Common Barriers to Completing the 75 Hard Challenge — and How to Overcome Them
The 75 Hard Challenge has gained widespread popularity as a structured program designed to build discipline, consistency, and mental resilience. The challenge requires participants to complete several daily tasks for 75 consecutive days, including exercising twice per day, following a diet, drinking sufficient water, reading personal development material, and tracking progress.
Although many people start the challenge with strong motivation, a large percentage struggle to complete it. This is not surprising. Behavioral science shows that maintaining new habits over a long period of time can be difficult, especially when multiple lifestyle changes are introduced at once (Lally et al., 2010).
Understanding the most common barriers can help participants prepare for them and increase the likelihood of success. Below are several scientifically supported challenges people often face during the 75 Hard Challenge—and practical strategies to overcome them.
Lack of Consistency and Habit Formation
One of the biggest barriers participants face is maintaining consistency for the full 75 days. While many people begin with high motivation, motivation alone is rarely enough to sustain long-term behavior change.
Research shows that new habits require repeated behavior over time before they become automatic (Lally et al., 2010). During the early stages of habit formation, behaviors require conscious effort and self-control, which can lead to fatigue and inconsistency.
This is why many participants stop after a few weeks: the behaviors have not yet become part of their routine.
A practical way to overcome this barrier is daily self-monitoring. Tracking behaviors increases awareness and accountability, making it more likely that individuals will follow through with their goals (Michie et al., 2009).
Tools such as the Strive 75 Journal can help participants maintain consistency by providing a clear structure for tracking daily habits, reflecting on progress, and staying accountable throughout the 75-day journey.
Time Constraints and Busy Schedules
Another major barrier is lack of time. The challenge requires a significant daily commitment, including two 45-minute workouts and other habits such as reading and hydration.
Many participants struggle to balance these tasks with work, school, or social responsibilities.
Time-management research suggests that individuals are more likely to follow through with tasks when they create structured daily plans and schedule behaviors in advance (Locke & Latham, 2002). Without planning, competing priorities often take over.
Planning workouts and other tasks at specific times during the day can significantly increase adherence. Writing these plans down also strengthens commitment because individuals are more likely to follow through on goals they have explicitly documented.
Journaling and planning tools can therefore play an important role in helping participants organize their routines and maintain structure during the challenge.
Loss of Motivation
Another common difficulty is the gradual loss of motivation. At the beginning of the challenge, enthusiasm is often high. However, as the days progress, the novelty fades and tasks can begin to feel repetitive.
Psychological research shows that motivation fluctuates over time, and individuals who rely solely on motivation are less likely to maintain long-term behavioral changes (Bandura, 1997). Instead, successful habit formation depends on developing systems and routines that function even when motivation is low.
Visible progress plays an important role in maintaining engagement. Tracking behaviors, reflecting on daily achievements, and documenting improvements can reinforce a sense of accomplishment.
Journaling about progress can therefore help maintain motivation by making improvements more visible and meaningful.
Digital Distractions and Lack of Focus
In today’s digital environment, many people experience constant distractions from smartphones, social media, and online content. Studies show that young adults often spend several hours per day on their phones, which can negatively affect concentration and productivity (Twenge, 2019).
Ironically, many people attempt to track their progress using smartphone apps. While apps can be convenient, they may also increase screen time and expose users to additional distractions.
Research on cognitive attention suggests that reducing digital distractions can improve focus and task completion (Rosen, Lim, Carrier, & Cheever, 2011).
For this reason, some participants prefer physical tools, such as a written journal, to track their progress. Writing on paper reduces the likelihood of digital interruptions and can improve concentration and memory retention.
The Strive 75 Journal was designed with this idea in mind, providing a structured physical format where participants can track their daily tasks, reflect on their progress, and stay focused without the distractions of a smartphone.
Mental Fatigue and Burnout
Completing demanding tasks every day for 75 days can also lead to mental fatigue. Behavioral research shows that sustained self-control can be mentally exhausting, especially when individuals are making many effortful decisions throughout the day (Baumeister & Vohs, 2016).
When mental fatigue increases, people may experience reduced willpower and a higher likelihood of abandoning goals.
One effective strategy to reduce mental fatigue is creating routines and systems that automate decision-making. For example, planning workouts, meals, and reading times in advance reduces the number of decisions required each day.
Reflection practices, such as journaling, can also help individuals process challenges and maintain a positive mindset during difficult moments.
Fear of Failure
Another psychological barrier is the fear of failing the challenge. Because the rules require restarting if a task is missed, some participants feel pressure that can become discouraging.
However, research in behavioral psychology suggests that setbacks are a normal part of behavior change. Viewing mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures improves resilience and long-term persistence (Dweck, 2006).
Instead of focusing on perfection, participants can focus on progress and personal growth throughout the process.
Reflective journaling can support this mindset by helping individuals identify what went well each day and what can be improved moving forward.
Conclusion
The 75 Hard Challenge can be a powerful tool for developing discipline, healthier habits, and mental resilience. However, completing the challenge requires overcoming several common barriers, including lack of consistency, time constraints, digital distractions, and declining motivation.
Behavioral science shows that strategies such as habit tracking, structured planning, and self-reflection can significantly improve the likelihood of maintaining new behaviors.
Tools like the Strive 75 Journal support this process by providing a clear framework for daily tracking, reflection, and accountability throughout the 75-day challenge.
By understanding the psychological barriers involved and implementing supportive systems, participants can increase their chances of successfully completing the challenge and building habits that last far beyond the 75 days.
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2016). Strength model of self-control as limited resource. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C., Potts, H., & Wardle, J. (2010). How habits are formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology.
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist.
Michie, S., Abraham, C., Whittington, C., McAteer, J., & Gupta, S. (2009). Effective techniques in healthy eating and physical activity interventions. Health Psychology.
Rosen, L., Lim, A., Carrier, L., & Cheever, N. (2011). An empirical examination of the educational impact of text message-induced task switching in the classroom. Educational Psychology.
Twenge, J. M. (2019). More time on technology, less happiness? Associations between digital media use and psychological well-being. Current Directions in Psychological Science.