Social Media Growth vs Personal Growth

Social media challenges are pushing the “New Year, New Me” mindset by encouraging personal growth whilst fostering community engagement, thanks to user-generated content. While they provide motivation and accountability, they also risk fuelling comparison and the pressure to achieve perfection.

As the new year begins, we’re often swept up in the “New Year, New Me” energy, setting goals, building habits, and seeking self-improvement. Social media has become a central space for various "challenge" trends that push us to reinvent ourselves. Popular challenges like Gymshark 66 and 75 Hard are promoting holistic transformations that go beyond just eating healthy and focus on reshaping mindsets, behaviours and lifestyles. Social media encourages an all-or-nothing mentality, if you’re not taking on a transformative challenge, are you even trying to improve yourself? 

A key driver behind the success of challenges like Gymshark 66 and 75 Hard is the sense of community they cultivate on social media. Participants share their struggles, wins and progress, fostering motivation and accountability, while creating a feeling of belonging. For many, posting fitness goals or mental health milestones online can act as a commitment device, encouraging them to stick to their plans.

The visual nature of platforms like Instagram and TikTok amplifies this, as people document their transformations, often in real-time. This sense of connection can inspire others to join in and engage with the brand, as Gymshark has done by leveraging user-generated content to build loyalty.

Gymshark 66 is an example of a challenge designed to help participants build sustainable habits over a 66-day period. Unlike many challenges that focus solely on extreme fitness goals, Gymshark 66 emphasises consistency and flexibility. It encourages individuals to select a personal goal, whether related to fitness, nutrition, or mental well-being and commit to it for 66 days. The goal is to create lasting habits, not achieve perfection.

The key appeal of Gymshark 66 is its relatability. It acknowledges that life isn’t always perfect and that habits take time to develop. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences through user-generated content, which in turn strengthens the sense of community. Gymshark’s active engagement with participants also helps reinforce the idea that personal progress is the ultimate goal, not just the appearance of success. 

Yet, as more people share their progress, individuals may feel the need to escalate their efforts to "keep up." This can undermine the original goal of developing lasting habits, shifting the focus instead to performance and external validation.

In contrast, the 75 Hard challenge, created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella, takes a much more rigid and intense approach. Over the course of 75 days, participants must adhere to five specific rules. Failure to complete any of the tasks means starting the challenge over from day one.

While the goal of 75 Hard is to build mental toughness and resilience, its intensity can be overwhelming, especially in a space where personal comparison is at its highest. While some participants thrive under the structure and discipline, others find the challenge to be emotionally draining, especially when they see others succeed with ease. The culture of "success at all costs" can lead to people feeling they are failing or not measuring up to others' experiences.

Despite its demanding nature, 75 Hard generates a massive amount of user-generated content. The challenge’s rigid rules and visible results make it easy for people to document their progress in a dramatic way, fuelling the sense of achievement and inspiration. But, as with other challenges, it raises questions about whether this type of extreme commitment is truly healthy for everyone, or whether it's just another way to chase validation and approval online.

In a world that often values instant gratification, challenges like Gymshark 66 and 75 Hard offer a fresh opportunity for long-term growth and reflection. Beyond personal transformation, they also help build social media presence, especially on platforms like TikTok, where followers engage in the journey of others. These challenges provide structure, motivation and community, making them powerful tools for both personal and digital growth.