BY CHARLEY SCHARF ’28
Imagine starting the new year with fewer sweets and more self-care, all while building resilience. This is how I began my year through the 75-Day Hard Challenge. The 75-Day Hard Challenge is a structured regiment focused on improving both mental and physical strength. This “challenge” consists of daily workouts, clean eating, hydration, and other wellness goals of your own choice. With the 75-Day Hard Challenge, it is essential to stay consistent for all 75 consecutive days.
I first found out about the 75-Day Hard Challenge through social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, where videos about it kept appearing on my feed. Many influencers I follow and admire were completing the challenge and sharing their honest experiences. They talked a lot about the mental discipline, confidence, and positive lifestyle changes they gained from the challenge.
After hearing consistently positive feedback, I became genuinely curious and decided to learn more about the challenge for myself. Witnessing so many success stories about increased self-discipline and confidence made me realize I needed more structure and accountability in my own routine. The 75-Day Hard Challenge was going to be my opportunity to grow and push myself toward becoming a better version of myself.
During the 75-Day Hard Challenge, my day is pretty structured. To start the day, I drink a bottle of water and have some sort of protein before heading to school. I also make sure to get enough protein throughout the school day. After school, I do 30 minutes of cardio and then another 30 minutes of a YouTube video. I keep drinking water all day so that I reach at least a gallon by the end of the day. Before bed, which has to be no later than 11:00 p.m., I make sure to reach 10,000 steps. These days are regimented and challenging, but also restorative.
In my opinion, the 75-Day Hard Challenge is definitely worth it. Not only does it really build discipline, but it pushes you to stay consistent every single day. Even when you’re tired or busy with school, the 75-Day Hard Challenge teaches you how to stick to a routine and not make excuses, all while helping you build healthier habits like working out regularly, drinking enough water, and paying attention to your eating habits. As the days passed, I started to feel more confident in overcoming the challenges, all while caring for myself. The 75-Day Hard Challenge is difficult, but that is what makes it so great: it replaces excuses with proof of your own resilience, showing that you can do anything if you commit and try.