Just stop your crying
It’s a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
Hope you’re wearing your best clothes

I listened to this song every day for the last 30 days straight. I did it for multiple reasons. The first being it’s a damn good song and I am a low-key Harry Style fan. The second being, I watched Project Hail Mary, one of my favorite books that is now a movie, and it became an ear worm for me.

There’s one more reason though. The song is 5 minutes and 41 seconds. I needed and wanted a five minute timer as I did what is probably the hardest task of 75 Hard: Phase 1… the five minute cold shower.

Sign of the Times fit the requirement in more ways than I had actually thought of when I first picked it. See Phase 1 really leaned into the mental toughness part of the challenge, and honestly I think all 3 phases will be that way. The song screams at you that life is coming for you no matter how ready you are, or are not. Let me tell you, the cold water hitting your chest and maintaining that temperature for five minutes is something you almost never get use to. Almost.

On top of the shower, you’re assigned 10 minutes of visualization. This was the easiest part for me as that’s basically something I did frequently anyways. Just needed to real it in and specialize it.

Lastly I had to add 3 Power Tasks. (The author of 75 Hard talks about having five daily, and the three are addons if you do that, bringing the total to 8, but if you’re not doing that, then 3 it is.) Daily tasks with the purpose of helping you with something that will help succeed the goals you want out of life.

One of my goals, I’ll keep to myself, but the remaining to goals I set were writing every day, and tracking my food to see where I needed help and was falling short on my diet.

Outside of maybe a tolerance for cold showers, on the suffice this may not seem that difficult. But part of the mental challenge of this also became finding the time to do all these things. Because you still have the core expectations of 75 Hard on top of this. The water, the two exercises, the diets, then no alcohol. All of it.

The daily tasks add up, and a couple times It got hard. But what I realize its doing is forcing me to prioritize myself. Everything on the 75 Hard list as well as Phase 1, is designed to force you to put yourself first and find the time to improve yourself. Something I have forever struggled with.

It was worth it. Every day I find little things I’m doing for myself. Now comes the physical and mental added toughness, because form here… I have phase 2. Which is just 30 days of 75 Hard. Only problem is… I have to wait 30 days to continue. I am excited for the challenge. Cannot wait to get started again.

Just stop your crying
Have the time of your life
Breaking through the atmosphere
And things are pretty good from here
Remember everything will be alright
We can meet again somewhere
Somewhere far away from here