Plank & ab wheel every day

HABIT #4

Details & Clarification 

I want to plank and ab wheel each day. For my plank I want to increase the duration with 3 (and later 2 or 1) seconds each time, until I hit 4 minutes. For the ab wheel I want to do 10 reps.

Starting point & Lessons from the past 

I’ve been planking & ab wheeling for the past two weeks or so, so it’s not a completely new habit. However, I really dislike planking, and I know from the past, it’s easy to give up on it after a few weeks. Especially, if I can’t hold the plank for the entire time. So that’s something to be mindful of. I’m now at a plank of 1 min and 39 seconds, so that will be my starting point for this challenge.   

Why this habit is important to me: 

• It will help me create a strong core which is necessary for ballet in general, but especially for  doing pirouettes and later on going on pointe. I love both of these elements of ballet, and so it’s important to me to build a good foundation for them.
• It will help tone my body, which I find aesthetically pleasing.
  
• It will help me develop mental toughness. I really dislike planking, but that makes it an ideal exercise to battle negative thoughts and develop more resilience. Even though planking is physically tough, it’s usually the mind that gives in first.
  

Identities I want to build with this habit: 

• Contemporary ballerina
• Self-disciplined

Trigger: 

• I will do this first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom. I have set up a daily recurring task in Akiflow (a time-blocking platform I use to plan my days) as an additional reminder.

Tracking: 

• I will track my habit in Akiflow, checking it off as I’m opening up my laptop during my morning routine.

Habit boosters (things that will help me follow through): 

• Public accountability: Having it part of this public challenge will boost my motivation to follow through.
• First thing in the morning: Doing a habit first thing in the morning makes it easier for two reasons: 1) motivation is usually highest in the morning, 2) mornings are usually predictable, so there’s less likely that something gets in the way.
• Measurable results: Progress is one of the most powerful motivation boosters. Being able to increase my plank time by a few seconds each time, will provide me with a strong sense of progress.
• Celebration: Celebrations make you feel successful, which helps wire the habit in your brain. After I’ve finished my plank, I will celebrate it by throwing my arms in the air. After I’ve finished my ab wheel, I will celebrate it by making a fist bump.
• Prep in advance: During my daily shutdown ritual, I will take out my ab wheel which will help me remember and make it easier to do this habit in the morning.

Obstacle battleplans (how I’ll deal with potential obstacles): 

• Mental resistence to start: If I feel very high resistence to start, I will tell myself to do at least 10 seconds. This will help me to a) at least get started, b) keep the habit alive even if I don’t make it to the full plank, c) action fuels motivation so I will be more likely to do the entire plank once I’ve done the first 10 seconds.
• Negative thoughts while planking: Once the planking gets really tough, I find myself thinking things like “What’s the point?”, “I don’t want to do this”, “This is too painful”, “It’s not worth it”, etc. I will try to counteract those thoughts, by redirecting my focus to my breathing. And if that doesn’t work, try to think of the pirouettes and pointe shoes.
• Giving up after failing: I’ve known from my previous experiences, that I easily give up, if one day I can’t hit my new target. In these cases it might be best to freeze my target for a few days, and be extra mindful of (maybe even setting a reward like a tasty caramel) keeping up with my habit.
• Feeling sick: If I feel too sick to do the whole plank at once, I will break it down into 30 second sessions.

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