Today is Day 75 of 75 Hard.

And I can finally say it, I finished.

It still feels a little surreal to even write that, because when I first started, I don’t think I fully understood what I was committing to. I knew it would be challenging, but I saw it mostly as a physical test. Something to push myself, build better habits, and see what I was capable of.

What I didn’t expect was how much it would challenge me mentally.

There were so many days where I didn’t feel like doing it.

Days where I was tired.
Days where my schedule felt overwhelming.
Days where it would have been so easy to skip something and tell myself it didn’t matter.

But that’s where everything started to change.

Because 75 Hard doesn’t give you the option to negotiate with yourself.

You either do it, or you don’t.

And over time, I stopped asking myself if I felt like it.

I just did it.

That shift alone changed so much for me.

It stopped being about motivation and became about discipline.

And that discipline started to show up in other areas of my life too.

Balancing this challenge while starting a new role at New York Life, staying consistent in the gym, and studying for my SIE exam forced me to become more structured, more intentional, and more accountable with my time.

I had to learn how to follow through, even when life didn’t slow down for me.

And somewhere along the way, my mindset around movement and being active completely changed.

I started doing things I never thought I would enjoy.

I got a bike, and instead of driving to my siblings’ house, I’ll bike there. With the weather getting nicer, it actually feels good to be outside and moving instead of just going from place to place in a car.

I also participated in my first 5k.

Going into it, I honestly thought I would struggle a lot more than I did. But I ended up running each mile in about 15 minutes. And for me, that’s huge. In high school, I could never do that.

Moments like that made me realize that I’m capable of more than I’ve been telling myself for years.

I’ve also found myself wanting to move more, not because I have to, but because I genuinely enjoy it now. I’ve been going to Pilates more consistently and even adding a sixth workout day some weeks, simply because it feels good.

And that’s probably one of the biggest changes of all.

This doesn’t feel forced anymore.

It feels like part of my lifestyle.

Beyond the physical changes, this challenge pushed me in other ways too.

I’ve been sober since January 1st, which is something I’m really proud of. I’ve also read 1,085 pages during this time, stayed consistent with my diet, and overall just feel really good.

Even small things, like noticing how a lot of my clothes fit loose now, remind me that change is happening, even when it doesn’t always feel obvious day to day.

Of course, there are physical results.

I’ve lost 35 pounds, which is something I’m really proud of. But if I’m being honest, that’s not what I value most from this experience.

What matters more is the confidence that comes from keeping a promise to yourself for 75 days straight.

That’s something no one can take away from you.

I think the biggest thing this challenge taught me is that I’m capable of more than I give myself credit for.

Not just when things are easy, but especially when they’re not.

And now the question isn’t “can I do hard things?”

It’s “how do I continue showing up like this, even after the challenge ends?”

Because I don’t want this to be something temporary.

I want this to be part of who I am.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to challenge yourself or start something you know will push you, this is your reminder that there is no perfect time.

Start where you are.
Stay consistent.
And prove to yourself what you’re capable of.