Never Miss – 101, Part 3: You Can’t Do It Alone

Every challenge looks personal on the surface, especially fitness ones. But if I’m being honest, hitting 101 days without a solid support system would have been way more difficult.

This post isn’t about sets, reps, or even injuries. It’s about what held me up:

• The people who understood the early mornings

• The routines that gave structure to the chaos

• The small choices that kept me focused when I could’ve easily backed out

1. Accountability Starts at Home

Before I started this challenge, I told my family what I was planning. Not to get permission, but to give them a heads up and ask for support.

They knew I’d be heading out early. They knew I’d be a little more focused (and probably more tired). And that made a big difference.

What I also learned: when you go to the gym at 5:00 a.m., the world hasn’t started moving yet. No work meetings. No kids' activities. No dinner plans.
At that hour, I ran out of excuses, because there weren’t any left.  It was all on me.

And for my family, it was less disruptive. I was done before anyone even poured their first coffee.

2. Inspired by Others, Not Competing

Some of my close friends were doing 75 Hard during the same time I was deep into my challenge. Different program, different rules, but the spirit was the same: consistency, grit, and zero excuses.

Just knowing other people in my circle were out there grinding gave me fuel. We weren’t competing, but we were quietly pushing each other.

That sense of shared commitment, even when we weren’t training together, kept me going. I didn’t want to let them down. 

3. Systems Beat Willpower

Support isn’t always people, it’s structure. I had my workouts scheduled, my gym bag ready the night before, and my pre-workout drink dialled in.

That drink helped me focus and gave me a solid pump. Combine that with good music and a locked-in gym plan of four-day splits, and I was mentally sharp before the first rep even started.

I didn’t wake up and decide if I was going to the gym. It was already decided.
The more friction you remove, the fewer excuses have room to grow.

4. Tools That Helped Me Reset

Two books played a big part in shaping how I approached this mentally:

• “Atomic Habits” by James Clear – It reminded me that it’s not about giant leaps, but small, consistent actions that shape who we become. 

• “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins – This helped me learn what the body and mind can do if you just keep pushing forward. Goggins' mindset of mental toughness and endurance reminded me that pain and fatigue are often just the starting line.

These books helped me frame my workouts as mental reps as much as physical ones.

Final Thoughts

I may have been the one lifting, but I didn’t do 101 days alone.
My support system wasn’t loud, but it was there. And that made all the difference.

If you’re trying to build something, your fitness, your mindset, your business, you need to think about what (and who) is supporting that effort. Build your environment to match your goal.

In Part 4, I’ll dig into injury management, what hurt, how I adapted, and what I learned from pushing a body with more mileage than I’d like to admit.

Until then:
Never Miss – 101. 101 Days. Zero Excuses.