The 75 Hard journey has officially come to an end. And looking back over the last 75 days… I can honestly say I enjoyed it.
Don’t get me wrong—there were days when it was hard as hell. There were moments when I truly didn’t think I’d finish. But I did. And I learned things about myself that I didn’t fully know before.

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I CAN DO HARD THINGS

Waking up at 4:30 AM every morning was not part of the original plan. I thought 5:30 would be enough—until I realized that if I wanted to get a full 45-minute workout in before the boys woke up, 4:30 had to be the move.

Intermittent fasting was another challenge I signed myself up for. No eating after 7:00 PM and nothing before 11:00 AM. And as a guy who loves breakfast—my favorite meal of the day—that was a big sacrifice. But I stuck with it for the entire program.

Weekends brought their own challenges. To hit my outdoor 45-minute workout, I had to rearrange how I normally show up for family time. On one of the early weekends, we went to the Farmers Market at the YMCA in Clemmons. There’s a walking track there, so while the kids and momma explored, I knocked out my walk. I even missed a few Panthers games… though honestly, that might’ve been a blessing.

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HOW TO EMBRACE THE SUCK

Waking up at 4:30 AM… sucked.
Not eating until 11:00 AM… sucked.
Sacrificing time and comfort… also sucked.

But by week 4 or 5, something shifted. The results started showing. I was losing weight. Gaining confidence. Feeling momentum. And I realized: if I could just push through the suck for 75 days, I’d look back proud.

And I am.

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I CAN ACHIEVE MY GOALS

Before starting 75 Hard, I’d already lost 30 pounds. For this challenge, I set a goal to lose another 26 pounds in 2½ months. On day 67, I hit that goal.

I now weigh what I weighed when I graduated high school. I haven’t seen that number in a long time.

A few people hit me with what I started calling “the million-dollar question”:
“Are you taking the shot?”

Nope.
All natural, baby.

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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

If you’re looking for books that fueled my mindset through this:

• One Truth – Jon Gordon
• Never Give Up – David Goggins
• Never Finished – David Goggins
• Hero on a Mission – Don Miller

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WHAT’S NEXT?

Not fully sure yet. Recently, I created a 10-year / 5-year / 1-year plan with goals, habits, and actions I want to bring to life. More on that soon.

But here’s what I do know:

The best Matt is yet to come.