11 Observations from Crushing #75Hard challenge

I recently completed the 75Hard Challenge after numerous failed attempts previously. I planned out the days and finished on my 45^th Birthday! Below are some lessons I learned along the way. If you’re considering taking on this challenge, these are for you!

Plan for it; don’t just jump in.

I attempted 75Hard several times, so I knew what I was getting myself into and was mentally prepared. Each of these lessons learned mainly was picked up during previous failures. Going into this successful attempt, I knew my weaknesses and had a solid plan. For example, I had a consistent schedule (not as much travel to work around). I had a consistent work schedule. I structured my workday around my gym schedule and workouts. I planned out when my 75 days would start and end and aligned it with significant life and work events. I set myself up for success.

Lesson learned: Plan out when you’ll start the challenge, when you’ll finish, and what significant life, work and social events will occur during the challenge.

Read the 75Hard book.

Read Andy Frisella’s book, 75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War With Yourself. I recommend reading it before you start to help you plan your challenge. The book provides a comprehensive guide to the challenge, including the rules, the mindset, and the strategies for success. It also shares Andy’s experiences and insights, which can be inspiring and motivating. Also, sign up for the podcasts and emails while you’re at it. Every little bit of information is helpful and helps keep you focused. The book and podcast help prevent you from looking for shortcuts.

Lesson learned: The more you know about the challenge, listen to Andy and read success stories, the better your mind will prepare you for success.

Don’t cheat yourself.

I could have pushed myself harder! I’ve reached a point where I’m not trying to prove anything to myself and trying not to create any unnecessary injuries. However, at the end of the challenge, I still had a lot of gas left in the tank. While I may not have pushed myself harder initially, I could have intentionally phased in more challenging workouts or increased my scale over the 75 days. I set daily exercise goals but didn’t set a target distance for running or lifting. I should have. There is a delicate balance between going too hard, forcing yourself out of the game early, taking it easy on yourself, and cruising to the finish line. Another benefit of my failed attempts was knowing what too hard felt like. Overall, I’m happy with my effort and don’t have any regrets.

Lesson learned: Don’t forget to challenge yourself! Listen to your body and make adjustments so you can feel proud of yourself at the end of the challenge.

Plan your meals.

Be intentional with your meal plan. Sticking to a diet is a significant part of this challenge. Not only do you need to understand your diet, but you need to understand your meal plan. This means knowing what foods to eat, when, and how they will fuel your body for the workouts. I recommend using a diet you have already experimented with rather than trying something new. Not knowing how your body will react to a diet is not a smart course of action for this challenge. Once you have decided on your diet, have a solid meal plan. How will you prepare and cook your meals? Will you prep your meals? Cook every day? Order pre-made meals? This isn’t something to figure out along the way. Lack of planning will likely lead to failure.

Lesson learned: Have a written plan for shopping for and preparing meals. Don’t wait to see what’s on the menu in the cafeteria or what’s on sale at the grocery store.

Have a good plan for the weekends.

It was easy for me to follow a structured schedule throughout the work week. I got up at the same time every morning, went to the gym, went to work, ate meals, did an afternoon workout, went to bed…all about the same time. But on the weekends, I always had a different schedule, whether it was an event, traveling, sleeping in, etc. I found it was much harder to get everything in without a weekend routine. I set specific times for my meals and workouts to overcome this, just like during the week. I even had a plan for when I would read and how I would get my water intake. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Lesson learned: Treat the weekends like another workday. Set your alarm, get up, work out and follow a schedule. You can have your weekends back after the crush this challenge!

Have a good plan for when you travel.

Like having a plan for the weekend, I had to have a plan for traveling. My plan included meals, sleep, workouts, taking my daily pictures, etc. All of this is challenging, and planning is crucial. For instance, when I had to travel for work, I booked a hotel with a gym and planned my meals. I also packed my workout clothes and equipment, so I had no excuse to skip a workout. It’s all about being prepared and committed to the challenge. Once you get settled into your routine, a simple day trip or week-long travel can derail all your progress unless you plan for it.

Lesson learned: Plan every trip detail to ensure you can complete your daily tasks.

Know yourself!

For me, I had to do my workouts early. With two workouts, I couldn’t wait around to start. I had to get one knocked out to start my day and immediately start the second workout when I got home. I couldn’t relax or get sidetracked. If I put off my workouts, I knew I would fail (and I did in all my previous attempts). I also couldn’t have snacks or sweets lying around. I love food, and I love eating! I had to shop with intention and couldn’t buy anything extra. I purchased my main meals, and that was it. No snacks, no desserts, no drinks, nothing. It worked…I didn’t have anything to snack on when I had cravings; eventually, I stopped. Knowing these things about myself helped me stay disciplined and focused throughout the challenge.

Lesson learned: Take an honest look at yourself, your habits and weaknesses, and plan accordingly. Know what you can handle and what you can’t handle, and find ways to ensure you can be successful. Create a plan that works for you.

Get plenty of sleep.

I was very disciplined with my sleep schedule which helped me throughout the challenge. I got up each morning at 4:00 (later changed to 3:30) and was at the gym by 5:00 am. I was also in bed by 7:30 on most nights. This ensured I got 8 hours of sleep every night. I can tell you this became the best part of the challenge. My body loved 8 hours and rewarded me for it. My recovery from my workouts was much better, and my body burned fuel much better as I slept better. The challenge is hard enough without punishing yourself with lack of sleep.

Lesson learned: Give yourself plenty of sleep. You need it.

Have multiple books to read.

Along with setting goals, plan what books you are going to read. You’ll find that the books are engaging and enjoyable, and you read through them quickly, or they’re not good reads, and you’re left looking for replacements.

Lesson learned: Have several books ready to go. Pre-read a chapter or two so you know your interest level going in.

Have an accountability plan.

An accountability plan is essential, especially if you don’t think it is. Whether you do the challenge as a group, a friend or co-worker to keep you accountable or use social media updates, you must have a plan to keep you on track. If you decide you don’t want to make a big deal out of it and keep the challenge to yourself, you run the risk of quitting on yourself. The hardest part for me was deciding to go “public” with the challenge. What if I fail? What if I don’t want people in my business? What will people say about me? You may have all these thoughts discouraging you from having people holding you accountable.

But on the flip side, I received so many messages from people encouraging me along the way and other messages thanking me for inspiring them! That reciprocal motivation was fuel to drive me through the finish line. An accountability plan can significantly impact your motivation and commitment to the challenge.

Lesson learned: We need people, whether we want to admit it or not. Find people who can motivate you and hold you accountable.

It’s HARD…for a reason.

Just follow the steps and do the challenge. If you’re looking for cheat codes and shortcuts, you’re not ready for the challenge. It is supposed to be hard, and you should feel like quitting; that’s the idea. Push yourself and challenge yourself beyond what you know. You may look at the challenge and think it is easy (I know I did). It may be easy, but 75 days is a long commitment, requiring sacrifice and fortitude. You’ll feel proud of the accomplishment when it is all said and done.

Lesson learned: Don’t fool yourself into thinking this isn’t hard. Expect it to be hard, and surprise yourself when you crush it!

If you decide to take on this challenge for the first or fifth time, I wish you the best! Let me know if you need an accountability partner.