A few years ago I was doing a Monday Minute – a quick thought for the week. It’s baaa-ack. Partially for accountability to keep writing, and also because who doesn’t like starting their week with a quick thought or challenge for the week that you can read in one minute?
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A couple months ago my mother-in-law challenged me and my sister-in-law to a 30-day plank challenge. As I looked aghast at the tag she posted on Facebook, I knew I couldn’t exactly say ‘No, I don’t feel like it.’ I told Troy about the challenge and he said, “Yeah, good luck with that.”
Okay, challenge accepted 😉
For me, accountability works. If I know I’m doing something with someone else, or someone else is going to ask about a goal, I stick to it far better than without the accountability.
So. 30-days. I’d barely done a 30 SECOND plank let alone do it every day for 30 days! I’ve not ever been one to push myself physically, mostly because I’ve been blessed with a good metabolism and some general walking and light exercise is enough for me to feel good. But this. This was telling me that in 30 days I must go from a 20 second plank to FIVE MINUTES!!
I’ll get bored! Or crash!
Well, we started on the first of the month, and as each day passed I found myself panting, grunting, and nearly collapsing on the carpet every time. Troy counted for me one night and made me go 20 seconds longer than that day’s requirement and something clicked in me. Hey, you can do more than you think you can! As each day passed, I began to realize the challenge was so good, not just for my body, but for my mind. With challenge and determination, I can do more for me than I realized and I needed to challenge myself like this more often!
I am happy to say that I did planks the whole month (with a day off here and there), and made it up to three minutes, which I am super happy with. That is FAR more than I’d ever done or thought I could do! I found that determination actually spills out into other areas of life. One good habit or challenge actually breeds more good habits. I’ve actually continued to do planks about three times a week now!
So, this week, what one thing can you push yourself to do that you’ve never tried before? Prove to yourself that you can actually do more than you thought you could 😉 Try it consistently for a week, and who knows, it may turn into a new habit!
Here’s some suggestions to try for one week:
*no complaining
*cut out social media
*exercise more than usual (set your own goal that challenges you)
*cut out sugar (or whatever your vice is)
*find someone every day to speak life into. Genuinely.
*choose thankfulness in every challenging situation
*For me this week, I am going to write a minimum of 500 words for 5 of the 7 days. I’m not going to try and figure out the end from the beginning, but just let creativity flow.
Come back and let me know what you try and how it goes! I would love to hear 🙂
