Want to know why most people fail when trying to make positive changes to their health?

• Try to change too much at once – give up smoking, lose 10kg in a month AND start going to the gym 6 times a week.
• Get overwhelmed because ain’t nobody got time for a complete life overhaul when they’re feeling like shit and low on energy.
• Feel like a shitty failure for not having enough ‘willpower’ to stick to the changes.
• Swap the running shoes for slippers and back to their cosy sofa for Netflix and binge because it’s what they know.

So yeah, the ‘I’m gonna start being good from Monday’ mindset can do one. 🙅‍♀️ 

Something that I do like the idea of is focusing on what you want to BE or FEEL, rather than what you must DO. 

Focusing in this way means it doesn’t become part of your ‘to-do’ list that you procrastinate over like a rule or drastic change does. 

So, what do you want to BE or FEEL when you’ve achieved all your health goals?

Let me tell you ‘The Secret’. 🤫

Something I’ve discovered over the course of helping my clients achieve their goals is that there IS a secret to achieving everything you set out to do……and that magic thing is…..CONSISTENCY. 

So, you can’t go far wrong by telling yourself ‘I want to be consistent’.

Thinking of that word in any given situation makes me think about the kind of person I want to be. 

Whenever I think of that word sometimes it’s enough to give me a gentle nudge in the right direction. Sometimes it feels more like a sharp kick up the arse.

But it makes me stop and think. 

Consistency is a skill and just like any other it takes time to learn and years of practice to perfect.

It’s not something that comes naturally, even to me. 

I enjoy working under pressure (something that served me well in my past life in the corporate world – and I know you can relate if you’re a business owner) so I shun consistency on a regular basis, knowing that I can just ‘catch up’ or make a ‘balls out’ effort when the deadline looms closer. 

But there’s a fine line between the positive stress this approach can create before it tips into being a ‘let’s press the fuck-it button’ negative stress. 

Why is consistency so important?

• Being consistent means never having to ‘get back in the swing of things’ or start again.
• Being consistent means making constant progress, which keeps enthusiasm and morale high.
• Being consistent is usually the difference between failure and success.

Realise that results take time.

Don’t try out the latest diet then ditch it after 2 weeks because it doesn’t work.

Persistence.

But if consistency is the secret to achieving your health goals, why the fuck isn’t everyone doing it? 

• It’s fucking boring. Planning, habit and repetition isn’t as exciting as the spontaneity and impulsivity we think we need. 
• The media are very skilled at trying to confuse us with the latest superfood or diet, the next miracle cure, so we skip from one thing to the next hoping to have found the Holy Grail of fat loss.
• Temptation and environment. If you don’t have supportive friends and family, or a workplace where a Friday cake-run is the law, consistency will be an uphill battle.
• Life (and mostly your business) gets in the way. The good and the bad. Weekends away, anniversaries, or just having to be there for someone. Remember, whatever life throws your way, you’ll be better able to cope with it if you’ve been taking care of yourself.

But I’ll let you into another secret.

If you make the things you need to be consistent with small and easy, they still work up against all these factors. 

Choose ONE THING and do it consistently for two weeks, three weeks or even a whole month. However long it takes for that shit to sink in.

It could be swapping calorie laden drinks for water and herbal tea. Or it could be eating green vegetables with every meal. 

Make it fucking easy. 

Once you’ve nailed that, add something else in.

So how do you stay consistent?

1. First get clear about ‘why’ – Before you start, get clear about what you want, and why. Yep, this sounds fucking obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people skip this important step, or don’t define it enough. If you don’t have a really good ‘why’, one that you’re emotionally invested in, you don’t have a hope in hell of dragging your arse out of bed for that 6am workout when you could just stay in your pit.
2. Schedule things in – habits are formed by responding to an external trigger and reinforced by repetition. For instance, I manage to consistently take my Omega 3’s by always doing it after I brush my teeth. So, brushing my teeth is the trigger for taking the supplement, which is the action. I brush my teeth, every day, at around the same time, which is the repetition part.
3. Focus on the process, not the result. For instance, having a goal of losing 10% body fat may seem like a mountain to climb. You can’t control the result. Focus on what you CAN control, which is making good food choices every day.
4. Don’t confuse being consistent with being perfect – give yourself room to fuck up. Life happens. Shit happens. Don’t use one slip up as an excuse to press the ‘fuck it’ button. Wipe the slate clean as often as you like.
5. Remember feelings or thoughts are temporary. If you feel tired, bored or like you can’t be bothered, remember those feelings will change. If you don’t continue with your new habits, you can also add regret and self-loathing to those feelings. We just need to eat those feelings (zero calories, yum) and GET IT DONE. 👊

But being consistent is STILL really hard I hear you say.

Don’t worry, I’m going to share my go-to Plan B with you.

Here it is: 

* If you’re tired – DO IT ANYWAY 

* If you’re stressed – DO IT ANYWAY 

* If you’re busy – DO IT ANYWAY 

* If you’re bored – DO IT ANYWAY 

* If you’re sad – DO IT ANYWAY 

JUST FUCKING DO IT!

Who’s with me? 💪