The ‘75 Hard’ Challenge

25th Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant > 10 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout > 1 hr yoga + 30 min walk
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done

26th Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant > 30 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout > 1hr yoga + 30 min walk + 30 mins yoga
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done

27th Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant > 30 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout > 45 min walk
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done

 

28th Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant > 30 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout > 45 min walk
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done

The day was interesting, and all my challenges were done in random manner but doe they were. I ended the day with a 45 min walk at 8 pm with a snippet running in my head Glad to have gotten it done though!

29th Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant - 10 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout > 45 min spinning
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done

 

Dear fellow 75 hard challenge participants and others who are looking to get on this journey,

a long post with the hope it may help you all too. Posting here helps me - I feel accounatble and then there is that off-chance I might have motivated some one! So, do share what works or not for you so that we can inspire, nah that is a big word so let's just say motivate others to join and succeed.

A couple of things before you go on to read my long ramble - discipline is important but what you choose as your challenge is even more important. Keep it simple, small and most importantly doable. Allow yourself to feel successful with your goal for the first 75 days.

I have mentioned many a time (in snippets mostly) that I admire my grandmothers and mother. While I didnot understand their discipline to their routines back then be it pooja, cooking, nap time or whatever and put it all down to their idiosyncracies, I can appreciate what they did back then better now as I get more aware of aging process, watching time slip by! Habits are not easy to form and it takes years to work on them to finally say I can't do without this in my life. Some may argue that habits may have become a crutch but if a crutch is what we need as we age, so be it! That said, it is not easy to start with new habits and stick with them. So pat your back for working on this challenge. I have set up the challenge to work for me in a way. I also make it a point to not push myself into these activities - they ar esimple doable ones needed for me at this poit in my life. I want them to be a part of my daily routine. So I am cautious about what I choose.

The challenges I picked can be categorised into -

1. activities/challenegs that I am already regular at and/or want to improve on
2. new activities/challenges that I want to bring in (even if temporarily)

If I were to break up my own challenege and share, this is how it works for me -

The habits I am improving on -

45 mins workout - I already have a routine going on here where in I work out three times a week at the gym, and teach atleast 2 yoga classes over the weekend. That leaves me to bring some activity to the two days that are left. So incorporationg walking on those two days was not hard.

Drink 1L of water - been doing about a liter for a long time. So I hardly think about this as I fill my bottle and sip through out the day. I invariably go beyond a liter and all that teaching with the mask on, helps ;-)

IF 16:8 - another challenge that works well into what I already do. It has been a long standing habit of mine to skip breakfast and thanks to "lunch bell" at school, I have been eating only at 12.30 pm for years now. I just had to work on shortening that eating window to say by 6pm or latest by 8 pm kind of rule for myself.
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The habits I need for my current events in life

Chant - 10 mins - I am signed up with a swamini to learn some vedic chanting (once a week). I set this up as part of my challenge to allow me an opportunity to practice what I learn.

Read 10 pages a day – I do a lot of reading between school work and sanskrit studies. What I really was missing was fiction/nonfictional reading with a book in hand and for the fun of it. Decided why not and have been truly very successful here.
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New challenges that I want to make truly a habit of -

Sun Salutations - 12 - This has been my nemesis, as in a long standing rival, despite me being a yoga teacher! I have been practising and teaching yoga for about 12 years now and never been able to do surya namaskaras everyday. I can easily do things like 108 SN challenges but ask me to do 10 every day and I am likely to say 'no way Jose!!!'

Meditate - 10 mins - never been able to do this. So on a whim, why not kind of activity that I added. Not sure if I want to or will be able to make it a habit that lasts beyond the challenge. But I am doing for now.
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Now like I said earlier, I have set up the challenge in such a way that it works in my favor and doesn't make me feel like I am taking time out of the day for the challenge. On days I don't follow schedule (like hoildays), I am scampering around and it is then I realize the importance of discipline and an opportunity to forgive myself.

My days starting at 5 in the moring for years now (like forever honestly) has been an advantage and I have my mom to thank for that! It is a habit and I cannot get out of it except ocassionally.

So my challenge can be broken down on any given day like this -

Sun Salutations - 12 (takes 10 mins atmost)
Chant - 10 mins
Meditate - 10 mins

all the above three are done by 5.30 in the morning and I head to gym/walk by 5.30

45 mins workout (or yoga class - the above three challenges usually done before yoga class on weekends)
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These two are automatically taken care of in the day

Drink 1L of water
IF 16:8
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Not too hard to read before sleeping

Read 10 pages a day
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We all may/will have days and incidences that can go beyond our control and that is why it is good to have cheat days that can help us cope or tweak. But making the first two hours of the day for my activities have helped me, not for just the challenge but even during the days when my kids were babies.

You have to believe if I say that every time I post my updates, I usually have a story in my head and by the time I get to posting, the story disappears (mostly because of time constarint) and I end up posting just the updates. A cold, rainy Thursday morning seems to be a good time to post what's on my mind

As we end another year and look towards the begining of a new year with optimism and hope, I sincerely hope this post will help some of you to come with even just a challenge or two and to stcik with it! Happy New Year, everyone! Hope 2022 has in store whatever brings you most contentment and happiness!

 

30th Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant - 10 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout – 1 hour walk
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done

31st Dec

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant - 10 mins
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout – 1 hour walk
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 - done
Read 10 pages a day – done
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01st Jan 2022

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant – 1 hour
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout – 1 hour walk
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 – 15:9
Read 10 pages a day – done

02nd Jan

Sun Salutations - 12
Chant – 1 hour
Meditate - 10 mins
45 mins workout – 45 min walk + 45 min yoga + 30 min yoga
Drink 1L of water = 2 L
IF 16:8 – 15:9
Read 10 pages a day – done

I have not been able to keep 16:8 these past two days. Hope to revert starting today!

 

Day 1 Jan 2nd

Water intake done
IF done
Walking done
Reading done
Sloka chanting done

 

Day 2 Jan 3

Water intake done
IF done
Walking done
Reading done
Sloka chanting done

 

Hike , Meditation and yoga! now i can't like compete with this ever!
Goals

 

Hi @Srama ,

So I am already inspired as already mentioned.
I also do have some habits programmed into me, but won't be as rigid as everyday all the time
Eg IF for 14 hrs is more or less fulfilled everyday, but due to work schedule and accompanying issues, 16:8 or higher is an issue , so wouldn't push right now.
Second, the weather does really influence my commitment ( of course coupled with work and covid waves )
Disclaimers done .. i start with recording what i am currently doing. .. will add as i go along if possible

Day 0 : 4rd January 2022
IF 14 : 10 .. done
3 sets suryanamaskar.. done
Walk : Not Done ( will edit if it materialises)
Newspaper Reading ( : Done
Non Fictional read : Not started ( yet)
Meditation/ Pranayaam to be incorporated