, I can just pile everything in the corner instead of the middle of the floor. For the outdoor sessions, I need something more interesting to do than pace in my yard. I'll venture onto the road tomorrow.
What is this?
75HARD is a "transformative mental toughness program" designed by Anthony Frisella. At first glance, it may seem like any other fitness challenge but, while 75HARD will get you physically fit, its true value is exercising your mind. It teaches discipline, resilience, and the value of hard work... exactly what I'm looking to learn!
Why is this?
One thing I dislike about my current personality is my flakiness. There's a tug-of-war between my tendency to overpromise (especially when no one asked) and my overwhelm with the smallest responsibilities. I start projects and never finish them. I feel paralysed with fear when I remember someone is counting on me. I give up on things to get back in bed and cry. It's miserable!
Living this way, I hurt myself and everyone I care about.
In the past, I'd say that I overestimate myself. I rush. I push too hard. My goals are unrealistic. Now, I'd say that, while all that may be true, it's no excuse to quit. If something is worth having— in this case, in the words of Mr. Frisella, "an exceptional life— " then it's worth the effort.
And just because something is difficult doesn't mean it's unenjoyable. I intend to have as much fun with 75HARD as possible! Just making this page was a blast. I created the basic design in April 2024 and now, using PHP I learnt in January 2025, I've made it into everything I hoped it would be. I love that I've taken this gritty, masculine challenge and turned it ultra cute with sticker charts and rainbows, hehe.
Plus, I'm confident that I can do this. Don't get me wrong, 75HARD is supposed to be difficult. Pushing yourself, expanding your comfort zone... that's the whole point! For the past several years, I've drifted from day to day with no structure, no discipline. I don't expect to get this right on my first try. So I'll be learning how to fail gracefully (and allowing you all to watch).
My Daily Tasks
Drink 1 gallon/3.75 litres of water
It sounds like a lot, but this is the amount that I usually drink anyways. Years ago, I gave up juice and soda and... well, literally everything except water, besides the occasional cup of tea. People are always impressed when I tell them this, though it feels like no big deal now! That just shows you what a little discipline can do, right?
With time, every task on this list will feel just as natural for me. I'm looking forward to it~─
Maintain a healthy diet (with colourful, intuitive eating)
75HARD allows you to choose your own diet, so I've chosen no diet. I no longer have problems with food and I refuse to recreate them by making up limits and rules. My guidelines are simple: intuitive eating and colourful plates. I eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full, and consume as many different colours as I can in one day. If my food is white/beige/etc., then I'll pair another colour with it. (The exception is cashews... can't get enough of those, lol.) I love rainbows, so I want my insides to be colourful, too...!
Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book that will better my life
The key to this task is that, once you start reading a book, you gotta finish it. This teaches you how to commit to something even if there's no real harm in stopping halfway. I'm excited to learn how to keep promises to myself and others, no matter how small.
I love to read, too, so this should be a cinch. My genre of choice is already nonfiction. I already love self-help. There are a bunch of books in my backlog that I started but didn't finish, so I'll go through those one at a time.
Knowledge is power!
Exercise for 45 consecutive minutes, twice daily
... and one exercise session has to be outside! To be honest, I put off starting 75HARD until I moved to a quiet street with a private yard because I knew my agoraphobic ass would never get outside otherwise. Now that I'm living in a more comfortable location, I'm ready to learn about other types of discomfort and generally just "feel the burn...."
Obviously I'll eventually need to find a balance between aerobics and strength training, but I'm starting with nightly yoga and morning walks around my yard or the neighbourhood. It's easy, fun, and free!
Take a progress photo (preferably at the same time every day)
You know I love record-keeping, so Mr. Frisella didn't have to sell me on that. I am photo shy, though;;; so I'm excited to get more comfortable seeing myself and— as my mood, health, and self-esteem improve— truly enjoying who I am. Adding stickers to the photos is really fun, too!
Can I do this, too?
Of course you can! You can do whatever the hell you want!!! First, make sure you understand how 75HARD works and decide if it's right for you. I've been aware of this challenge for at least a year but only now decided to pursue it. If you need more time, that's fine. And if you make a webpage to document your journey, please let me know because I'd love to see it and cheer you on! │╂┬
