I recently read a quote, which I’m sure to butcher, that has been resonating deeply within me for the past couple of days. It reads something like, “a champion/successful person does daily, what an average player/man does occasionally”.
Blammo! The sentiment of that terribly paraphrased quote was like a bullet of Truth Lead being shot out of a .357 Paradigm Shift Magnum! Do what you need to do, do it often, and do it well, and you will succeed. I find simplicity so sexy. This concept applies to all things in life, and for the most part we all know what to do, we just don’t have the focus to do it Consistently. The C word….gasp!
Consistency/Consistently = Harmony of conduct or practice. Firmness of constitution or character.
The C words. I have always had a long drawn out battle with attempting to be consistent, but I didn’t even see it until I started getting serious about my goal setting. As recently as six months ago I remember saying “I do it consistently, a lot of the time”. I’m fortunate that the person I said it to is a good enough friend to completely call me out and review what consistency actually means.
Here are a couple examples of how taking (or not taking) consistent action might apply to your life.
Ex. Mobilty… You have mobility issues and know what stretches and soft tissue work to do, but you don’t do it. I think we know the results. Injury or underwhelming gains in performance. The champion relentlessly focuses on performance and therefore pinpoints what needs to be done. If they have an issue with mobility they will spend time daily or twice a day to improve. I highly recommend you do the same!
Ex. Olympic/Power Lifting or Strongman…. You have goals of being a competitive lifter and know that a lifter must drill and practice the classic/competitive lifts to improve. But you still don’t have a lifting program that emphasizes those lifts. Or, even worse, you do have a program but don’t make the time to do it several times a week. The results? A champion weightlifter who I have had the pleasure of being coached by, said when she committed to lifting as more than a hobby she did 4 days with 2 two hour lifting sessions, and 2 days with 1 two hour session. Any wonder why she's set to crush the seniors division in her weight class?
Ex. Diet… You are trying to lose weight and have a diet plan all laid out (Paleo/Low Carb/Caloric Restriction), but you only execute this diet when you are at home. Then, for lunch at work, or at bars with friends, you eat garbage food. We know where this is going, right? No loss of weight and maybe even backsliding away from your goals. In this case, I find that preparation is the key to Consistency. It comes when you prepare your meals for the week on a Sunday and bring food to work. Also, eating before you go out can curb the temptation for pub grub and fast food. A successful dieter isn’t a dieter at all. They are someone who has set up an enjoyable yet sustainably Consistent eating plan.
Are you ready to be Consistent? If not, I hope you like the same results you’ve been getting, because you won't see any improvements. If you are ready, I will give you an early congratulations on your success and welcome you to the podium of life, Champ!
