Out of many self-improvement challenges and regimes, the most popular and trending are the 75 Hard and 75 Soft challenges, which I came across via TikTok. Through considering each challenge’s advantages and disadvantages, you can explore which one is more suitable for your well-being.
First, the 75 Hard challenge will last 75 days. It consists of two workouts daily (one workout must be done outdoors), any diet you want to follow, no alcohol or cheat meals, a gallon of water every day, and reading ten pages of a nonfiction book every day.
Not only is this challenge extremely rigorous, but it is also time-consuming and may not be suitable for those who have multiple extracurricular activities or arduous coursework. Because of the strict rules to follow a diet and not have cheat meals, going out with friends to eat may not be as enjoyable and this regimen may even take away from the joy in spending time with your friends and family.
However, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The creator’s challenge said it increases, not only your physical strength, but also your mental strength, as it trains one to be diligent, hardworking, and dedicated. These traits, translated into your daily life, will make it easier to sustain and develop new habits.
According to those who followed this regime, this challenge was too demanding and time-consuming. If you miss one of the criteria on a particular day, you have to restart the challenge from day 1, making it hard for those who have busy lifestyles.
The 75 Soft challenge is also 75 days but is a lot less rigorous and therefore may be easier to implement. This challenge consists of eating well, avoiding alcohol except for social occasions, exercising once a day inside or outside, drinking three liters of water daily, and reading ten pages of any genre of book every day.
Because this challenge is a lot less rigorous and is more flexible than the 75 Hard, it’s a more suitable option for those who have busy schedules and can’t find the time to keep up with the 75 Hard’s stringent requirements.
Even though the challenge is less toiling, it still emphasizes consistency and diligence in participants, not taking away from the main goal of the 75 Hard. However, because it is so much easier to implement into your daily routine, it could make you more lax: the challenge may start to seem like a suggestion rather than a lifestyle.
Just because you are a student with a busy schedule doesn’t mean you can’t participate in the 75 Hard Challenge. Each of these regimes is for personal growth and benefit, so choose whichever one would suit your lifestyle. The goal is not to be able to boast about a better physical appearance or healthier lifestyle, but to plant seeds of diligence and dedication into your life and make you a better person both physically and mentally.