We’ll look at each component of 75 hard and determine whether or not they pose any danger, as well as the overall program. I’ll share my experiences as well as tips to make the program safer and more successful for you. Disclaimer: I have no connection with Andy Frisella, we’ve never met, and I don’t know if he’s ever seen my posts. I don’t get compensated for you reading this or participating in the program. But I have found the program beneficial and it’s helped me develop good habits over the past year.

Diet:

Like any diet (or exercise) program, you should consult with your doctor. We’re all different and what’s safe for one person might be dangerous for another. So always check with your doctor and be very clear about what you intend to do. Your doctor might recommend certain supplements if you start excluding certain foods.

The 75 Hard diet has quite a bit of flexibility. You can pick whatever diet you want, with the only stipulations being no alcohol and no cheat meals. The infamous see-food diet (you can eat whatever you see) doesn’t apply here. You can go keto, paleo, or simply count calories. But your diet should be free of junk food and you can’t reward yourself on the weekends for good habits during the week.

Not drinking alcohol for 75 days is certainly not dangerous. The no cheat meals can be a sacrifice, but nothing I would consider dangerous. The one exception is if you’re severely limiting calories, it can become a problem. Again, your doctor can advise you on the safety of any diet.

Exercise:

75 Hard calls for two 45 minute workouts each day – one of which needs to be done outdoors. Chores such as mowing the lawn doesn’t count. This is the one area of 75 Hard that has the most potential to be dangerous, especially if you live in an area with extreme weather. Two 45 minute workouts can be a lot for people that are severely out of shape. If you have a heart condition, even walking up a flight of stairs can be dangerous. So again, your doctor can advise here as to whether this is something for you.

The outdoor workout certainly comes with its own set of risks. I usually do a walk, run, or combination in my neighborhood. I’ve walked in rain, snow, and very cold weather. I have waterproof boots and a rain jacket that I can wear, along with a jacket that’s rated for temperatures as low as -20F. I’ve also purchased a few sets of thermals, you can get them in any ski shop, to help stay warm. In the hot weather, I bring along a bottle of ice water to prevent overheating. But roads and sidewalks have plenty of other dangers such as distracted drivers, unleashed dogs (I was actually attacked by a dog on one of my walks), and ice. So just be careful when you’re out there and be aware of your surroundings. I’ve done hikes in the woods or just walked around my backyard for 45 minutes.

Indoor workouts are usually much safer. Again, make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard. I use a fitbit to monitor my heart rate so I know when I get into the danger zone.  I have an indoor bike that I use for my indoor workouts, but will occasionally do an aerobic program (most cable companies and streaming services have on demand workouts).

So far:

Just factoring in diet and exercise, there are certainly some ways that 75 Hard could be dangerous. But again, taking the proper precautions and speaking with your doctor will help you stay safe while you build mental toughness. In part two, we’ll review the rest of the 75 Hard components and talk about the psychological effects.

The post Is 75 Hard Dangerous? Part 1 appeared first on Overnight Sensation.

Here are some things from the past week I’ve come across and felt were worth sharing. As always, please leave a comment on the blog or on social media if you’d like to add to the discussion. And if you like what’s in here, please use one or more of those buttons at the bottom of the post to share with friends.

What I’ve learned:

• I’m almost done reading “Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” It was written in 1990, but a lot of the advice still rings true today. I just finished reading the section where Harvey shares some stories about determination. One story was about how his dad spent 18 years working to free a man who was falsely charged with murder. Many people aren’t successful because they give up after the first roadblock or rejection.

What I’ve written:

• I’ll be doing some of these updates on a bi-weekly basis throughout the holidays. The main reason behind this is that I’m not always able to post more than once per week. So in this two-week period, I’ve written two posts.
• The first post is a review of Andy Frisella’s Live Hard program. This is the year-long version of the 75 Hard program, which I highly recommend. Live Hard adds elements like cold showers, visualization exercises, and a random act of kindness. Check out the article for more details.
• With some many business functions going virtual, I shared my best tips on how to ace the virtual interview. This is a must read before your next virtual job interview. I’ll share one tip right away – you still need to dress up.
• I’m excited about publishing the paperback edition of my novel in September. I’ve learned so much going through this process and have multiple “lessons learned” that I’ll be applying to my sequel. So keep an eye on my writer’s blog if you’re an aspiring writer.

