Consistency and why it matters.

So, this story begins earlier this week when I get a call from my main office telling me that we, just like basically everyone else in The Woodlands, will be shut down due to a “snow day”. All of you who live in areas not called Texas, feel free to laugh at us-it’s okay. I’m kind of laughing at us myself.
 

After receiving the call and rearranging all my meetings, I had to reevaluate what to do with the next 24 hours. On one hand, I could stay up late, sleep in, and let it be a rare mid-week free-for-all. I could even never get out of my PJ’s! On the other hand, I could set my alarm for my usual time, get up and run, and keep some structure working from home on projects I struggle to finish during the week. While Option A sounds enticing enough and perhaps more fun-at least temporarily, Option B won. I set the alarm for 5:30 AM, drank all the coffee, had my usual Honey Stinger bar and headed out to run-side note, it’s speedwork day and according to the weather app feels like 18 degrees outside (it was 25 out, but who’s counting?).

Tuesday is also my typical speed day for training. Knowing that I probably wasn’t going to get very good quality work in on the track-more less be anywhere near comfortable- I opted for the treadmill for some 800s (go ahead and cringe, or think “so what”, whichever side you sit on!). I knew it wasn’t going to be the most enjoyable use of my time, but it served a purpose. So, on the belt I go! And they weren’t that unpleasant, and I was glad I made the adjustment. When I think of the goals I have for my running in the next 12 months, it was worth talking myself into.

I also made it a point kept working hours as close to regular working hours (if there is such a thing in sport psych), knocking out everything I could that had been piling up. Weird weather, closures, and all the other anomalies of that day were put on the back burner in the name of progress. And it felt darn good.

I tell this story not to brag about my self-discipline and time management or to expose how boring I really am (trust me, I’m really, really, boring), but to give an example of how to flex and stay on top of things when nature (or other people, or your car, or your boss, etc.) throws us a curve. One of my highest values personally, professionally, and athletically is consistency. Am I always perfect with it, heck no-but I’m always trying to find ways to stay one step ahead of circumstance and myself by fine tuning practices and habits.

You see, the word ‘consistency’ gets thrown around a lot-by coaches, teachers, and inspirational memes and quotes on social media. The idea makes us feel all pumped up and good; yet so many of us struggle with pulling it out of ourselves. I think there are a few reasons for this, which I’ll get to in a second.

Consistency is King.

As my colleague Dr. Rob Bell writes “if consistency is king, then focus is queen”. We need both and they both seem to create more of one another. Like pieces in a chess game, we need to guard these with all our available resources and knowledge.

You know…. values and stuff.

Nerdy analogy aside, let’s go a little deeper for a hot second. One of the constructs that I have been heavily contemplating lately is the role our values play in our everyday lives ranging from the mundane to how they guide our biggest moments and decisions. When our actions are in line with our values, then achieving what we truly want and living our happiest, most productive lives becomes possible. Think about that, people. Based on some life experiences I’ve had, I’ve really come to value consistency in my life. In the bigger picture being successful and getting what we want is actually quite simple. It just takes finding what works and applying it, however, being committed enough to be adaptable when the situation calls for it. That and being in line with what you truly value, not something internalized or projected upon you; this is where we often fail and get frustrated, because what we want isn’t really ours in the first place.

But, why is this so hard?

Believe me, I know life is hard and things happen; like injuries, illnesses, and jury duty. Or that annoying motivation lag or occasional shiny object. Let’s unpack some concepts and things I find important to keep in mind when wanting to be more consistent in whatever it is you’re into:

“It’s what you do in the dark, that puts you in the light.”

First, and this is important: please understand that consistency is not sexy. Being willing to do things others are not often occurs when nobody else is around (not even social media!). Therefore, people and the media are always quick to showcase the results and all these amazing things others do-because it gets attention. At the most, they talk about all the “hard work” they put in, but that’s mostly it. Famous athletes, writers, and businesspeople in the moment can make hard work sound sexy…. until you’re halfway through a large project or training for this or that performance and you’re still not there yet. Do you want the flash, or are you committed to doing the things others are not? And things hardly anyone ever sees. Are you okay with this? Oh, and as rewarding as it is, it not always not the funnest thing (like treadmill interval running or running in 21-degree weather-pick your weapon of choice). Sorry about that. But if you really want it…. let’s go to the next step. SIDE NOTE: there is a caveat to the “not fun” part, however. Recall the ‘dopamine discussion’ in a previous post!

The “Why” factor

Next, ask yourself why do you do what you do? Your “why” is a big ingredient in the secret sauce. If your “why” is strong enough, it will be much easier to be consistent in the pursuit of your goals. Back when I was starting my career, I knew I had a long road ahead of me, but the desire to help others was so strong it was worth staying on the road. I made the road mine, and I still have many miles to go on it. Why? Because I love it. It means something to me. Heck, even merely the act of trying hard means something to me. So back to my famous road trip analogy, even the parts that look like driving through Kansas or Nebraska we need to forge through (sorry Kansas and Nebraska residents, I mean no harm by that!).

Just Imagine if you were traveling somewhere and just stopped because you didn’t like the (temporary) scenery. Doesn’t make much sense, does it? Unless you don’t know why you were going in the first place.  If any of you want to go more in depth about the mechanisms of the “why”, I suggest checking out my colleague Dr. Cindra Kamphoff’s book, “Beyond Grit”.  Bottom line: if you don’t know why you’re doing something, consistently attacking it will not be an easy task.

So here we have some of my thoughts and reflections on the notion of expressing consistency any area of life. My next post will go into some potential ways to put this into practice. Til then, think about what you value, want, and why. 

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