A lot of people start off strong. They are excited about their new goals. They bust out of the gate with an explosion but their commitment quickly fizzles. They are missing the #1 ingredient that will give them the biggest advantage, CONSISTENCY. Do what most people aren’t willing to do: Stay consistent.
Lack of consistency comes with a huge cost; your dreams. Stopping and starting and stopping and starting kills momentum. It kills people’s dreams and leads to a life of disappointment.
When you think about quitting, realize the tremendous price of inconsistency. It’s not just the single action; it’s the loss of momentum in your progress that will suffer.
People expect instant results. After 3 weeks on their new health plan, they haven’t lost one pound. So they go and sabotage the habits they’ve started to create. They give up before success has a chance to show itself.
If they would just persevere and continue to be disciplined, eventually some results will appear. But some results aren’t enough for most people. They want to see big results fast. And when they don’t, they falsely assume the plan isn’t working and they quit. But the smart person waits.
If you continue moving forward, eventually you’ll reach massive success.
Consistency is arguably the most important principle of success. Remember the tortoise and the heir.
I think of Janice, one of our members. We call her “J-Nice.” Janice is wise enough to understand the value of consistency. Every day, I can count on seeing her in the gym. When she first started, she had some physical limitations in what she could do but it didn’t stop her. At one point, she twisted her ankle but she continued to come and we modified her workouts. She’s worked with us on her nutrition as well through semi-private coaching. Here are a few steps Janice has taken.
- Clarity on her goals – She knew what she wanted and was clear about it. She wanted to first lose 20 pounds by a wedding in a few months and ultimately shed 40.
- One behavior at a time – She then started listing the most important things she could change to reach her goal. She attacked them one by one.
- Tracking – She tracked her behavior. We helped her do this. What you track and measure improves.
What were her results? Janice lost the weight and is doing things physically she’s never imagined like obstacle runs! Perhaps most importantly her attitude about life and what she can accomplish has improved dramatically. Was it easy? Heck no! But that’s what makes it so worth it.