The 90/60/30 Challenge.
By: Gabriel Adolfo Márquez
Tags: Goals, Habits, Tools, Challenge, Self

Foundations.

Before jumping into the plan, it’s worth bringing up the core ideas that gave shape to it.

The first one was seeking consistency through self-awareness, instead of plain discipline.

Doubling-down on our strengths gives us a vast advantage in terms of commitment. I found this to be several times more efficient than blindly pushing through adversities, as one would normally expect.

There needs to be a balance, though. Things won’t always feel great. But undoubtedly we need to feel excited about what we’re chasing, at least most of the days.

The second one was learning to prioritize, instead of adding more things to do.

For this, we need to give ourselves permission to do less and re-focus on the right things; those that have a positive influence on our mind and our body.

At a bare minimum, we have to say “later” to those things that are not helping us move closer to our goals.

This comes with compromises that will be hard to overcome at first. If you struggle to leave some things out, try keeping the focus on what’s best for the long run.

Last but not least, it was building positive pressure, by saying things out loud and sharing the progress with others.

Getting things out of our heads and bringing them to reality, just by sharing them with someone else. At first, it can feel odd to commit to something because of the expectations we create when we do so.

But if you’re a person of your word, saying things out loud will help you stay accountable. Share your journey; your words have weight. Not only might they help others, but they will surely help you.

However, none of these concepts will remove failure from being a potential result. The main thing is — it’s totally fine to fail. All we need is to try getting to know ourselves just a bit better.

For my first challenge I chose to focus on:

Body output, by working out for 90 days.

by working out for 90 days. Body input, by eating clean for 60 days.

by eating clean for 60 days. Mind cleansing, by meditating 30 minutes for 30 days.

Plan.

If you’ve read the book Atomic Habits, you already know about the benefits of habit stacking. The main idea is to use an existing behavior as an “anchor” that keeps a new one in place.

Our brain builds a strong network of neurons to support behaviors that we repeat consistently. The more we repeat them, the stronger and more efficient the connection between our neurons become.

The 90/60/30 challenge is all about taking advantage of what comes naturally to us, becoming even more consistent at it, and then taking the next steps towards new and untested areas.

For the first 30 days, you will focus on one positive habit you currently do. In the next 30 days, you will add one more on top of it. For the last 30 days, you will add the final one, and practice those three different habits simultaneously. Not rocket science, so why is this effective?

90 days of improvement — Aim to perform

This activity will be the backbone and most important of your challenges. Not only because it will be the longest, but it will build and shape your commitment-levels ahead.

The first days are usually the toughest because the “motivation kick” fades out soon after you start something. At that time we don’t feel like we’re losing much by quitting, as opposed to when we’re fifty days into a habit-streak.

It’s hard to adapt completely new things into our routines, so choosing something that you’re already comfortable with is a smart choice.

This habit will become your safety zone within the challenge, even on days when you’re not feeling so motivated.

What I can guarantee is that after 90 days of being consistent, you will build a strong connection to it that will make you crave it every day after your challenge is completed.

I’ve always liked running and short-intensive bodyweight workouts. That’s why I decided to double-down on them, so the 90 days consisted of:

Day 1: Strength Calisthenics — Focused on slow-motion and body control.

Strength Calisthenics — Focused on slow-motion and body control. Day 2: Distance Running — From 7K/day progressively up to 15K/day.

Distance Running — From 7K/day progressively up to 15K/day. Day 3: High-Intensity Interval Training — Focused on fat-burning.

High-Intensity Interval Training — Focused on fat-burning. Day 4: Running/Sprinting Intervals — Focused on maximum speed.

Running/Sprinting Intervals — Focused on maximum speed. Day 5: Active Rest Day — Walking for at least 15 mins. Then repeat Day 1.

Working out every single day was really hard. If I’d committed to long-distance cycling or another activity I’d never even tried, I doubt I would have stayed consistent.

