By far, one of the most common questions I receive concerning health and fitness is:
“How do I become consistent over a long period of time?”
This question encapsulates so many of us who desire to take better care of ourselves, but seem to always fall off the proverbial wagon.
Consistency, as I understand it, means to do something repeatedly, particularly when we don’t want to, for a long period of time (I will use consistency and discipline interchangeably).
This is almost an unfathomable conceptualization when we endeavour to make a significant
change to our lifestyle. It is so daunting because if we have never gone to the gym, going for the
rest of our lives seems to be an impossible feat. (Addicts go through the same internal struggle,
when they must commit to remaining sober for the rest of their lives) This is a real problem, and
cannot be solved with “the right protocol.”
Two Aspects Of Consistency
• You are already Consistent or Disciplined
• The actions that you are consistent in are a representation of your own values.
It is encouraging to know that we do not have to learn how to be disciplined; we already are. What we truly have to learn is why we are disciplined in some areas, and not in others.
Every action we participate in is a value determination. We act on what we most care about; we
are wired this way. Therefore, if we want to change our physical health for the better, we must
discover what we currently care about. We discover this through asking, “Why do we do what we
do?” “What are the habits and behaviors I am consistent in, and what does it tell me about
myself?”
To Become Consistent In A New Behavior, We Must Experience A Transformation In Our Character
If what I am saying is true, then the only way to change long term in a desirable direction
is to alter what you care about. If you are going to wake up at 5am and go to the gym three days
a week, you have to care less about watching television late at night. If you are going to eat less junk food, and pursue a less hyper-processed diet, you have to care less about the taste and
more about how it makes you feel. If you are going to walk outside four days a week for 30
minutes, you have to care more about moving your body and being in fresh air than whatever
the alternative is. Consistency in taking care of your physical body means actions that support a
healthy lifestyle must be a non-negotiable part of your life; inevitably taking the place of
something else.
This is difficult, because in order to change for the rest of our lives something has to go.
We have to sacrifice, and it feels like letting go of a part of ourselves.
Consistency In A New Space Takes Sacrifice
You aren’t developing consistency in a new space, you are transferring consistency from one area
of your life to another. Here’s a few examples: If I want to make sure the dishes are done every night, I must sacrifice the consistent five extra minutes of couch time I take every night and transfer that to doing the dishes. If I want to read every morning, it means I must sacrifice sleeping ast 6:30 a.m. consistently. If I want to cook three days a week, I cannot doordash or go out to eat consistently.
I hope you can see how we don’t have to obtain a new character trait to get good at consistency; you are already disciplined at something. We just need to change what we care about and transfer our discipline to that specific area. While this is not easy, it is empowering to us! We already have the internal resources to become the people we desire to become, we just have to be aware of it.
Lee Ramsey has a passion for fitness as a way to help people grow and change into more adaptable, capable and resilient versions of themselves. He is owner of Sanctify Fitness in Covington and a regular fitness columnist for the NKyTribune.