If there’s one thing I love, it’s attempting a new challenge. I’ve tried lots of variations of this personal challenge before. Because I’m all about that New Year hype, I’m going to give it another go. Here’s my 2025 75 Soft challenge with my take on the rules and some general guidelines I’ll be following.
THE 75 SOFT RULES
Rule 1: Eat well and only drink on social occasions.
My rule: Experiment with food, eat more protein and vegetables but don’t sacrifice treats.
I’ve not had a sip of alcohol since I turned 21 so that part of it is basically pointless to include. However, the nutritional aspect is where I need to focus. I’m someone who snacks a lot so my priority is to nip that in the bud by eating bigger meals. I’ve previously tried intermittent fasting and it worked well for me so I’ll get back into that (11am to 7pm is my eating window). I want to add more protein into my diet as well as having vegetables with as many meals as possible. On the other hand, I don’t want to restrict myself too much so I’ll still enjoy meals out whenever I want to and treat myself to snacks. There’s no way I can live without my chocolate and sweets!
Rule 2: Train for 45 minutes every day for 75 days.
My rule: Focus on moving my body every day, whatever that looks like.
The second main focus for me here is to simply move my body at some point during the day. I’d love to get to 45 minutes eventually but even 15 minutes is enough to begin with. As of right now, I barely work out or even leave the house to walk. I’ll start with home workouts to get into some sort of routine as well as walking around the village a little more than usual. I can even include housework as movement because vacuuming can be hard work! However, I won’t be too hard on myself for missing a day or two but equally, I want to challenge myself!
Rule 3: Drink three litres of water per day.
My rule: Aim for two to three litres of water per day.
Water intake is a habit that I’ve been consistently good with in 2024 but there are always dips. Aiming for two to three litres a day is very achievable for me but often when I’m working at my desk, I don’t drink as much as I should. I also don’t count any other drinks because I need to focus solely on water first. I’ll also try to actively track it throughout the day on my habit tracking app.
Rule 4: Read 10 pages of any book every day.
My rule: Read a minimum of 50 pages per day.
Because I read 54 books in 2024, 10 pages a day of reading doesn’t feel like a challenge to me! If I want to get through at least one book a week, it’s going to take more than 10 pages. That’s why I’m aiming for 50 a day. Right now, I can read anything from 10 pages to 200+ in a day. Of course, it won’t be every single day of every single month but I’ll definitely be giving it a try.
MY ADDITIONAL RULES
- Self-care Sundays: face mask, everything shower, movie night, reading session, clean PJs + bedding
- Daily self-care: working out, stretching, AM + PM skincare routines, take time to get ready in the morning + unready at night
- Take daily vitamins: vitamins B, C and D, magnesium, zinc, probiotic, iron, antihistamine
- Low-spending: plan out spending days, increase savings, stick to no-buy rules
- Journal daily 3 things I’m grateful for + weekly for more of a brain dump. This also includes filling in my bullet journal and writing the next day/week’s to-do list.
- Aim for a 7am alarm on weekdays: 7am 4 days a week, 8am 1 weekday + weekends
- Focus on having seasonal morning + evening routines
- Project Pan with toiletries: I’m only buying new products when I run out of a specific item
- Have a closing shift every night: Basically tidy up my office, bedroom and kitchen every single night
- Charge my electronics regularly: I’m sick of my electronics running out of battery so I want to charge everything up on a Sunday evening. It includes my FitBit, Kindle, toothbrush, and headphones.
I’m sure I’ll add habits into my routine as I get further into the challenge but my 2025 75 Soft challenge is mostly to challenge myself! I’ve been in such a rut for a while now and I need to make a whole lifestyle change. My 2025 75 Soft challenge is going to focus on healthy eating, moving my body more and focused work time.
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