So I blogged about not finding the 75 Hard Challenge a meaningful challenge for me, while at the same time cheering on friends who’ve taken it on. In the comments a friend and blog follower, Liz G, posted her version of a doable version for her and that prompted the other bloggers to chime in. Here are our versions of our own 75 day challenge. Enjoy!
Liz G
Here’s a do-able interpretation (except the “if you miss one thing you must start over–that’s just silly): 1. Diet: my normal diet (mostly vegan, but “imperfectly” or “undercommitted” so as to not make me have obsession issues)–I don’t drink much so the no alcohol thing isn’t really an issue. 2. Factor in all of the water in my coffee, tea, etc. I think a gallon is achievable. 3. Workout #1: 30 second plank or calf raises or similar; workout #2: bike commute or dog walk or PT (which can be exclusively standing on one foot while brushing teeth). 4. Since I read nonfiction for work, I think I’d modify to 10 pages fiction or nonfiction/non-work. Audiobooks count. Books by comedians count (these are my favorite nonfiction books). 5. Progress photo can be of a page of a book, of 52hike challenge calendar, of food or drink from that day, of the sunset. No need to interpret as some kind of “before/after” body photo.
Cate
Every day for 75 days I can: close my apple watch rings in some way (425 active calories/ 45 exercise minutes); do my dishes; maintain my duolingo, NYT crossword and worldle streaks; spend at least 20 minutes outside; floss.
In fact, in honour of this challenge, I’ll up the active calories by 50 — very easy to do on any day where I actually cycle or run — a bit harder on a “yoga and walking” day.
I’m also going to add this — despite having been a Voracious Reader my whole life, my middle aged ADHD and screen-centred ness has put too much of my reading into the Internet and audio books. I am committing to reading an actual book with my EYES for 15 minutes a day for 75 days. THERE.
(It can be an e-book but not an audio book)
Mina
1. write, even for 5 minutes
2. do my brain training exercise at least three times (total 6 minutes minimum)
3. do pull ups or plank sequence
4. get back to more disciplined daily meditation (5 mins counts!)
5. say “I love you” to someone, and that someone might even be me
Catherine
I also love that we are voting no on restarting. Here’s my list: One: Meditate 10 minutes sitting on my bolster (or cushion/floor if out of town)
Two: Write and/or draw and/or do some craft thing for total of 30 minutes
Three: Read a book (kindle or paper) for 30 minutes
Four: Get outside to walk, do errands or visit people every single day (this one is hard, but I want to work on it)
Five: each week 1) ride my bike, AND 2) go to yoga class in person, AND 3) do strength/PT exercises; OR 4) swim, which can substitute for any of the previous three)
Six: Declutter or tidy or fold or wash something for 5—10 minutes
Seven: remember to wake up with gratitude for my lovely life
Elan
Before starting my day: 1 glass of water
Before sitting down to work: 4 stretches my physiotherapist suggested
Before a drink: 1 more glass of water
While I am doing a thing: Notice my negative self-talk
After doing a thing: Appreciate a body of which 92% doesn’t hurt on a regular basis
Martha
1. Learn how to use (and actually use) my new water flosser
2. Walk every day for 30 minutes
3. Make something (sewing, drawing, or collage)
4. Clean for one hour (I’m embarking on a top to bottom wholesale purge of my house)
5. Write personal notes to my far away friends.
Christine
1. Do an Index Card a Day drawing (the challenge is only 61 days long but I’ll add a few)
2. 5 minutes of stretches before bed
3. 10 minutes of writing
4. 1 minute of decluttering
5. Jot down daily notes (Not journaling, I already do that. More like a daily log of activities.)
I’m glad we are opting out of going hard and especially that we are voting no on restarting. That’s great for people who thrive on that sort of thing but it’s the opposite of how I like to operate.
Nicole
1. Move my body. Still running/walking/lifting but that can change for reasons unknown to me at the moment.
2. Do a balancing and/or grounding move or two for my vestibular issues.
3. Call my Mom (hopefully).
4. Ask someone else (husband, friend, colleague) what I can do for them.
5. Give myself and others grace in an achievement oriented world (a reader mentioned something similar to this on FB post and I agree)
Diane
1) do some sort of movement for at least 20 minutes every day
2) 15 minutes worth of housework/gardening/decluttering
3) my daily puzzles (Wordle, Spelling Bee, Nerdle, Flaggle, Connections, Canuckle, two geography-based ones and Metazooa)
4) 15 minutes of some sort of art/sewing/craft or reading about history, and my Duolingo homework
5) at least once a week, cook a recipe I have never tried before. I know that’s not a daily thing, but it often involves figuring out what I have on hand or in my garden, shopping for ingredients I might need, figuring out which recipe to use, actually cooking it and making notes of tweaks I would give it if using again.
Sam
There are other streaks on-going, such as Wordle and Duolingo.
There are other goals too. I also aim to get 8 hours sleep a night, read 25 books a year, work out 224 times in 2024, and ride 5000 km a year. I do a monthly check in here on the blog about these activities.
But these are five things I’d like to focus on for the summer.
How about you? What are five things you’d find it helpful to pledge to do every day for 75 days?
