As human beings we should realise how important it is to understand that the road to success, no matter what the goal, is a rocky and sometimes tough one. There will be bumps, obstacles, and tripping over once or 100 times, but as long as you never stop MOVING FORWARD, you’re making progress and things will always turn around. You may not see results day, week to week, or even month to month, but with persistence and perseverance – progress is inevitable.
Consistency isn’t pretty, consistency isn’t exciting and consistency sure as heck isn’t easy. But consistency is what get results. Exercise is a great example of why consistency beats intensity. So say it’s your first session back after having few months off, you head into a HIIT session and put yourself through the most intense workout you’ve ever endured. You gave it 110% and you’re exhausted. But getting home, you take your shirt off and nothing, you look exactly the same as before your workout. So you decide to stick with it and do it all again the next day and again no signs of any progress. By repeating this process for a few weeks surely you’d be able to see some results? No. Maybe you think to yourself exercise must not work for you (although deep down you know it does). What is wrong with this logic?
Exercise, like most things in life takes TIME and CONSISTENCY to reap rewards. So take these 2 points and apply it to all areas of life, not just the gym.
- Intensity isn’t the answer. It’s consistency that gets us to where we want to be, whether it is in the gym, in the workplace, in school and anywhere else in life.
- Don’t give up when you don’t see progress. Change takes time and its imperative that you have faith, stay the course and keep grinding.
“It’s not about intensity, it’s about consistency…. If all you do is go to the dentist twice a year, your teeth will fall out. You have to brush your teeth twice a day for 2 minutes….” – Simon Sinek.
Bad days don’t define us. It’s what we do in response to those days. What defines us is what we do day-in and day-out. It’s our action over time. It’s definitely easier said than done, so here are some helpful tips for shaking off a bad day.
- Growth, change and results take time. Understanding this can help put a bad day into perspective . We are defined over the course of an entire lifetime. Don’t let a few bad days, weeks or months hold you down.
- Believe in what you’re doing. If you truly believe that what you’re striving for is worth while – COMMIT YOURSELF AND STAY THE COURSE. Always trust the process.
- We really only have control over 2 things in life: Attitude and effort. Wake up each morning knowing that you get to make a conscious decision about your attitude and effort. Choose to have a good day. Choose to see the best in people. Choose to run the day and give your absolute best effort to everything you do.
- Use your support system. Asking for help is OK. There is no issue too big or too small, have no shame and don’t feel like you are along because you’re not.
Consistency is comforting – people who are consistent are dependable and people like that. Beneath the surface, it becomes obvious that being consistent encompasses host of other admirable traits such as effort, commitment, dedication, accountability and perseverance just to name a few. This will not only earn you results but it will also earn you trust and respect. Being consistent is effective, admirable and as about straightforward as it gets as long as you’re willing to put in the work.
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” – Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa.
