The standards we set for ourselves can limit our performance, even if they’re arbitrary.

I occasionally like to incorporate planks into my exercise routine.

I never gave it much thought, but I figured that 2 minutes was my limit. So for years I’ve set a timer and then stopped around that time – which happened to be when my core seemed to feel it.

But a few weeks ago, I had the crazy idea to test whether 2 minutes really is my limit. I put on a song that was just longer than 3 minutes and started my plank without looking at the clock.

Before I knew it, the song was over and I was still mid-plank.

It hurt, but my body didn’t give out. Just like that, I had increased my performance by over 30%, simply by removing my previous bias.

This idea isn’t necessarily new. We saw the same thing after the 4-minute mile mark was broken and a wave of people suddenly realized that they could run faster than they had thought.

It just might be worth reflecting on other areas of our life to see where we have arbitrary fences holding us back.

-Brandon