Consistency and why it matters: Putting your 'why' into practice

Howdy Fellas! Thanks to all who checked out my last post on the concept of consistency. Now that some of the abstract stuff is outta the way, I thought I'd dive into some more practical (hopefully!) things to consider, some of these you may or may not have thought about as I wanted to get a little deeper into tapping into three considerations for developing a mindset conducive with consistent living vs "do this thing and succeed" type of content. At any rate, hope you enjoy and as always, take my ramblings and reflections you will.

Push through, but do it lovingly. 

1.     The first  thing to expect when we try and become more intentional and consistent in whatever the  discipline-a morning routine, physical activity, performing in your sport, etc-is that after we get through the initial resistance period (yes, be ready for it). We consciously and subconsciously put this up in our paths, but realize the thing we do gets easier and more automated if we decide to work through our initial resistance. Granted I’ve been at it for years, I really didn’t have to put much thought into changing up my Tues. workout and routine because its wired in that “this is what I do”, “I do what’s necessary to progress” and "I don't care how long it takes to get what I want".  This stuff becomes part of us, part of ‘what I do’, or ‘this is how I do things’if we apply some patience and grace with ourselves.

2.       To expand upon my first point, let’s look at this ‘resistance’. That can come from lack or confidence, experience, or the tendency take the easy way out and play it safe. I often see it manifested in clients (and myself in a lot of areas) in talking oneself out of doing something. It often sounds like “I don’t like this”, or “I can do this later”, “It really doesn’t matter” or “I’m not very good at this”. If and when this happens, try and ground yourself in your 'why' and purpose. 

      

      Hmmm…. How many times do we go back and forth with ourselves, on a daily basis sometimes? It's quite exhausting, isn't it? When you find this happening, stop and question if what we’re saying and doing internally aligns or deviates from our “why”. Then act accordingly. And again. And again. In time, resistance can turn to automation and internalization. And this, folks, is the mentality of champions. Now here’s something SUPER important: it’s not that we don’t ever struggle with this sort of thing, it’s all in how we deal with it when it happens. 

3.      Okay, so we want out of our own way we need to make our paths as clear and positive as possible. Cue visual cues. (Okay, that sounds cheesy/extra but I’m keeping it here!) Being consistent is theoretically simple, but our brains are complex (and often overstimulated). Take a brain full of ‘stuff’ and add more ‘stuff’ and it’s no wonder why it is such a struggle to commit and follow through. Anyhow, think about what you have in your immediate environment and in your main spaces (like training, work, and living). Does it inspire you? Is it organized? Set up for efficiency? Or does it overwhelm or stress you out?  Simple things such as using a whiteboard to write down your goals and objectives or making easy access to good nutrition and gear are some ways to help you get things done with less risk of distraction or overstimulation (because you know, the complex mind trying to simplify thing…). We take in such a great amount of information through our eyes, we need to make it count. Chaos breeds more chaos, order and consistency breed more order and consistency. 

4.    Now, what is a post about improving performance and behavior without the notion of accountability, accountability,  and accountability? We need others in our corner. Surround yourself with people who support you and your ‘why.  and you better believe it’s the behavior of the collective that wires everyone in for consistent success. For every doubter or hater out there, there's at least 2-3 more positive supportive folks out there.. I am fortunate to have encouraging friends and training partners that make it very easy for me to stay on track with my athletic and professional goals and it’s awesome. Nobody gets there alone.

So, let’s close this post that is double my intended length out: do hard things. Know what you want and more importantly why you want it. Be accountable with yourself, others, and your reasons for what you want to accomplish. Don’t be afraid to get a little dirty, tired, bored, or uncomfortable. Give yourself some grace when you mess up. Get rid of the things in your way that you don’t need.  In fact, we should feel these things and be comfortable with them. Know what you want, and don’t let circumstances stand in your way-move with and/or around these circumstances and use strategies to keep you in line. Being consistent is something that occurs on a daily or even hourly basis-do you have what it takes? I think you do.