CONSISTENCY IS KEY - KEEP IT UP

Whenever a new goal begins to form in our minds, it’s tempting to focus only on the outcome. Getting a beach body, having a flatter stomach, downsizing your waistline, whatever the desire, we sometimes cling to the end destination, without really paying enough attention to the journey.

For any successful journey, you can be sure a level of practice and consistency is involved, and even when faced with drawbacks, knowing how to get back up and stay on track is key to growth in everything from photography to fishing, and of course, fitness.

Specific Goals for Realistic Control

Inspiration is seductive, and it can be thrilling to watch your favourite athletes or actors achieve something extraordinary and be driven to work on yourself. There’s no denying the power of being inspired, but to really aim for consistency requires more than occasional spurts of ambition. Consistency requires you to have a strong idea of what you need to do.

Try to create simple but specific goals, and measure results. Design smaller steps if needed to reach those goals, and you’ll have formed a plan. A wealth of apps are available out there to help with creating separate tasks that can be ticked off, and if you’re working on your health and well-being, there’s no easier way than to measure your progress with boditrax, available in our fitness centres. Measure your body composition at regular intervals for specific details and stats to see how effective your training, exercise, or diet currently is.

A plan followed consistently will maximize results - In terms of fitness, consistency means a regular frequency of workouts as well as adhering to the workout format or plan you have laid out. Time and again, it’s been shown that people who follow their plans precisely, see the greatest improvements in performance.

Set Your Priorities  

One way to keep this frequency steady is to schedule time to work on your fitness just as you would a formal appointment; you probably wouldn’t be slack and blasé about getting to a job interview on time, so it’s equally senseless to be haphazard about your goals. Aside from planning smaller steps with smaller milestones, segmenting time can also help - lock certain periods of your week’s calendar and dedicate them solely to achieving what you want.

On your journey, it’s also important not to disregard other areas of your life and ensure that your schedule can be kept consistently without any negative impact - It won’t serve you to overreach, as you may find yourself making more frequent excuses or being sidetracked more often. Your nutrition intake is prime example of knowing where your priorities lie - if you have your priorities set, you’ll know whether eating that second double cheese burger is the right decision.

Getting structure and help from through mentorship is a proven way to be reminded of your priorities, as you feel the responsibility to live up to expectations and fill your potential, allowing you to grow beyond your current levels. A fitness coach will support you by pointing you to the most efficient training, and will customize a plan to fit your unique requirements.

Having Trouble Staying Consistent, is Part of Being Consistent

Being consistent doesn't mean you need to achieve perfection every time - If you miss a workout or don’t reach all the reps you wanted to, move on and encourage yourself to try again the very next chance. The key is to keep it up, through all the joys, tears, laughs and mistakes, having a plan will see you through potential slip ups and failures, so don’t beat yourself over the head and be demotivated if you come up short, just keep going.

External factors will get in the way at some point, but if you seem to be having trouble with consistency, or find yourself overly procrastinating, try these tips:

• Put post-it notes and reminders around your home, workspace, and belongings: mirror, computer, fridge, car, phone, or in your shoes if you have to.
• Forgive yourself and move on - You’ll recover from setbacks faster each time.
• Understand ups and downs are part of the game.
• Encourage yourself out loud, “I am committed. I will remain consistent. I am doing this!”
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help - Even if it isn’t professional fitness coaching, you’ll almost certainly go further with a little help or encouragement, to take you through the struggles and refocus you on your dreams.

Consistent actions require consistent thinking. Consistent thoughts require you to get your mind into gear to act now, not later. When you are acting now, you’re keeping it up.