Consistency, it’s a staple of this blog which I harp on over and over again…consistently even. Today that consistency paid off for me in a big personal win. Today I pulled my body from a full hang position to achieve my first ever chin-up. And I mean…ever. It’s just something I’ve never been able to do and never cared about doing.
About six weeks ago I agreed to participate in a Savage Race with two of my buddies. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a 10K run with obstacles throughout, 25 to be exact. You can see our race here. I’m excited but feel ill-prepared. I’ve done the Warrior Dash (5k version, less intense obstacles) 3 years in a row now, and it’s a great time. And there’s beer at the end so that’s a bonus!
In an effort to be prepared I had set some goals to help me feel I’d be better prepared.
- Run a 10k in 56 minutes.
- Do 20 pull-ups
- Do 20 chin-ups
And with that I was set. I’d been setting and hitting 5k goals over the past 6 months, and just after I hit my goal of running a 5k in 28:30, I injured my knee. So I’ve been on the bench with the first goal, but in a way that’s been good to focus on the other two goals. I did an internet search and found this program and have been following it for a regiment of close grip and wide grip pull-ups, as well as chin-ups and today after pulling myself up to my nose for a week now I was able to do a full chin-up. And I felt like Captain America. It’s one tiny step toward my goal, but it happened after weeks of consistently following the program I set out for myself.
It’s hard not to be frustrated when week after week it seems as if little progress is actually occurring, but when I’m doing something and I hit that point where I just can’t do any more I hear a little Tony Horton in my ear saying:
“Don’t say ‘I can’t’, say ‘I presently struggle with.” – Tony Horton, P90X
From my stint of doing P90X there are a lot of these little sayings that still stick in my head but this one is the most powerful and can be applied to any task where you’re just starting out.
So, whether it’s an exercise program, starting a blog or hitting your first seven figure year, set your goal, make incremental progress, and celebrate your first chin-up, even if it’s just a big deal to you.