Baby Steps

So, I'm doing this thing.
I don't exactly know when I started it, but I'm almost there.
That is, I am on my way to doing five-minute planks.

And if everything goes according to plans, I should be there Monday.

It all started, well, I just said I don't know when it started.
But, generally, maybe last spring I made an attempt to get back into working out regularly. And I made planks a standard part of my routine.
That is, I do three sets of five exercises when I work out - and a plank is always the first of those five movements. So, last spring when I was getting into the grove of doing planks I probably started with 45 to 60-second holds. Going into the summer I gradually increased the length of each plank until I impressed my husband by holding them for three minutes. And for some reason I just kept going.
Probably because I like impressing my husband.
Well, I tend to work out on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Three days. Three planks per day. And it seemed reasonable to me to add five seconds to one plank each day, which resulted in a complete five second addition each week.
I mean, really, five seconds isn't a big deal. Anyone can hold on to anything for "five more seconds," right? So I found myself taking baby steps toward an unknown big goal.
Then I came to mid-October. I hit the four-minute mark and I had to ask myself, How far am I going to take this thing? Because I didn't think it reasonable to keep adding five seconds a week for the rest of my life. *wink*
That's when I decided on five minutes.
And I distinctly remember thinking at that time, I'll never make it to five minutes.
Although... at two minutes I probably wouldn't have considered being able to do four.
Yet there I was.
I had made it that far by taking baby steps and, according to my math, I determined in twelve weeks I could baby-step-it there.
So, yesterday I did two planks for four minutes fifty-five seconds and the third for four minutes fifty seconds. I fully expect that I'll be able to do all three for the full four fifty-five tomorrow.
And come Monday? I'll hold my first plank for five minutes.
Indeed, twelve weeks ago I didn't believe this achievement was reasonable, possible, likely, or ever going to happen. But here I am. The baby steps have been huge for me in achieving this goal. (Yes, I included that paradox on purpose. Did you catch it???) And there are some wonderful spiritual lessons which can be applied to the journey on which I have been going. There has been a far greater benefit/blessing I have discovered from my plank-challenge, however, which I didn't anticipate at the onset. 'Nuff said for today, though. I'll write about that blessing tomorrow!

Do you have something large looming before you? Think baby steps might help you overcome it???