Controversial topic ahead:
Can we talk about #75hard for a moment? (If you don’t know what this is take a moment and google it)
Even as someone who subscribes to committing with intention to whatever phase you are in, I am unsettled by the idea of 75 hard.
To me, it feels a lot like an ‘all or nothing’ approach in its relentless application of efforts across ALL the levers you could possibly pull, in a a 24 hour period x75 days straight.
Oh and don’t forget the punitive component of starting the clock over completely if you miss one.
Let me just start with this bias...it is my feeling that this challenge is targeting a vulnerable audience. To whom does this appeal to most? Likely the person who loves to push themselves but is also very likely in desperate need of a break. Sadly the one that would probably benefit least from it.
And hey, I get going all in to a training session, your nutrition goals, paying it forward and all the dopamine hits we can get...but to demand them ALL in one day (uh, twice in the workout category?!) seems, well...aggressive at best, but more likely, recklessly negligent to the long term effects on our body’s primal stress response #fightorflight
Here’s the thing. As humans we are gifted with the ability to handle acute stress very well for a period of time, but our ability to adapt is eventually going to tap out in order to guarantee survival.
So...what happens after 75 days?
Ideally...maybe you’ve picked up some great new habits. Maybe you’re damn proud of what you were able to accomplish through physical and mental fortitude. Maybe you even saw some biomarkers improve? All of which would be incredible, hard-earned achievements worth celebrating.
But what happens on day 76? Or 82? Or 365? Where do you go from here?
Are you so over-stressed and under recovered that you ‘give back’ any gains?
Or are you able to methodically scale back, like a reverse diet of sorts, until you reach a sustainable level of commitment to these goals once again?
For most of us, the answer is probably the former.
Having a history where I very much bought into rules of dieting, exercise and ‘the harder it is the better it works’ mentality, I know this is something I would have done 10, maybe even as few as 5 years ago and NOT come out better for it on the other side.
So here is my clap back. It's called ‘minimal effective dose’ (not as catchy, but hear me out).
What if we found the sweet spot in all our mental and physical health protocols that allowed us to do the least amount of work while yielding the most optimal results for our bio individual needs?
Sound like a dream? I don’t think so, especially if you begin by titrating some great habits UP rather than exhausting yourself by grinding into 5th gear right out of the gate.
What if THIS was your personal checklist for the day:
✅ find movement that feels good
✅ eat food that feels good
✅ practice thought work that feels good
✅ do something that makes another feel good
✅ embrace forgiveness and flexibility if something happens that doesn’t feel good
No time stamps, no extremes, no doubles, no starting over if you miss one.
Your training, nutrition and commitments to the world around you need to match up with your life. They need to be sustainable. This is why we don’t want to pull all the levers at one time.
Who wants to try this with me? There are hashtags, selfies or announcements required to participate. I don’t even need an emoji in the comments.
The only way I plan on tracking this is by reflecting in my gratitude journal each night. I like this accountability because in the wise words of @bicepsafterbabies ‘from every action you take you either get the result you want or the lesson you need.’
And I for one would much rather learn from the experiences that honor my body, mind and spirit in a way that feels nonpunitive, inclusive and nurturing.
I’d love to hear your feedback..I know this one is going to ruffle some feathers....
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