Cool / Interesting / Retro Stuff:

• A friend shared a picture of Tomy’s Might Men & Monster Maker from the 1970’s. I remember seeing the commercial when I was a kid but never owned one. But now, I think it would be kind of cool to play around with it. Maybe I’ll add it to my Christmas list. Anyway, the commercial and an actual demo of the toy are below. It’s actually quite innovative for its time. So if you run across one at a yard sale, give it a try and let me know what you think.
  • httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRPX0-nxdsg
  • httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RVn1zg_1PE&ab_channel=ebbderelict

Quote(s) of the week:

“Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you’ve got something to share.”

– Steve Harvey

Joke of the week:

I couldn’t follow the storyline of Stephen King’s “It”

Too many Maine characters.

I’ll be publishing this list each week on my blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and via my email list. Please share this with anyone who might find this helpful. You can also click one of the buttons below to share on your favorite social media service.

Also, please use the below form to ask any questions or provide feedback:

The post Weekly Review – 2020-11-22 appeared first on Overnight Sensation.

Whether you’re about to go on your first virtual interview or if your virtual interviews haven’t produced the desired results, these tips will help you.

Prepare like you would for an in-person interview.

Whether it’s in person, over the phone, or over video, you must prepare for your interview. Read the job description, research the company, and re-read your resume. Make sure you have a skill or qualification that matches each item on the job description. Visit the company’s website and read about products & services, core values, and key employees.

Be sure to read any recent press releases while you’re there. Learn about the market and industry. Make sure you know who the key players are in the industry: suppliers, customers, and competitors. Don’t forget to ensure that you’ve researched yourself. Make sure you can speak to everything on your resume. You’d be surprised how many times an item from four jobs ago sparks a conversation during an interview.

Dress for Success.

Dress how you would if you were going on an in-person interview. Dress all the way. Before you assume the interviewer won’t see down below your waist, remember that all it takes is a bump of the camera or for you to have a reason to stand up for the interviewer to see your lack of pants.

Minimize distractions.

Find a place in your home that is tidy and free from distractions. If you have pets, put them in another room or get a play yard for them. If you have children, ensure that you have someone to watch them. In the event that you are a single parent and cannot find someone to watch your little ones, let the interviewers know ahead of time. While it’s illegal to not hire someone because they have a family, potential employers may wonder how you’ll be able to work when you’re unable to interview in peace.

Show up early

If the interview is 10 AM, then 10 AM is a terrible time to start booting up your laptop. Give yourself at least an hour to ensure that your operating system is not going to install an update requiring a reboot and that your equipment works properly. Test the microphone, camera, and speakers on your device by recording a short video and watching it. Technology issues happen, so don’t let them stress you out. If things become a real issue, you can ask for a reschedule.

Take Notes and Follow up

It should go without saying that you should take notes during your interview. It not only helps you remember things, but it shows the interviewer you take things seriously. Be sure to use your notes to follow up afterward the interview. When you send a thank you email, mention items discussed during your interview. If you connected well with one or more of your interviewers, strengthen that connection. If you’re both fans of a book or podcast, mention it in your follow up. Ask the person a question related to the common interest to help minimize the chance of getting ghosted.

A good follow up won’t save you from a poor interview, but it could give you an advantage if you’re in close running with another candidate.

Wrapping it up.

Virtual interviews are only slightly different from traditional in-person interviews. Just apply the above tips next time you’re across the screen from an interviewer and your results will improve.

If you like these tips, please check out our other interview articles or our Ace That Interview audio program.

The post 5 Tips for Your Next Virtual Job Interview appeared first on Overnight Sensation.

Overview of Live Hard:

Live Hard is basically 75 Hard plus three additional phases that must be completed within a year. In fact, the program is structured so it will end exactly 365 days after you begin it. Here’s a table that shows the components.

So as you can see, “hard” is probably an understatement for this program. But if you can get through it, you’ll see a massive positive change. It’s okay if this program intimidates you – I find it crazy and insane, but am looking forward to trying it. So let’s take a closer look at each phase.

