I started a new type of streak this year. Instead of just setting a fixed goal of doing something forever at a certain rate, I decided to try to accomplish a goal by the end of the year.
I wanted to be able to plank for 10 minutes.
I figured with my back and hip pain, developing a stronger core would be a great idea. I do my crunches every day, but those are not intense. If I could hold a plank for ten minutes, then my core might be able to support my body appropriately.
Unlike my One Punch Man workout, I couldn’t just force myself to do ten minutes in one day. I could do ten sessions of one minute, but I would need to space those out too much throughout the day. Instead, I decided I would increase my plank time by 10 seconds every week.
It started easy enough, but then around three minutes, I began to realize this was no longer just a physical test, but also a mental one. When you switch from anaerobic to aerobic, your brain starts to talk to you.
You become very aware that you are doing something that is uncomfortable. You wonder when this will end and why you are doing it.
So, I began trading perfection for progress. I realized I could move my hands while I was “planking.” No, I wasn’t stoic in my plank, but I could now use my phone.
I bopped back and forth between watching YouTube Shorts and doing my reading for the day. I alternate arms for swiping pages and, much like running while playing Magic, I don’t notice the endless pain throughout my entire body.
Around September, I realized that I wasn’t going to make it to ten minutes by the end of the year. I assumed 10 seconds a week was enough, but I didn’t do the math.
I made a large jump from six minutes to seven minutes and then used Grit’s “Goal Plan” ability to increase by 15 seconds a week. This put me on track to have 9 minutes and 45 seconds by December 28th.
But the ultimate challenge was to do a full 10-minute mediation session while planking.
To truly prove myself that I can “plank for ten minutes.” I felt I needed to be able to keep hands and feet on the ground and have no distractions other than a mindfulness lesson going.
Once this was completed, I reached my 2025 goal and am on to the next.
My hip still hurts.
