Consistency Wins

You know what is trendy right now? All in or all out commitments. I’m sure you’ve heard of the “75 hard” challenge? If you haven’t you should really look into it, it’s an admirable feat for anyone who can comply with the demands and see it through. However, the demands of this particular challenge are pretty high, so high in fact that the compliance with this challenge is very, very, very low. Meaning that hardly anyone who starts it actually finishes it the way it is designed. Sadly, this is the intention or at least it seems to be. It seems as though there are countless all in or all out challenges that exist to simply show how “hard” they are. The aspect of something being almost unachievable drawls in a lot of interest and creates very little success. 

I’ve been pretty successful in my life not doing anything every single day. Not meaning that I don’t do “anything” but meaning that I have not done any one thing every single day in order to achieve a goal. I do not workout every single day, I do not hit macros every single day, I do not read a book every single day, I do not drink 4 liter of water every day either. I do those things, I do them consistently but I don’t do them every single day. I am sharing this information to help you understand that balance is important for compliance, but also happiness. I could eat a specific diet everyday, I could workout every single day, and I could add many other things to the list but for what? I need days to have some treats, I need days to spend with my family, I need days that don’t revolve around ME and my nutrition, hydration and supplementation. Maybe you don’t relate to me, maybe you don’t have a family or a spouse or friends, but most people do. And even those that are single with a great focus on accomplishing something amazing, I’d suggest you step back and ask yourself if what you are doing is sustainable. 

All or nothing is sexy, trendy and makes you seem tough and even cool, but I don’t believe it will lead you to success or happiness. I’ve been on this earth for 35 years and while that’s not a terribly long time, I’ve learned quite a bit. One thing I’ve learned to do is to look around and listen and watch. I’d encourage you to do the same. Look around for people leading a life like you want for yourself. Do they live by some “all in” code? I doubt it. The reason for this is because if they are excellent at something then they’ve been doing it for a long time, not because they are “all in, all the time” but because they have developed habits that breed consistency. They likely take a day or two off to rest from work, give themselves a meal or two a week to indulge in something delicious, take time away from the gym to rest and maybe spend it with friends and family. They have some form of balance. Without learning to have balance you can’t have long term success. You’ve seen it right? Or you’ve experienced it! Someone goes on a nutrition challenge for 30 days that they had to follow to a “T” and they crushed it! They losts 10 lb., they feel good and look good but then it all went away. It went away because they weren’t learning balance but merely an “all in” approach which isn’t sustainable.

Consistency is a skill that is much less sexy and trendy on the internet than these “all in” challenges. But I want you to consider which will get you real results and a lifestyle that you hope to live. It takes time to be great at anything and accomplish something amazing, more than 30 days, more than 75 days. As you set your intention or game plan do so with windows of opportunity or chances to take a break, but plan them the best you can. It will allow you to sustain this life or changes you are making for the long haul. You won’t be perfect, count on it and have a plan to fall back on when you aren’t so that the set back isn’t a loss, merely a lesson.