75 Hard:

75 Hard itself is tough enough. As mentioned in my review of 75 Hard, I had been working on my own 30-day challenge when I first learned of 75 Hard. So I added these elements into my existing program. At first, I found the water to be the toughest part, and it took me a week and a half to work my way up to drinking a gallon day. Now it’s become a habit. I used to have a 1-liter water bottle that I fill up three times each day, then up to 800 ML on my 4th filling (which put me slightly above a gallon). Now I’m testing out a one-gallon bottle which so far, has worked out nicely. My tip on the water is to pace yourself throughout the day and try to drink all your water before you drink anything else. I’ll often start my day off with a cup of tea (which doesn’t count towards the gallon) on cold days, and those are the days I have the most problems with completing that task. On those nights, I find myself completing the last 1800 ML within two hours of going to bed. I don’t recommend taking in so much water late at night as your body will want to rid itself of some of it, which will cause you to wake up at night.

Another tip is to use a checklist to track your progress and check things off as soon as you complete them. I’ve had times where I couldn’t remember whether I completed something as I didn’t mark it down right away, so I ended up doing it again to be sure.

My final tip is that you may need to work yourself up to this program. I know Andy advises against this, but I believe that something is better than nothing. Even P90X has a pre-program to prepare yourself for the full program. Just make sure that if you take this approach, you have a solid date to start (no more than two weeks out) that you’re committed to, or you won’t benefit from the program.

Phase 1:

Phase 1 adds in three critical tasks, a five-minute cold shower, and 10 minutes of visualization. The three critical tasks come from Andy’s Powerlist program where you select five tasks each day that you must complete to win the day. These tasks can be anything from working out, to calling a client, to reading an article on a topic to help you with your goals. They have to be things that you can complete within a day and should not be generic goals such as getting in shape or getting rich. Here are some examples of what I’ve used:

• Watch the next video from the course on advanced SEO topics and take notes.
• Complete final edits for chapter 32 of The Beautiful People.
• Update permalinks format of blog to make it more SEO friendly.
• Reach out to two friends with marketing experience to review my marketing plan.
• Review 404 error logs for JVF.com and fix at least 20 broken URLs.

A tip for this is to get these done early in the day. While you’re allowed to work on these items until you go to sleep, some of the items on your list may need to be done during normal business hours.

The cold shower is the one item in the entire program that I know I’ll struggle with. I’ve taken cold showers unintentionally and have not enjoyed them. I remember taking one during a retreat when I was in college. It was during the winter which made it worse. I made it through it and started sweating when I came out and dried off. It was a weird experience. A tip for this is to work your way up to it while you’re doing 75 hard. So as you complete your shower, turn the hot water off and start trying to do 30 seconds, then a minute, then two minutes, etc… until you get up to five minutes.

My only tip on the visualization is to not do it at the end of the day, especially if you’re tired. I’ve been trying to work this into my daily routine and often fall asleep when I do it late. But I agree with Andy that this is a powerful exercise.

Phase 2:

This phase is interesting as it’s 30 days of 75 Hard. Compared to what we’ve seen so far, it should be pretty easy, right? Well, Andy throws a twist in it – you need to take at least 30 days off between Phase 1 and Phase 2. This probably sounds great, but it actually makes it harder for you. During those 30 days, you get used to not doing it, so it makes it a challenge to start up again. My tip is to time it so that you end Phase 2 a week or two before starting Phase 3 so that you can go into the next phase with momentum – you will need it.

Phase 3:

Phase 3 adds in a random act of kindness and talking to a stranger in addition to the tasks from 75 Hard and Phase 1. These two tasks are good habits to have and things I’ve been trying to work into my daily routine. Having a conversation with a stranger will help you get out of your shell. For some of us, this is pretty easy and could potentially result in us expanding our network. The trick here is that it has to be in person – no social media.  Now with COVID-19 on the rise again, this is a little more challenging because it’s not like you can easily strike up a conversation in the grocery store or after church. At least not up here where I live – we’re encouraged to do our shopping and move along.

I live in Massachusetts where we have blizzards and it’s often not possible to leave your house –  only essential vehicles are allowed on the road. So this means that I run the risk of not being able to complete this task between December and late March.

The random act of kindness is the task I’m most excited about. It could be as simple as paying for the coffee for the person behind you in line, running an errand for someone unable to leave their house, volunteering to help kids, etc….

So there you have it. I will provide periodic updates on my progress so please keep checking back. Also, if you’ve done either 75 Hard or Live Hard, then I invite you to share your experiences in the comments.

To your success!

The post Review of Live Hard by Andy Frisella – The Ultimate Mental Toughness Program appeared first on Overnight Sensation.