75 Hard: A Failure-Promised Self-Growth Strategy

The 75 Hard challenge first became popular around 2020, when people were stuck at home, bored, searching for new ways to find purpose in life during an international quarantine. The concept consists of a few rules: two 45-minute workouts, one of which must be outside, reading 10 pages of a nonfiction book per day, drinking a gallon of water per day, among other things.

At first glance, it seems to be a positive way to track habits and improve overall health, but taking a further look, it is an extreme, unsustainable fad that likely won’t improve your overall health in the long term.

Building sustainable habits starts small. Diving in with full intensity for 75 days straight will likely create burnout rather than overall joy and maintenance. Once the 75 days are over, are you really going to have the time or energy to continue two 45-minute workouts every day? Do you even have the energy for that within the 75-day period?

Tracking habits and restarting when you have one “off” day isn’t sustainable for many. What is sustainable is being honest with yourself. What are your goals and why do you want to reach them? How will these habits improve your life?

Growth takes discipline, but also a softness. It is a balancing act. Be honest with yourself about why you want to revert to a “bad” habit, and really think about how you will feel afterwards. Sometimes, thinking about the aftereffects can redirect you to a new behavior that can improve your long-term contentment.

The 75 Hard challenge speaks more broadly to the trends emerging in our society, the constant pressure to be self-improving and reinventing into the “best” version of you. Especially with the new year, there can be tons of online pressure to completely change your lifestyle.

Before diving into some unreasonable reinvention, take a moment to reflect and take stock of the person you are and the habits you already have. What did you learn in 2025? What events changed you during the year? When did you feel like the best version of yourself, and do you still feel like that person?

Think about realistic habits you can instill into your daily and weekly routines. Is it realistic to wake up at 5 a.m. every day for an hour weightlifting workout, or does a 30-minute pilates class three times a week feel more enjoyable and manageable? Meet yourself where you’re at. If you are a morning person, plan habits around that schedule and vice versa.

But also, if you are in a place where you are simply in survival mode, acknowledge that and give yourself grace. We all want to be the happiest, healthiest versions of ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually, etc., but oftentimes our physical environment or mental health can inhibit that.

Take all the wins you can, even if that means brushing your teeth before bed or submitting an assignment by deadline. Each small win is a step towards the best version of yourself. As long as you’re happy, or taking small steps to feel happier, that is a win.