When it comes to getting results there is nothing as important as being consistent. And being consistent requires using the word “no” – a lot!
Success at anything is the result of sustained effort over a long period of time. It is a pattern of behavior that favors consistency and not flexibility. If you find yourself constantly changing appointments, workouts, and schedules, to accommodate everything that comes up in your life, then chances are the results you seek are hard to come by.
Set a Schedule and Stick to it
Let’s say your goal is to lose weight, and you have committed to working out three times per week at the gym, and going for a walk four days per week. Write down exactly what times you are committed to and put a big star next to them. Now, whatever comes up, don’t change or move your workouts. Not unless it is a serious emergency.
Learn to Say No!
Being rude isn’t necessary, but being firm is. If a friend just flew into town unexpectedly and wants to get together on Wednesday at eleven for coffee, but that is when you go for your walk, you can simply say, “Why don’t you come for a walk with me?” If your friend doesn’t want to, then arrange to do something at another time. The reason that this is so important is because breeches of schedule can begin to mount up and by the end of a year, you’re right back where you started. Remember, it is the net result of consistent effort that leads to success. Break the chain a few too many times and you won’t see results.
Moderate Effort is Best When it Comes to Exercise – or Anything in Life
Go too hard and you’ll burn out or get injured. Go to easy and no changes take place. The body must be challenged to force adaptation to take place, but if the body is challenged beyond what it can absorb then it won’t be able to keep up with the pace. The result is either injury, burnout, or both. The effort must be sustainable over a long period of time if it is going to lead to success. This is true in all aspects of life. Look for too much passion in a marriage and the expectations will never be met. Try to learn too much too fast in school, and the brain won’t absorb the material. The best it can do is to memorize it in the short term and then lose the information.
Don’t Chase Opportunity
The next opportunity that pops up is not better than whatever it is you already have scheduled. Unfortunately, for most people, there is a notion that when something comes along that is perceived as a real opportunity they drop everything for it. Or, at the very least, they juggle their schedule to try to accommodate it. This is a big mistake and rarely leads to any meaningful success.
The only outcome that is guaranteed is the one you are consistent in pursuing. And the only way to achieve results is to make your next commitment, including your workout, the most important one.