When it comes to personal health, most people wait for motivation to strike… and that’s exactly where they go wrong. Motivation is a feeling that, much like a gust of wind, it comes and goes. However, you cannot afford to base your physical health on a feeling that comes and goes. Consistency is what drives results, and consistency is rooted in discipline, a constant that puts your feelings to the side so you may achieve the goals you desire.
The biggest problem with motivation is that people choose to rely on it far too much when it has consistently proven to be unreliable. It’s a feeling that is based entirely upon emotion of the individual, in a world where emotions are constantly changing, even when we don’t expect them too. This leads to endless starting/stopping cycles that inevitably cause people to give up on their fitness journey. In a world revolving around instant results and gratification, starting/stopping cycles will not get you to the finish line. If you’re someone who has struggled with this in the past, that’s okay! You’re not alone, and a better approach exists for you.
Consistency is a much more dependable approach. Requiring great discipline to execute, it is the art of showing up repeatedly, even and especially on days you don’t feel like it. Taking a great deal of mental rewiring, once you place the importance of discipline over that of your feelings, success in the gym will look and feel so much better to you. Consistency stays after motivation leaves. It is the small actions that we repeat day-in and day-out that take us the farthest. Without it, our emotions would guide us off of the path of success, and we would find ourselves back where we started… or worse.
One of the main errors people make when it comes to consistency, is confusing it with perfection. Regular training always has and always will beat occasional intense sessions with respect to long-term health. For example, 3-4 solid workouts a week will yield better long-term results than random, all-out workouts that cannot be repeated. The name of the game is frequency over perfection. Even on the days you don’t feel 100%, “good enough” workouts are better than no workout at all. If you’re someone who struggles with holding yourself accountable on the days you don’t feel your best, then a smart route for you would be to seek out the help of a personal trainer. Not only is this a person who will hold you accountable and keep you disciplined in the gym, but they will also grant you the tools and the confidence you need to continue your fitness journey long after your time with them has come to and end. Asking for help in this area is not something to feel ashamed of!
Consistency is what turns efforts into results. You won’t always feel motivated, but if you keep showing up—especially on the days you don’t want to—you’ll build real, lasting progress. In the end, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about being consistent long enough to see the change.
