Persistent and Consistent

Every once in a while, I get bitten by the exercise bug. Who doesn’t?

I get into this or that routine, perhaps committing to doing pushups every day, or going for a jog. I do the exercise for a while, going through the expected aches and pains and challenges phases, and usually get a bit frustrated by the lack of results that I’m really hoping to see. I want to get to the point where pushups are effortless, or where I can run like the wind, and it just isn’t happening.

Next thing I know, life intervenes. I miss a session. I get busy. Days go by in a rush. Deadlines come up. There is barely time enough for sleep. Emergencies happen. Why do emergencies always seem to happen just when you have the least time for them? Other people need me. Why do they always come to me? I get distracted from my usual routine, and totally lose the plot regarding my new fitness commitment. I realize that I haven’t done a pushup in a week, or maybe it’s been a month.

I am faced with a choice. I can either start again, or I can quit.

I’m not much of a quitter. I owe much of my success to being persistent. When it comes to fitness, which is a lifetime pursuit, persistence is essential. Equally, I’ve come to really appreciate the power of being consistent with my fitness efforts. When we are consistent, we accrue results at an astonishing pace. I find the “two steps forward and one backward” approach extremely frustrating. Failure plays with my head, really shakes my confidence. I’d rather be making consistent progress, and when I’m not making progress, I persist.

If your fitness goals are important to you, treat them as if they are important. Schedule them, rather than seeing if you can find time for them. Be workmanlike in your approach to fitness, getting the job done, time and again. Be persistent and consistent, and reap the harvest of health and fitness that accumulates from your efforts.