Lynchburg - VA: (434) 316-0001 - In office or virtual appointment.
Greensboro - NC: (336) 850-8500 - Virtual appointment only.
IT’S ALL ABOUT CONSISTENCY… NOT PERFECTION
If we want to be the ones to guide the direction of our lives, we have to take control of our consistent actions - because according to Tony Robbins, one of America’s top motivational speakers, “It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
Consistency, when implemented over time, is the biggest factor in achieving real results in your life and your personal development. It becomes a self-identifying belief, because we aren’t what we do from time-to-time - we are what we do day-in-and-day-out.
So, it’s important to have some type of structure and solid tangible tools to turn to when we are trying to create healthy, consistent patterns and break old habits.
First and foremost, it is important to establish a morning ritual. This will set the stage for the rest of your day. We are wired with a strong tendency to be consistent with what we have done previously in our day. This is one reason why a bad start often leads to a bad day, and a good start often leads to a good day. Structure is the key.
Be consistent even when you don’t feel like it, because you will often be grateful and happy that you pushed through the momentary discomfort. You may find you need to change some things in your life in order to make this happen, like being more organized as a person, or more efficient with your time, but that’s part of having a structure - a plan.
One of the most important things you may have to change is to start getting to bed earlier. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep too many days in a row leads to burn out. Decide on the time you need to be in bed in order to wake up early and start to wind down at least a half hour before bedtime.
Then, when you wake, don’t lay in bed and keep hitting the snooze. Get up and implement a productive morning ritual. Some ideas may include engaging in exercise or stretching, reading a devotional, the Bible, or a self-help book. Other options might involve writing in a journal, making a daily to-do list, praying, or even listening to an encouraging or uplifting podcast on something you need to learn more about. Make it a productive time that will start your day off with a healthy mindset.
Don’t let your feelings dictate your day. If you do what you need to do, the feelings will follow. You feel good about yourself when you do the right things and are productive and efficient with your time. Also, be kind to yourself while implementing your process. Remember, it’s about consistency, not perfection.
Break your goals down into smaller pieces. Realizing your end goal is like a road trip to your favorite destination. We need milestones along the way to reassure us regarding whether or not the path we are taking is the correct one. Milestones also provide encouragement that we are getting closer to our destination. Breaking the big trip down into smaller trips makes it more enjoyable, too.
It’s nice to look back and see how far you’ve come. While there are major milestones in weight loss, like the excitement of being under 300, 250, 200 or 150 pounds; even a 5-to-10-pound loss is a great marker. Maybe your milestones are things like wearing a smaller size in clothing, getting off a medication, sleeping better, or having more energy. Those are all very important milestones that keep us encouraged to stay the course.
To take things a step further, consider breaking your goals into segmented tasks. Divide them into things like spending 15-30 minutes during each week for meal planning, a grocery shopping day, 2-3 days a week to make meals, what to do for your morning routine, exercising, taking a walk, listening to podcasts or conference calls, etc.
This organization – these tasks – are important, consistent actions that will ensure success in meeting your goals. It will also help you to manage your time better.
Another way to help stay consistent is to keep your goals in sight. Write them down and put them where you can see them daily. Revisit those goals every morning to maintain your awareness related to the value of all the daily actions you will be implementing – like your morning routine, achieving your milestones and organizing your tasks.
Another great way to stay consistent is to talk to someone who is accountable to your well-being and encourages you to work towards your dreams. Set up specific times to update them on your progress and your struggles. Be accountable.
Sometimes you don’t need advice, you just need someone to listen. Getting things “off your chest” helps you download all your pent-up anxiety and negative emotion. They can also encourage you when the going gets rough and you are tempted to sneak off quietly and indulge.
It’s also important to surround yourself with positive people in this process. Motivational speakers and successful leaders always encourage us to read and listen to daily doses of positivity and optimism. It helps us to differentiate between a true struggle and our negativity.
We all make mistakes. Review what you do so that you can discover where things go wrong, and then set out to address that issue. If things fall apart every night at 8pm when you sit down to watch television, you may need to change your nightly television habit and replace it with something else until you are stronger.
We have so much potential to reach and so many achievements to conquer and being consistent in our actions is the ticket to transforming present situations into the life we’ve always wanted.
Start by setting realistic goals and expectations. I can tell you that, in weight loss circles, clients’ expectations are often unrealistic – especially after years of metabolic damage. So, don’t set yourself up for disappointment or supposed failure when you really just need to adjust your expectations. It’s liberating, really.
Things take time to develop, and patience with the process will be your best friend. Just aim high but set realistic goals and expectations to get there.
Staying consistent will be the ticket to helping you achieve your ultimate goals. So, turn off the negativity, tune out the destructive voices, and set your sites on moving forward one day at a time while you implement simple, yet strategic, steps on a daily basis. Again, it’s about consistency, not perfection.
Corporate Office Location
8:30 am - 5:45 pm
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
8:30 am - 5:45 pm
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
8:30 am - 5:45 pm
Closed
Closed