Wouldn’t you like to kickstart the new year by becoming your best self? – Leaving behind in 2023 your insecurity and self-doubt and starting to build an ego of mental strength. 75 Hard is a challenge created in 2019 by Andy Frisella, stretching one’s endurance, confidence and forbearance over 75 days. The intention is primarily, to improve your ‘mental toughness’ and to rip apart uncertainty. 

The programme pivots over a criterion of 5 instructions: 

  • Follow any diet and do not be tempted into alcohol or cheat days.
  • Exercise twice, one of them being outside. 
  • Drink one gallon of water (3.8 Litres).
  • Read 10 pages of a nonfiction, self-improvement book.
  • Take a progress picture every day. 

The standpoint is, that if any of these daily rules were not met or had been broken, you must restart the loop and draw back to square one. The intention toward this challenge is not to lose weight or fit into a trended complexion but instead, to build a mental tolerance and discipline whilst restricting and exerting yourself for these 2.5 months. The conquest can be accomplished whenever but since we are entering the clean slate of a New Year, it is the adequate time to construct a levitation of pride and set off that ‘New year, New you’ look!

The main goal towards 75 Hard after completion is to slowly evolve these habits into your lifestyle and to core your focus onto your physical and mental health and each component of the criteria is significant to reach this. 

Drinking a gallon of water, a day is evident to sustain energy, providing better sleep and assisting to help cut unhealthy drink alternatives. Reading 10+ pages of a nonfiction book is remarkable to raise your intellect and mould the brain to become more buoyant (,‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear is an outstanding example of a ‘self-improvement book’). The benefit towards exercising is momentous to your heart, blood flow and stamina, especially as the habit of exercising can immensely improve one’s confidence and force us outside our comfort zone. Dieting can be difficult, and it is important to choose a diet that does not depend on fixating on calories and building into eating disorder tendencies once a sensible diet is chosen e.g. a Mediterranean diet or cutting sugars. 

For those who are on a tight schedule and would a more flexible challenge, they may participate in the 75 soft challenge which is also, extremely rewarding. The criteria are similar and allow for leeway as the programme is as follows:

  • Eat well, you do not have to stick to a diet and alcohol is allowed on celebratory occasions. 
  • Exercise for 45 minutes a day, with one day as recovery.
  • Drink 3 Litres.
  • Read ten pages of a book of your choice (Fiction is allowed).

There is no excuse not to kick start 2024 altruistic and end the year as the best version of yourself.  Good luck and enjoy the challenge, you may learn more about yourself!