Eighty-one days ago, on March 2nd, I started my 75 Hard Journey. Today it is coming to an end. Officially, I did not complete the challenge. I failed on three separate occasions, to no fault of my own. Even though I did not successfully complete the challenge, I learned a lot about health, lifestyle, and my own physical and mental limits. The challenge is intended to push you mentally to become a better version of yourself. Even though I failed three times, I feel like I ultimately have grown substantially and become a better person.
I failed for the third time last week. I traveled west to Denver to spend a week with my best friend and celebrate her birthday. I kept most of the requirements each day, but there were a few days in which I did not complete either my reading or my workouts. Oh well. Life is short, and time is fleeting. To me, making the most out of the little bit of time that you have with people you love is what this crazy thing that we call life is all about. I did that last week, so I’m happy. We had a fantastic week together. Now I am back home and trying to figure out the next step in the process.
Over the past three months, I lost fifteen pounds. I went from 190 to 175, which is the least I have weighed since probably my first year of high school. I am easily in the best shape I have ever been in. Today I ran my fastest mile (which is nothing crazy, 6’55”). Two weeks ago, I ran four miles at a 9′ per mile pace. This is something I have never been able to do before. I have a much better relationship with food. I eat until I am whole. I eat lots of fruits (and am working on the vegetable part). I read ten pages daily. I write online and in private. I have increased the quality of my personal relationships. I meditate and have been able to find inner peace (for the most part). I’m happy with where I’m at, especially in comparison to a year ago.
The question is, where do I go from here?
I have been thinking about this a lot since I got back home. I know that I want the principles of 75 Har to remain in place, but I also do not want to stress out about missing something in a day. Life gets hectic sometimes. Somedays, you’re on the move from sun up to sundown. It’s okay to slip up, but the important thing is that you get right back up. So, where do I go from here?
Win The Morning
You always hear uber-successful people talking about getting up early and conquering the morning to get yourself off on the right foot to start each day. From now on, that is one of my primary goals. Simple. Win the morning. But what does that look like? Everyone is different, but I think that implies the major self-care topics that I discuss here often. Exercise, meditation, reading, and writing. If I get up early each day and do these things before my actual day starts, I feel as if it will be fuel to crush the day in front of me. The hardest part for me is getting to bed early enough to get enough sleep to make this a reality. So the problem is a simple one to fix, get my ass to bed at a good time. At this point, I don’t see the need to make time for two exercises a day, as long as the first is intentional in what I want to improve about my body. Whether that is physical strength, cardiovascular, or sport-specific (soccer).
Now that I am at a healthy weight and feel good about my cardiovascular health, I believe that it is time to start adding muscle mass to help protect my skeleton. I do not know much about weight lifting, but luckily, I have friends and endless resources that I can learn from to start implementing a weight lifting regimen each week. I have never wished to look like a bodybuilder, but that doesn’t mean I can’t or shouldn’t lift. Lifting weights is challenging. Doing hard things is good for you.
I was bound and determined to finish 75 Hard, but ultimately I fell short. I’m still incredibly thankful that I attempted it, and I’ll never forget this period in my life. I’m excited about the future and looking forward to bettering myself each day. As long as we try our best each day, that is really all you can ask for. Thank you, Andy Frisella. I failed your program, but I still feel like I got the most out of it that I possibly could have.
Footy Foster 