Consistency. It’s not a sexy word. It’s not perfection. It’s not intensity of action. It’s not all or nothing. It’s not a concept that inspires people to sell all their belongings & live out of a VW van!
When compared to the high energy of “all in”, consistency seems…well…boring…routine…old-fashioned. I mean who wouldn’t rather do the “all in” overnight change versus the long, slow shift that defines consistency? We all are drawn to the lure of wholescale change…
- I’ll never eat sugar again.
- I’m going to work out every day.
- Why walk 5k’s when you can run a marathon?
But before you jump feet-first into the Volumetrics Diet plan (not that there’s anything wrong with Volumetrics!), just remember one thing – consistency works. It works because it is the accumulation of what we do over time.
Maybe you’ve seen this anonymous quote: “Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different?” This is the power of consistency. It’s those small daily changes that we don’t even notice adding up to produce something significant & life-altering.
Some of the best things in life come from consistency. Think healthy teeth! If the only care your teeth received were during your biannual dentist visits, I’d guess that your check-ups would be pretty rough. It’s the brushing you do twice a day (you do that, right??!) & the flossing you do once a day (of course you do that too!!) that, over time, keep your teeth happy & healthy.
Consistency gets things done…just a bit more slowly. Here’s an example from my own life. I love to read. No, I LOVE to read. My preferred way of reading is to sit in a chair & read for 4, 5, 6 hours at a time. I prefer to start a book & not stop reading until it’s finished. I used to only read when I had a 1-2 hour window to snuggle up with a book. But, I also have a busy life…so those 1-2 hour windows were few & far between.
As the years went by I realized that I was reading less & less. I just couldn’t find the time. So, I made a consistency commitment – I decided to be a person who reads every day…consistently. I decided to take a book with me wherever I went. That way, whenever I had a few minutes (waiting at the doc office, waiting for my kiddo, waiting for a client) I could read. I read 1-3 pages at a time now…not very much. But amazingly the books get read! Last year I read 8 books!! Eight more than I read the year before! 🙂
What changes would you like to make? Get in shape? Eat healthier? Have more time for a hobby? Learn something new? Just think – consistency makes these goals EASILY achievable! Just start with a small change that you do regularly…so small that you don’t even notice you’re doing it. And go from there! Here are a few things to try…
- Walk 10 min every day
- Work out on your days off from work
- Buy 1 new vegetable a week & try different ways of cooking it
- Eat breakfast on the days you work
- Bring a water bottle with you EVERYWHERE you go
- Add a salad to dinner
- Do 5 push-ups every time you go the bathroom
- Bring a book with you EVERYWHERE
- Go to bed 1/2hr earlier on the days you work
- Schedule 20 dedicated minutes every day to spend on social media instead of mindlessly scrolling
- Set a 45min timer & take a walk around the block/office when it goes off
Consistency works, folks. Just a little bit every day…not so much that you’ll notice…but just enough to be successful! Give a try & let me know how it goes!