One of the simple things I’ve discovered to getting results is to just show up and be consistent. Consistency is key. Not that it’s easy. A lot of the time, it’s downright hard. I don’t want to ‘show up,’ so to speak, at the gym to do legs if I’m tired and sore and feel like taking a day off.
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Many things in life take time to achieve, and a lifetime to maintain. A healthy body comes from regular trips to the gym, or walks, or climbing, or running. It doesn’t come from one powerhouse eight hour session once a week or month. A healthy mind comes from regularly checking in with yourself, maintaining boundaries, and pursuing what is aligned with your values and goals.
What are we aiming towards?
These effects also compound over time. I gain more muscle because I am consistently lifting heavy things and getting enough protein, even on my bad days. I stay lean because I do pay attention to what I eat consistently, although I do love donuts so will still crush them as a treat. Plus, a small chocolate for dessert is so worth it.
Part of the reason why I do these things consistently is because I know what it is that I am aiming towards. I am aiming towards a fit and healthy lifespan. One where I can continue to adventure and travel, go on hikes, and even play with grand children when I am older. I want to be able to continue to read and engage in interesting conversations, and explore new ideas.
Thus, I can build a strategy based on this. As I want more muscle, I train in a certain way to promote increased muscle mass. I go on regular walks to ensure I’m burning calories, keeping myself aerobically fit, and increasing my stamina with walking with a backpack so I can hike for years to come. I read and practice exploring my thoughts through writing so I can express ideas. Continue to engage in community groups to learn and explore ideas. All of this is Nature willing of course, as I can’t control anything unforeseen such as illness or injury.
Consistency is key. What does it look like?
With that in mind, this is what being consistent and showing up looks like for me:
- going to the gym 3 – 5 days a week
- getting my workout in regardless, even if it’s a bad lifting day because I’m tired and sore. The exception is illness as we still do need to take care of our bodies
- going on regular walks – Thursday, and each weekend. I ruck (wear a weighted backpack on Thursdays), and if we are feeling a bit tired or pressed for time, we just shorted the walk rather than not do it.
- reading daily – both non fiction to learn more about things that interest me, and fiction to escape into fantasy worlds. Plus, I’ve found I attach myself to certain characters and enjoy seeing their own journey and struggles. I think fantasy as important as it helps us to have empathy for characters. Plus, we can bring some wonderful learnings into our own lives. The conversation between Wit and Kaladin is something I reread often when I find myself in a tunnel without an immediate light at the end
- write more. This is something I’m currently not doing the best at. I’m not writing as much as I want to. That being said, I’m still exploring ideas, putting thoughts forward, and I do write my own journal for reflection and learning. To be a better writer I know I need to write more and just publish, even if I perceive the articles as being pretty bad. They will go for a while. Then eventually one will be not-so-bad. Then one will be better. Then good. And so forth
- same with podcasting. I’ve lost my regular publishing rhythm but am still doing some episodes
- seeing family each week
- regular catchups with the high school buddies
Consistency is key.
When it gets hard
We all know that some days will be harder than others. Some days, even weeks and months, perhaps years, will be real hard. We have to keep going and be consistent. We have to come back to our core values and our why. To continue to do the things we need to do with the belief that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and we will get there.
Here’s what we need to remind ourselves:
- to get up and not hit snooze
- to lift that weight even if it’s not as heavy as it was last week because you are tired
- to go on that walk, even if it’s shorter, or if there is bad weather and you don’t want to be outside, head to your local indoor shopping centre and walk laps
- that we won’t see the immediate benefit, but we will over time
Running counter to this viewpoint of being consistent is the idea that there is just too much for us to do in one lifetime. I do believe that we will never get everything done. That’s why it’s important to have a clear aim, so we can put containers around what we do. With less choices, we achieve more. We spend time on what’s important to us, so that over time we move towards where and who we want to be. That means saying no to things, which is a skill in and of itself that we all need to use and get comfortable with.
By being consistent, we are well on our journey to becoming better and healthier each day. Consistency is key.
I view with pleasure and approval the way you keep on at your studies and sacrifice everything to your single-minded efforts to make yourself every day a better man.
Seneca, Letters of a Stoic, Letter III