75 Hard Challenge - Day 1

I have finally started (and really started) the 75 hard challenge, but with my own rules. The 75 hard challenge for me will be all about improving my fitness, learning new things and maintaining (and developing) my discipline. I have realised that I love challenges like this because it reminds me so much of school and University, and I really do thrive in a learning environment, so for me challenges like this are super fun!

In this blog I will be listing my rules, reasons why I have chosen these and how I will implement them. I'm not using the usual rules people follow on tiktok as I feel that everyone's needs are so different and a lot of the rules didn't resonate with me e.g. no alcohol for 75 days, I'm not really a drinker aside from a glass of pinot when I'm at a restaurant so there was not much point adding this to my list. Anyway, let's get to the list!

1. Workout every single day

I'm recently recovering from an injury/illness so I haven't been exercising regularly for the past few months, so this is my number 1 rule and is non-negotiable. One of my number one goals for the next 75 days is to improve my fitness, flexibility and overall health.

Workout out will be separate to my daily walk, and this will be either going to the gym, swimming or pilates. I am aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes, however I am not adding a specific target time as it may not always be realistic for me to achieve a minimum hour session.

One thing I really preach is consistency over perfection. I would rather turn up to the gym and do a 20 minute workout instead of deciding it is not worth it because I set a rule for a 1 hour workout, that wouldn't make sense to me and would ultimately defeat the point of the challenge.

2. Morning Journalling

Journalling every morning is a recent addition to my daily routine, and it is something I am looking to implement in the long term. I have started 'The Artist's Way' (linked) and I am just easing my way into it for the time being as I have seen reviews that it can be quite intense emotionally, I'm not quite there yet but I am interested to see how the following weeks unfold.

What I love the most about morning journalling is really getting thoughts to paper and unblocking any mental burdens or blocks. I am someone who constantly has a to-do list in my head where I am constantly looking to check things off so it is nice to unload that pen to paper first thing in the morning and continue with the rest of my day.

I never quite got into journalling previously as I felt I was never doing it 'right', like I believed that it had to be some sort of heavy exercise which required a lot of exploration, and whilst it can be like that in some cases, for me it is way more light hearted for the time being. Sometimes you just need to write about what is on your mind, whether it is work, the day to day mundane or just writing about your day.

Where we are constantly attached to our phones and in a state of 'doom scrolling' it is nice to have that break at the beginning of the day to just allow for continuous writing.

3. Daily Walk (15k steps daily minimum)

A daily walk is core to my everyday routine, as I have a dog, but is is also essential for mental wellbeing and overall health. I used to really underestimate the power of a walk, but there is nothing better than morning walk, especially now that we are in Spring and really just allowing ourselves to be mindful and active.

This walk is also non-negotiable and does not count as my workout for the day, I will usually aim for 30 minutes to an hour and then complete the rest of my steps doing housework and running errands (the steps really do add up!).

Why have I not aimed for 10,000 daily steps? In all honesty, it is very easy for me to achieve 10,000 steps and as mentioned in the opening, it didn't make sense for me to add goals to my 75 hard challenge which are not 'hard' for me. Everyone's definition of hard is different, and 15,000 is where I push myself slightly which is why I set myself on that number. To put into perspective, right now is midday and I am currently on 6,000 steps and haven't completed my daily walk yet so setting 10,000 steps a day just would not be considered a challenge for me.

4. 20-30 pages of reading a day

You should always have a book to hand, whether it is fiction, non-fiction, biography, gardening, whatever! Reading not only improves your vocabulary and speech, but it develops critical thinking, is a fairly cheap hobby that everyone can get into (you can buy great quality second hand books from a charity shops and most books have only been read once).

There are also very important long-term benefits such as stress reduction, which benefits your overall health. There is literally no excuse for somebody not to pick up a book, even 5 pages a day. Future you will thank you if you pick this up as a habit from now!

And that summarises my four main goals for my 75 hard challenge! The goal is to keep it short, and really focus on refining these 4 as core habits for the rest of my life. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you have a to-do list as long as your arm, and 75 hard for me is about using this challenge to implement these goals which I can continue long after the challenge has ended.

I hope you enjoyed and I would love to know about your 75 hard challenge goals!

Argita xo