So, choose something that you’ve tried before and you’re relatively used to doing. Then try taking it to the next level, because the main goal of the 90 days is to perform at your best.

60 days of growth — Aim to measure

The second part of the challenge is a tricky one. Ideally, I’d say it’s best to combine this activity with the first one, then it will be easy to compare the differences before and after, whether positive or negative.

But unlike the first and last parts, I’d say it’s equally valid to try something relatively new or something challenging that you’d like to be more consistent at.

The main goal of the 60 days is to measure how you feel about it afterward, so you have an easier time deciding how and if you should continue with it.

This was the most difficult part for me, but also the one with the biggest impact towards the end. Tough work-outs every day had made me feel entitled to eat anything, because “I’ve burned enough calories.”

However, after some tough few first days, my body got used to it, and my energy levels became stable. I felt active all day and the itch for unhealthy meals stopped. This also brought an improvement in my workouts (body output) that I’ve never experienced before.

And this is nothing extraordinary.

We all know what happens when we follow a healthy diet, but it was only after experiencing it first-hand that I found how shockingly effective it was.

Don’t follow a pre-programmed plan. Create one that you truly find tasty, and look forward to. This sounds utopic at first, but it’s possible to find if you focus on sustaining it for the long run, instead of just getting quick results to show off.

To me, the secret lies in regulating the portions of meals and ingredients that we enjoy.

We can’t fool our minds to be happy with something that we dislike. It’s much easier convincing it to be content with a limited amount of something that we do like.

30 days of exploration — Aim to learn

Now comes the last part of the challenge and at this point, perhaps counterintuitively, your motivation levels will be at the highest. Not only will you be able to see some results already, but you will have confidence in your ability to stay consistent.

That’s why I encourage trying something completely new, as the main goal of the 30 days is to learn. This new habit will bring a breeze of fresh air into your routine.

As written before, I chose to meditate for 30 minutes every day. There are many interpretations of how meditation should be done.

Mine was sitting mildly comfortably (not too much, to avoid getting sleepy) all by myself, without any distractions.

Then, just taking deep breaths and listening to my own thoughts. No pressure, no judgment, just trying to acknowledge them while they made their way through my neurons.

Some days I was so captivated that I didn’t want my 30 minutes alarm to ring. Others, my concentration was all over the place, and I had to cut it short to 15 minutes. But every single time it felt better than when I started it.

Two questions that help me “nudge” back into Zen: 1. Why is it that I’m thinking about this? 2. Is this thought really important or just noise?

These constantly helped me understand my thought patterns, motivations, and also redefined my priorities.

Our thoughts should allow us to enjoy today for what it is. Then, as a second-best option, they should go around whatever makes our lives easier tomorrow. In that order of priority, until we achieve both at the same time.

Everything else is less relevant. Because that’s all we really own: the now, and the happiness that following our inner voices brings to tomorrow.

Momentum.

My problems didn’t go away after 90 days. They were still there, but I was able to face them from a better place, mentally and physically.

The human experience brings challenges inherent to our existence that, sooner or later, we will have to confront. Instead of focusing on how complicated the outer world looks like, nurturing the inner world through positive routines is the better road.

I wouldn’t like seeming pushy, overconfident, or arrogant in my writing. I hope the main message is delivered: we don’t need to push ourselves.

It’s enough with trying something new, and figuring out if it works, or if it doesn’t. The only condition is that this something is beneficial for both your physical and mental health, so it’s sustainable in the long run.

No shortcut, no hidden trick, no magic recipe. A piece of paper, a pen, a bit of introspection, and staying honest to ourselves. That’s what it takes to start building a positive habit.

Ultimately, the real challenge is not doing something for 30, 60, or 90 days.

The real challenge is finding true happiness while we’re following our intuition. This takes time, several tough decisions, and a lot of soul-searching.

But if we’re enjoying the incremental process of exploring ourselves, good results will naturally follow.