Faster, Stronger, Braver, Happier

Last December, my friend and colleague, Jenny Williams, was talking about starting 2022 with #75Hard, a 75-day program designed by Andy Frisella to master mental toughness.?He says, “confidence, self-belief, discipline, and grittiness are all traits that exist inside every single one of us. But (!) they need to be cultivated through a program of habits and discipline, like 75 HARD.”?I looked at the rules and immediately doubted my ability to stick to it.?And some of the rules didn’t really align to other fitness goals I was trying to put into place.?However, I had recently read James Clear’s Atomic Habits and was beginning to listen to David Goggin’s, Can’t Hurt Me on Audible and was inspired to build more self-discipline into my own life.?Many have heard the phrase … “It takes 21 days to build a habit” … well, it takes a lot more to build sustainable discipline into your life.?So, I set out to spend the first 75 days of 2022 committed to the following life practices:

1.???Follow a healthy low fat, low sugar, high veggie, high protein diet (no cheat days)

2.???No alcohol consumption (NONE)

3.???Drink a gallon of water every day

4.???Yoga every day https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

5.???Iron Tribe Fitness or ITF travel video 6x per week. ?https://irontribeeastcobb.com

6.???Run or walk outdoors every Sunday when Iron Tribe is Closed

7.???Read (no audible) 10 pages per day from a book that feeds the mind and the soul

• Atlas of the Heart, Brene Brown https://brenebrown.com (completed)
• Small Brave Moves, Nicole Bianchi https://www.nicolembianchi.com (completed)
• When Women Pray, TD Jakes https://shop.tdjakes.org (completed)
• Think Again, Adam Grant?https://www.adamgrant.net/book/think-again/ (completed)
• Undistracted, Bob Goff https://www.bobgoff.com/books (started)

It is day 76 and I am inspired to stop counting the days and instead lean into a lifestyle of healthier choices every day.?Our relationship with our bodies is a complicated one.?We genuinely feel better when we are well fed, hydrated, stronger, and moving.?Our mind is sharper, more open, and our hearts kinder when we feed our mind, body and soul by practicing yoga or absorbing content that broadens our intellectual and emotional boundaries.?When we practice mental toughness, we break both physical and mental barriers … for me, my first unassisted pull up, jumping on a 16” box, and performing 10 unbroken pushups on my toes. ?AND finishing four nonfiction books in less than three months while listening to another two on audible.?

We also crave the immediate gratification that comes from a bag of Reese’s peanut butter cups, a glass of wine, a good beach read, or Netflix binges.??Can we find a way to enjoy the occasional treat while still having the discipline to commit to consistent, daily, healthy choices? ?For me, can a glass of wine be reserved for special occasions (5:00pm is not a special occasion)? David Goggin’s in Can’t Hurt Me talks about an “accountability mirror” and suggests you “take the time to take inventory of your life.?Look in the mirror and hold yourself accountable.” ?If we slip, are we doomed to fail??In Atomic Habits, James Clear suggests we “develop a plan for getting back on track and recommit to your routine as quickly as possible.”?

I hope you take the opportunity to practice selflove and selfcare by building a plan for yourself and sticking with it … for 21 days, for 75 days, for your life.?If you fall and if you fail, get back up, learn, and go again.