Where are y’all from? Is it freezing cold right now? Well up here in Massachusetts, it’s freezing 🥶🥶 One of the 45 min workouts must be outdoors for the 75 hard challenge. My student said “please don’t workout outside today, your sweat will freeze” 😂😂 I told her I would have to start over if I miss a day. She said why no one would know. I said yea but I would know. I made a commitment to do the hard (not the medium or soft) which means no variations, so I want to stick to it. After all, my word of the year is GRIT 😩 But when I got home, I really really didn’t want to go back out. I asked my son if jumping rope with the door open would be cheating😩😂 he said ummm 🧐 yea. So I layered up and went outside to jump rope which didn’t work very well because of the wind. I wanted to be like oh well at least I tried and dash back in the house, but I fought against my mind and just went walking. How many times do we not do things because of the inconvenience or because of imperfect conditions? I had to remind myself that this challenge is about pushing past my limits- mental toughness. I absolutely hate the cold, so I was super proud of myself for pushing through and honoring my commitment to myself💪🏾 What have you done recently to make yourself proud?

I can no longer ask my middle school students do they use that type of language in front of their parents because more often than not the answer is yes 🤦🏽‍♀️ Now I tell them just because it is acceptable in your household, does not mean it is acceptable in here. Im not going to swear around you or at you, and I expect the same. Yesterday, a boy called a girl a b*tch and told me his mom wouldn’t care if he were defending himself. I said defending yourself from what? According to him, the girl said what do you want in a loud tone that was rude 😩 We had a reminder about appropriate responses to rude behavior and appropriate classroom language (I went over forbidden classroom words in the beginning of the year). A lot of parents in various parenting groups say they allow their child to curse. I personally don’t understand it. Kids are always going to test boundaries, but if they don’t have any at home with their own family and siblings, it makes it harder for their teachers to enforce boundaries. They feel they should be able to say whatever to other students who annoy them because they get away with saying whatever to their siblings whether it’s cussing or being downright mean. Many don’t believe that having a foul filthy mouth in the classroom is disrespectful. They say it’s just words, but let them even think you as the teacher uttered a cuss, they have a heart attack. I remind them that dumb, stupid, retarded, etc are just words, and I don’t allow them to call each other that either. I know times are changing and all, but basic respect should still be taught and expected. What are your thoughts?

Day 2 Surprisingly the hardest part is how many times a gallon of water sends me to the restroom 😩 It was freezing today, but I still walked 45 min 🔥 Today actually was fine. I don’t have any insights except for I realized how satisfying it is to check off each achievement. A part of the challenge is taking a progress photo each day which is super motivational. I think that tracking and documenting our progress can be something that we do in so many areas that we are working on. Even if it is checking each day off on a calendar or writing ✍🏽 in a journal. It’s just a tangible way to see our progress. Do you ever track or document your progress towards a goal?

So yesterday I was feeling all the feels about starting this challenge. I originally was going to modify the plan but after listening to the podcast about the purpose of the challenge, I decided to go all out. So I decided to get real clear on my goals which are to break my habits of inconsistency and procrastination, lose weight, and be more intentional. Then, I decided on the meal plan I’m committing to and got clear on what would be considered cheating since I can’t cheat for 75 days 😳. Finally, I decided to be fully engaged, present, and reflective during the challenge. I want to capture all of my emotions, wins, challenges, breakthroughs, and epiphanies. So today is Day 1. I was just about to leave work, when a former student came in to give me the tea 🫖 😩 and it set me back an entire hour! But I still had to do that outdoor workout. It took me missing one of the basketball games tonight to get that 45 min outdoor workout in. I’m proud of myself for not putting my students’ game before my commitment to myself because normally I would. I still made it to the second game, came home and did the second workout, finished my water intake, and completed my reading. Ja (my 17 year old) came home and asked how did I do. He was so impressed that he said “I think I’m gonna do it with you” 🔥🔥💕💕 mind you, he’s been declining since I first mentioned it so I was shocked😂 we’ll see…but just know our commitment to ourselves can inspire others 🔥 Stay tuned for daily insights on my 75 Hard Journey.

I’m excited to share that I’ll be starting a podcast at my school, interviewing kids ages 11-18 to hear directly from their perspective. 🎙️ This is your chance to shape the conversation! 💎What questions or topics should I include to help parents gain a better understanding of what it’s like for their children to grow up in today’s generation? 💡Drop your questions or ideas below—Your input could spark meaningful discussions that help bridge the gap between generations.