75 Days From Today?

Haha, honestly, my first reaction to hearing "75 days" was the same! Over 2 months - sounds so long. But you know... human adaptability is really strong. I once used 75 days to lose 15 pounds, and looking back, it was really no big deal. The key is that 75 days is enough to see "qualitative change," unlike 30 days where you only see tiny progress. Plus, 75 days breaks down to just over 10 weeks - give yourself a small goal each week, doesn't that sound less scary?

I've thought about this for a long time and tried quite a few. I think 75 days is perfect for goals requiring "deep change." For example... I used 75 days to learn basic guitar songs, worked really well; friends used it for civil service exams, grad school prep, etc. Simply put, things where you can't see obvious short-term effects, but persistence leads to "qualitative leaps." Weight loss, muscle building, learning new skills, breaking bad habits... all quite suitable. Of course, most importantly, the goal needs sufficient appeal to you, otherwise it's easy to quit halfway.

Exactly! I encountered this problem too. At first I also started blindly, then completely lost track of my progress midway. Later I learned a method: treat 75 days as "three 25-day periods." The first 25 days are mainly "adaptation period" - focus on building habits, don't pressure yourself too much; the second 25 days are "acceleration period" - by then you should have the feel and can raise requirements; the last 25 days are "sprint period" - you can already see the light, grit your teeth and push through. Give yourself a checkpoint every 25 days to see progress and what needs adjusting. That way you know where you stand.

Haha, great question! I initially thought 90 days was neater too - 3 months, easy to calculate. But after trying a few times... 90 days is really a bit too long, easy to slack off in the middle, especially during the second month when initial excitement fades but the goal still feels far. With 60 days, sometimes just as you start seeing results, it ends - bit of a waste. 75 days hits that sweet spot of "just enough to see qualitative change." First month building foundation, second month seeing results, third month (25 days) consolidating achievements... perfect rhythm.

Oh boy, you've hit right at my heart! Saying you never want to quit would be a lie. I remember my first 75-day plan, around day 40+ I really wanted to give up. I felt like I'd persisted for so long but results weren't as obvious as expected... Later I came up with a method: prepare a "motivation package" in advance. Like writing down why you want to do this and posting it somewhere visible; finding a friend for mutual accountability; giving yourself weekly small rewards. Most importantly, when you feel you're not making progress, look back at day-one you - you'll discover you've actually improved a lot.

Well... I've actually summarized this. Based on my experience and feedback from friends, the most common failure reason is "setting goals too big." Like wanting to learn programming from scratch and find a job in 75 days - that's... a bit unrealistic. Then there's "no buffer period" - any unexpected situation messes up the whole plan. Now when I make 75-day plans, I deliberately leave about 10% buffer time. Also, "going it alone" is a big problem - finding a companion or mentor is really important. Finally... don't be too perfectionist, occasionally slacking off is fine, the key is not deviating from the general direction.