75 Medium Bad Days & Restarting: How To Handle Failure and Bounce Back

Bad days will happen. According to research from the American Psychological Association, resilience—the ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity—is a skill that can be developed. This guide will help you navigate the inevitable difficult moments in your 75 Medium journey.

Whether you're facing a tough day, considering whether to restart, or trying to prevent future failures, this guide has you covered.

Types of Bad Days

Not all bad days are the same. Understanding the type helps you respond appropriately:

1. Low Energy Days

Symptoms: Tired, sluggish, everything feels harder

Causes: Poor sleep, stress, early illness, overtraining

Strategy: Lower intensity, don't skip entirely

2. Time Crunch Days

Symptoms: Unexpected work, family emergencies, travel disruption

Causes: Life happening

Strategy: Adapt, compress, prioritize core tasks

3. Emotional/Mental Health Days

Symptoms: Anxiety, sadness, overwhelm, lack of motivation

Causes: Stress, personal issues, mental health conditions

Strategy: Self-compassion first, then gentle progress

4. "Just Don't Feel Like It" Days

Symptoms: No specific problem, just resistance

Causes: Normal human experience

Strategy: This is exactly when discipline matters most

5. Physical Illness/Injury Days

Symptoms: Actual sickness, pain, physical limitation

Causes: Health issues beyond your control

Strategy: Health first—see "When Rest is Smarter"

When to Push Through

Most bad days call for pushing through. Here's how:

Push Through When:

• You're tired but not sick
• You're busy but can adapt
• You just "don't feel like it"
• The resistance is mental, not physical
• You've made excuses like this before

The "Just Start" Strategy

1. Commit to 5 minutes: Put on workout clothes, step outside, or start reading
2. Lower expectations: You don't need a PR—just show up
3. Any progress counts: A 45-minute walk still counts as a workout
4. Notice how you feel after: Almost always better than before

What to Tell Yourself

• "I've done harder things than this."
• "Future me will thank present me."
• "Action creates motivation."
• "This is exactly what the challenge is testing."
• "I am someone who shows up every day."

When Rest is Smarter

75 Medium, unlike 75 Hard, allows for compassionate flexibility. Sometimes rest is the right choice.

Rest When:

• Fever or acute illness: Your body needs recovery resources
• Injury risk: Something feels "off" in a concerning way
• Doctor's orders: Medical advice trumps challenge rules
• Mental health crisis: If you're in genuine distress (see Mental Health Guide)

Modified Activity Options

Before skipping entirely, consider modifications:

• Sick? Light stretching or walk instead of intense workout
• Injured? Work a different body part or do chair exercises
• Exhausted? Restorative yoga counts as mindfulness + movement
• Time-crunched? 15-minute HIIT still progresses fitness

The Honest Self-Check

Before resting, honestly answer:

1. Is this my body or my mind talking?
2. Would I tell a friend in this situation to rest?
3. Will I regret not doing anything tomorrow?
4. Is there any modified version I could do?

Handling Failure

If you miss a day or break a rule, here's how to handle it mentally:

Step 1: Acknowledge Without Drama

You missed a day. That's a fact, not a catastrophe. Research from behavioral science shows that self-compassion promotes better outcomes than self-criticism.

Step 2: Understand What Happened

Without judgment, identify:

• What specific circumstances led to this?
• What decision point could have gone differently?
• Was this a one-time situation or a pattern?
• What can I learn from this?

Step 3: Decide Your Response

You have options:

• Continue counting: 75 Medium allows flexibility—forgive and continue
• Restart completely: If you want the full 75-day streak experience
• Modify your rules: Adjust if the current structure isn't sustainable

Step 4: Recommit Immediately

Don't wait for Monday. Don't wait for "fresh start" vibes. The next action you take defines who you are—not the one you just missed.

The Restart Guide

Choosing to restart shows strength, not weakness. Here's how to do it right:

Before Restarting, Ask:

• Why do I want to restart vs. continue?
• What will I do differently this time?
• What specific obstacle caused the failure?
• Have I addressed that obstacle?

Restart Strategies

1. The Learning Restart

Take 1-2 days to analyze what went wrong. Write down specific changes you'll make. Start fresh with new strategies in place.

2. The Immediate Restart

Start again tomorrow. No waiting, no overthinking. The momentum matters more than perfect planning.

3. The Modified Restart

Adjust rules to be more sustainable if needed. Better to complete a slightly modified challenge than fail a perfectly strict one repeatedly.

Making This Restart Stick

• Tell someone: Accountability increases success dramatically
• Change one thing: Same approach = same result
• Prepare for the specific failure point: If you failed on travel, make a travel plan
• Set up environment: Remove obstacles, add friction to bad choices

Building Resilience

Resilience isn't avoiding failure—it's recovering quickly and learning from it.

Daily Resilience Practices

• Morning intention: Decide how you'll handle challenges today
• Evening review: What challenge did you overcome? What would you do differently?
• Gratitude focus: Finding good in difficult situations
• Physical training: Exercise builds mental toughness too

Reframe Your Struggles

• Obstacles ? Opportunities to practice discipline
• Bad days ? Proof that you can do hard things
• Failure ? Data for improvement
• Restarts ? Evidence of commitment, not weakness

The Growth Mindset

Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck's research shows that viewing abilities as developable (vs. fixed) leads to greater achievement. Apply this to 75 Medium:

• "I'm not a disciplined person" ? "I'm developing discipline"
• "I failed" ? "I'm learning what works"
• "I can't do this" ? "I can't do this yet"

Preventing Repeat Failures

If you keep failing at the same point, you need new strategies:

Identify Your Failure Pattern

• Time-based: Do you always fail around Day 20? Day 30?
• Situation-based: Travel? Weekends? Work stress?
• Task-based: Always the workout? The diet?

Create Specific Prevention Plans

If You Fail Around Week 3:

• This is the "novelty wearing off" phase
• Schedule something special for Day 21
• Get accountability check-ins mid-challenge
• Re-read your "why" every morning

If You Fail on Weekends:

• Plan weekends in detail like weekdays
• Complete tasks early before social events
• Have non-negotiable weekend routines

If You Fail During Travel:

• Research gym options before trips
• Pack resistance bands or jump rope
• Plan meals before arriving at destination
• Keep reading material on phone/Kindle

If Diet is Your Weakness:

• Meal prep more extensively
• Remove trigger foods from environment
• Identify emotional eating patterns
• Find satisfying alternatives that fit the rules

Related Resources

• ← Back to Complete Guide
• Mindset Guide Overview
• Mental Health & The Challenge
• Life After 75 Medium
• Daily Journaling Prompts