75 Medium

3 days ago I decided to start the 75 Medium challenge. It is essentially the 75 Hard Challenge minus the fact that I am giving myself a little bit of room for error, hence the Medium instead of the Hard! I listened to the podcast and thought wow this program is super cool! I also thought: this is impossible, this is stupid, who would do this, why would anyone want to do this, and many other thoughts that lead me to my decision to start the 75 Medium Challenge.

I have been a stay at home mom for roughly 6 months now and I found myself lost. Lost in my new routine, or lack there of one. Lost in what my goals are. Lost in what I want out of life. Don't get me wrong I am living an amazing life and I am so happy with what I have. I am grateful and excited about all the amazing things going on for me right now, but I still felt lost. I think being a stay at home mom is a blessing and is allowing me the time and freedom and challenge to figure out what comes next for me. This is not to say that being a stay at home parents isn't work, because trust me it is! I find my days filled with constant changes to schedules and routines. I am trying to keep up with my daughter and her nutrition, learning, sleeping, and exploring. At the same time I am trying to keep myself fed, clothed showered and some days alive! I never thought such a small person could challenge me in so many ways. But the joy of seeing her smile and learn something new is worth all the stress and frustration and lack of sleep. 

That is what brought me to wanting to try this program. I saw friends try it and saw their success and happiness with the program. I contemplated starting it over and over again, letting my fear prevent me from even trying. Not starting the program was easier than starting and failing. But now I am 3 days into the program (modified program) and I have found that it is holding me accountable. I will also note that I am not doing the official 75 Hard Challenge by Andy Frisella. After learning the official ins and outs of the program I decided that I will not be able to complete it to his standards. It just is not in my wheel house. I am taking what I can from the program and modifying it to meet my own personal goals. I guess you could say I am quitter or in his words I am making up excuses, but I am confident in my decision that the 75 Medium challenge will work for me. 

*Here are the details for the 75 Hard Challenge if you want to learn more: https://andyfrisella.com/pages/75hard-info

I plan to use my blog to document my progress and hopefully show results that finding a program that fits your goals and lifestyles doesn't have to be all or nothing. I think the way that Andy sets up the program is great for a lot of people and will work but to me it felt too much like an ultimatum. It seemed at thought if you did not do exactly what the program is asking for you fail and start over. I think that there is wiggle room to modify a great program like 75 Hard for those who need a little grace to potentially fail or not set such hard standards for themselves. In my eyes, there is room for making something work for your lifestyle while also not making excuses for your short comings or failures. 

I will make one final note that this program is not a fitness challenge. Although some of my goals with the program are fitness related, the goal of the program is to focus on my mental health. I am looking to shift my focus to feeling successful every day. I want to be able to get up and achieve goals I set for myself and not let my excuses get in the way of forward progress!

I plan to make another post about what exactly this program is for me, what my 75 Medium plan will look like, and how you can set up a similar program for yourself! So here is my journey of 75 Medium for all your softies out there that aren't hardcore, but medium-core!

~ Stay Calm and Exercise On ~