Secrets Behind Consistency

Halloween or Everyday Gym Attire??

We have all heard the importance of consistency. In fact, if you had to pick one trait that is common in everyone that becomes successful it is the habit of being consistent over time. 




People are not afraid to sign up, think about how many people start an exercise program and sign up to a gym. People buys books, go to seminars or even sign up for that next business opportunity. Everyone starts saving in a retirement account.

The problem is who sticks with it?

For most all of us starting is not the problem. Staying in is. Winners and the successful stay consistent. Everyone else does not. 

When we look at the definition of commitment it makes a lot of sense. 

Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do long after the mood you set it in has left you. ~ Darren Hardy

We all understand that. But how can we learn how to stay committed? Here are 4 guidelines to help you develop this important trait. 



Know Your Goals
If I were to say lets go on a road trip to Taos. Let's jump in the car and go. No map, no plan, no itinerary let's just go. How long would it take? How far is Taos? Where the heck is Taos?!?! What if we take a wrong turn?

That is very similar to how we treat our lives. A goal with a plan is like a map for our lives. Goals are designed to give us direction, purpose and know where the heck we are going with our lives. Without a goal (map) we don't know where we are going, how long it will take, when we take a wrong turn, or if we are on track. With specific and structured goals you can literally direct exactly how your lives should go and simply follow the plan. 

I have found there are three types of FITness goals. 
Physical: Looking good is important to a lot of us and it should be. 
Health: These are the serious type of goals. The kind of goals where you have to do something about it now or it will get worse. Diabetic? Obesity? On meds? What are some health goals you have? Family history of cholesterol, heart disease, etc.? What are you trying to reverse or prevent? 
Performance: What is something measurable that you are focusing on? Endurance event? Recreational sport? Strength numbers? Everyone needs context to their training or it can easily become boring and stale. 

What Is Your Perspective?
If I were to pour 8oz of water into a 16oz glass and ask you, "Is the glass half FULL or half empty?" What would you answer? 

Your perspective is going to keep you moving forward towards more success, keep you stagnate or move you backwards. You can look at the Paleo diet and say to yourself about how you can't have this and can't have that. What do you think that will result in? If you continue thinking about all the things you can't have you will either drive yourself crazy or give into the foods you can't have because it is all you think about. Or you can take the glass half full approach and open yourself up to all the things you can have. All the foods that help you look better, feel better and perform better. You can start to view food as nutrients and as fuel. You can discover how great real clean food tastes. You can reap all the benefits with a positive focus. 

Who is Your Posse?
Your friends and associations are one of the most powerful influences in your life. They are so powerful because they aren't very obvious. Everyday the people you surround yourself with are making an impression on you. As human beings we naturally adapt to our surroundings (whether we like to or not).

Do you  ever notice how easy it is to eat healthy when the people around you are health conscious? How about the opposite? 

If you want to be a millionaire? Hang around rich people.

If you want to be ripped? Hang around other FIT people.

CrossFit as an example is so successful  for a lot of us  because it surrounds us with others that are just as motivated (or more), have  similar goals, and want the best for themselves. It is way too easy to adapt to what the people around you are doing. 

Always Be Learning
Education is a very powerful tool for long lasting success. Just as working out and eating healthy will change your body and health. Education is training for the brain and emotions. The more will raise the level of our education the better apt we are to improving the success rate of our lives. 

Here are a couple of reasons why:
Competence: As you become more learned you begin to adopt the traits of the successful. You become more efficient, more empowered and more confident. 
Attention: While education helps raise your intelligence it also offers something else. As you are putting the time in to read, listen and watch you are constantly having this information on the front of your brain. While this is on the front of your brain it is on your attention. And the important thing about attention is, attention feeds habits. The more you educate yourself you not only learn more you end up behaving more in line because it is constantly on the front of your brain... AWESOME!

Out of these 4 points, which one are you "committing" to in 2013? Why?

Which point do you feel you have done well with in 2012? Why?