Focus: Getting Started, Buddy System, and Marriage Benefits
How it all started
My husband actually introduced this program and started 75Hard to help instill more discipline in his day to day. It was going to be a necessary reset for him in his eyes, since he’s working for himself and would have to set his own parameters for productivity.
He read the book 75Hard, listened to the Andy Frisella podcasts and told me it was a way for him to stop making excuses and take a more holistic approach to mental fortitude in fitness, learning, daily movement and overall time management.
Mind you, my husband is already in great shape from his years in sports and lifting and a pristine chef! He’s just a “let’s just do it tomorrow” kind of guy when conditions aren’t ideal. And he’s looking to change that about himself. Why wait for tomorrow when it’s more beneficial to get it done today.
At first I decided to do my own version based off the principles of the book Atomic Habits. I called mine Anam75Atomic. But 2 days in, I realized I should really just give it a try and be a true companion to him in this endeavor. I noticed once I did, he didn’t have to start over as he did in the first two days on his own.
I already was doing most of the rules, except for progress pics everyday. So I made the concerted decision to do 75Hard plus the habits I really have been meaning to work on daily.
Additionally, I would recommend to just try the 75Hard as it is instead of the 75Soft. If it’s the outdoor workout–keep it simple make it a walk. If it’s the indoor walk out just do some Barre or Zumba Youtube dance classes! I think if you manage your time well you can do this (meal prep ahead of time, 10 min cleaning daily etc).
The Program and My Tracker
The 75Hard Daily Habits
The program is described in the image here. If you forget one thing at all, YOU MUST start over. It’s about integrity. And those who have truly completed it have changed from their core. So the 75Hard community can tell if you faked it. Plus it’s doing a disservice to yourself if you lie to yourself about an accomplishment, that’s not good for your overall mental health and self image.
My Add-ons
I added on a few things that I feel I lacked the discipline to accomplish everyday.
Specifically it was the following:
- Cleaning/organizing everyday for 15 mins so things didn’t pile up for designated clean days.
- No intentional sugar (chocolate, dried fruit, ice cream). I had to include this because I would’ve somehow justified dark chocolate in the clean diet requirement for 75Hard. And I know dark chocolate is actually good for your heart but the hold sea salt dark chocolate has on me is indescribable. I needed to practice some restraint.
- Walk 15k steps so that I can have more movement and lose the extra 15lbs I put on rapidly during my house renovations and big move to Texas. Without this goal, I move on average 5-7k steps a day.
- Blogging for minimum 25minutes (includes picture add-ons, research, and actual writing). This allows me to work on the blog on a consistent basis, the smaller time limit makes it doable. For weekdays, I usually end up writing for 30-40 mins in the evenings (9:15pm-10pm). For weekdays, I’ll spend 2 hours instead of the usual 5 I was spending (which takes away from other creative fun tasks I can be doing on my time off).
- Have one Pin published daily. I did this practice once again to stay consistent this blog and make the task doable. It now takes me about 10 minutes or so to find a picture and use a Canva template for pin creation/editing.
I tend to get distracted and often times will leave tasks to designated days but then it will seem like unsurmountable work. I much rather do 15-25 mins of work daily so it’s a lower threshold for me to start and believe it’s doable.
Everyday App
I am not sponsored by them, I just set out to find a minimalist beautiful tracker app and this truly did the trick for me. It helps you see your progress and you don’t want to break the color matrix chain by missing one habit.
How the Everyday app helps me
And for me, since I am SO forgetful, it helps me remember what I have left to do that day. My phone is always with me so there’s no running over to my diary, planner or time blocking in my calendar. I just simply click the box and the color bubbles in. I love the simplicity. I often check the tracker around 6pm and see what’s left in case I start mixing up the days.
Everyday App Pricing and Value
There is a 7 day free trial to try this app out. I like it because I can enter my own tasks, colors, and click the boxes for the color to be filled in when I have completed the habit. Otherwise, I believe it’s approx $7/month or $29.99 for the year. I think it’s well worth it if you’re serious about tracking your habits to finally accomplish your goals you’ve been setting every year. In the Learn section, they also provide a bunch of videos and readings that reinforce the habit mechanisms and psychology.
