Challenge Yourself to Find Purpose and Direction

 As athletes, our lives were structured around training and competitions. However, once we retired from collegiate sports we found ourselves struggling to find a sense of purpose and direction. Whether you are like us feeling lost after retiring from athletics, just want a new life challenge, or new direction, you can join us in the 75 Hard Program challenge.

The 75-hard program is a positive challenge that involves committing to 75-days of consistent action towards self-improvement. The program aims to build mental toughness, develop discipline, transform the body and mind, and cement a sense of accomplishment. One of the reasons why the 75-program is a great challenge to pursue after retiring from collegiate sports is because it allows you to maintain the structure and routine that you are used to. Instead of feeling lost without a training schedule, the 75-hard program provides a clear set of guidelines to follow. It gives a sense of purpose and direction, as you have specific goals to work towards each day. Furthermore, the program encourages the development of habits that will benefit you in the long term. By focusing on self-improvement, you will be developing skills and habits that will help you succeed in all areas of life. Here is a summary of the program details so if you want to start feel free!

• 2 Workouts Per Day: Complete two 45-minute workouts per day. One of the workouts should be outdoors. Every workout you complete, you are not only getting stronger, but also building mental resilience that will help you push through challenges in all areas of your life.
• Drink 1 Gallon (3.78 L) of Water: This can help to flush out toxins, improve digestion, and boost overall health. Additionally, water can also help with focus and alertness, which is essential for mental toughness and success in all areas of life.
• Read 10 Pages of a Book: Read at least 10 pages of a non-fiction book eat day. This can help expand your knowledge and keep your mind sharp. Reaching helps keep your mind engaged and can improve your ability to focus and think critically. Plus, the knowledge you gained can be applied throughout your life.
• Take a Progress Photo: You are required to take a progress photo each day. This can help to keep track of your physical progress and build confidence and self-esteem. Progress photos can be a powerful motivator, especially when you can see how far you’ve come.
• Follow a Diet/Eating Plan: Follow a pre-determined eating plan with no “cheat meals” or alcohol. “Cheat meals” refers to any food that falls outside of the pre-determined eating plan. When you eat healthily, you fuel your body with nutrients it needs to function at its best. Eating healthy can boost your mood and energy levels, helping you stay motivated and positive.

For me, Marit, personally, I want to start this program to feel like I have a goal again. With swimming, I always had these goals that I wanted to reach, making it easier to go through all the brutal practices. Now without swimming, I have felt somewhat empty because I do not have a goal in physical exercise. I did want to start lifting more and gain muscle but I just have felt so unmotivated to go to the gym and lift. I feel like once I am home for summer it will be easier for me to get up and get moving. For next school year, I am planning to create a routine for myself, incorporating exercise and reading time and things like that.

The program I think will be a good start because it will incorporate small things that I can do during the day, somewhat creating a routine for me, essentially. Even though we start today, I know I am going to have to start over because, on the days that I am flying back home, I know I won't be able to get the workout in and I will be too tired to really do anything the day I come back. But that's okay. As long as we're staying dedicated and motivated. What I especially like is that we are doing it together meaning we can hold each other accountable and keep each other motivated throughout the process.

For me, Leah, personally I want to start this program to help clear my head. I want a new beginning. I have felt like I have been circling down the same path, the same day-to-day. I feel that there is not much positive going on in my life right now. This challenge is something that I want to accomplish not only because of the physical aspects that it could bring, but more for the mental aspects it will ingrain. Life has always been more enjoyable to me when I have had goals. This program gives me daily goals to accomplish and tools to help my skew my outlook in life more positively.