The 740 Challenge

I need to confess something on Day 7 of this challenge: I don’t love drinking water.

Actually, let me be more specific. I hate lukewarm water. Room temperature water is the beverage equivalent of beige wallpaper—utterly forgettable and vaguely disappointing. When I think about drinking almost a gallon a day, all I can think is: Great. Another gallon of bleh.

You know what’s not bleh? Coffee. Strain that water through some magical coffee beans and suddenly you’ve got something worth drinking. Coffee all day, with an occasional Zevia thrown in for variety—that’s my ideal beverage lineup.

But no. The 7-40 Challenge says 100 ounces of water. Every. Single. Day.

The Logistical Nightmare

Here’s what nobody tells you about drinking a million glasses of water daily: you need a mental map of every bathroom within a five-mile radius.

You have to know when your next meeting is so you can strategically visit the facilities. Otherwise, you’re doing that awkward dance on a Zoom call, hoping nobody notices you’re shifting your weight every 30 seconds while someone drones on about Q1 projections.

“Can you see my screen? Great. Can you see my desperate need for a bathroom break? No? Perfect, let’s keep going.”

If I had my druthers… I druther not.

The Unfortunate Truth

But here’s the thing I can’t escape: I’ve been targeting 100 ounces a day for a few years now. Not because I suddenly fell in love with water’s sparkling personality. But because—and I hate admitting this—it works.

When I’m properly hydrated:

• I have more energy
• My mind is clearer
• I move more during the day (thanks, bathroom trips)
• My workout recovery is better
• I actually feel better overall

I usually gulp down 32 ounces at a time just to get it over with. Three or four strategic strikes throughout the day, and I’m done. It’s not elegant, but it does the job.

The Brussels Sprouts Principle

Sometimes we have to do what we don’t like. It’s like eating your Brussels sprouts so you can go out and play.

I drink my water because it lets me do all the good stuff. The lifting. The walking. The mental clarity to revise novel chapters. The energy to show up for my family.

And then I reward myself with a cup of coffee.

Day 7 Scorecard: ✅ Bible study ✅ Exercise (Workout B destroyed my back and legs) ✅ Reading (Made to Stick – novices crave concreteness) ✅ Gratitude ✅ Blog post (this reluctant love letter to hydration) ✅ Calories and water ✅ Walking ✅ Creative hour

Seven days. Seven perfect execution days. Including 700 ounces of water I didn’t particularly enjoy.

The best time to start drinking your gallon of bleh? Now. Even if you hate it as much as I do.

See you tomorrow for Day 8.