The Buddy System
Having my husband as my challenge buddy has been great for us, and it’s actually sparking us to be more creative and regain focus & resolve in other areas in our lives!
I would highly recommend getting your family member, friend or coworker involved in this challenge. It works wonders when you have a solid community. I would even consider joining a 75Hard online community to get some positive feedback along the journey. You rise with more consistency when others around you have the same mindset to succeed. You don’t try this program. You just DO it.
Just stay away from the critics and the naysayers. You are doing this for YOU.
Everyone’s mindset, predispositions and biases are different. YOU decide if you lack discipline and give this program an honest full try while showing common sense on days you need recovery (stretch for 45 mins and walk the other 45mins!). If you can’t get anyone to commit, that’s okay. They might jump in later as they see you start succeeding and committing. I would also recommend listening to uplifting podcasts and those successors of 75Hard. Here are some here so you don’t feel like it’s just you alone:
Podcasts from the 75Hard Community:
Real AF with Andy Frissella #75Hard Interview Series–these are inspiring transformational stories. And sometimes it addresses how to deal with people who are negative and discouraging you.
75Hard Daily–this host Jonathan McLean documents his progress by creating a podcast for each day of the challenge. He talks about the emotional process, the mental discoveries and his on add-on habits for the challenge.
Destination Begin: 75Hard. Host speaks with another 75Hard Alumni who is prior Marine and talk about their respective diet approaches, how their bodies changed even as already fit people, and how they had to budget their time.
How to Utilize 75Hard to Bring More Quality Time in your Marriage
Option 1: Full Program Partner
So it’s real simple, you do the challenge together so you have an accountability buddy.
Benefits:
It makes you feel less alone. You check up on each other to see where the other one is at in their challenge to-dos. It’s definitely a nice to have because it builds like a sense of camaraderie and team building mindset between you two. Much like what the Army tries to instill in you while you’re in boot camp or doing physical training challenges together.
Since he’s a veteran and I’m active duty, we both are kind of thriving in this mental fortitude challenge. We also push each other when one is slipping into the numbing “I don’t want to do anything” mood. That mood hit me on my 7th day but Jesse was like come on pick a workout that’s easier on your body today. I picked yoga, and then went into a more strenuous barre workout using Youtube once I regained some endorphins.
Option 2: Walking/Outdoor Workout Buddy
You can also just choose to do the outside workout together. I would recommend walking because it’s a time where you are not on your phones; you’re just moving and catching up with each other current fixations or goals for 45 mins.
Benefits:
We share different things we’ve been listening or reading too lately (especially since we’re reading different books during the challenge). We share our thoughts on the current news and our predictions of the economic impact. We would talk about our plans together in respect to where we are now. We talk about hurdles we are coming across with our passion projects (his plant business and my blogging business).
We take in ideas from the environment as well. We observe our the neighborhood and look at other people’s yards and it sparks ideas for our home. We also now look for trails and nearby parks to do our walks for change of scenery. So we’re exploring more for sure!
Our walks just made our conversations so much more meaningful and it’s quality time with my husband that I truly look forward to.
Overall Week 1 Thoughts & Routine
You get exhausted and learn that you definitely can not be so passive about your time usage. You start to realize that you can’t wait until 7pm to finish all your 75Hard to-dos or else you’ll be up late trying to finish!
So I’m slowly becoming better at front-loading my workouts, progress pics and the add-on habits.
- I do progress pictures first thing in the morning before I get dressed for work.
- Indoor workout with my husband at 5pm was at the gym (rest-like days are Barre, Yoga, and Pilates).
- Water was 50oz throughout the day before the 5pm gym time, 50oz during the gym, 28 oz after the walk.
- Outdoor workout is done once the sun goes down (we’re in Texas) at 8pm.
- Read the Nonfiction book before bed (Atomic Habits was a must for honing in habit psychology & execution).
Overall, you start believing in yourself and having more self-confidence. You slowly start to believe you can set your mind to anything. I started thinking of other things I can incorporate after this challenge is over. You feel more equipped with the newly developed time management skills and a no-excuses attitude.
You start to believe in yourself.
