Consistency Beats Intensity Every Day

Consistency beats intensity, every single day. Being consistent with something and taking small actions repeatedly, rather than going all out in one big swoop, will pay off in the long run. 

So often, when we go balls to the walls and throw everything we’ve got at something, we fizzle out quickly. Maybe we are trying to establish a new habit or new routine, and we change too many things all at one time, so that after only a few days or a week, we give up because it’s just too hard. Or we have a huge goal we want to accomplish, and we throw everything we have at achieving it, only to lose interest only a few days or weeks in.

Think about the new year.

A lot of people make a long list of resolutions. I have, and you probably have too. We put ourselves in this cute, bright shiny little box labeled “New year, new me.” We overdo it on all these changes we want to make, and then it is overwhelming or too restrictive or too hard. Or *gasp* we forgot that we have to do it on the weekends too – and we give up. Sound familiar? It does to me.

But if we decide, for example, that at the new year – or any given Tuesday for that matter – that we are going to make one change, and one change only, we are more likely to succeed. And we are even more likely to succeed if that change is a small one.

Want to get “healthier,” for example? First, define what that actually means to you. What do you mean – specifically – when you say healthy? And then based on that, pick one small thing to do to achieve that level of healthiness. The small change might be:

• Give up soda.
• Give up fast food.
• Commit to walking 20 minutes a day.
• Commit to sleeping 7 or more hours every single night.
• Drink your body weight in water every day.
• Meditate five minutes every day.

You get the point. Pick one small thing to change. 

I’m going to say it again in a different way just in case you missed that last sentence – I’m not saying do all of those. In fact, don’t you dare do it. Try making all those changes at one time and you might last a week or two, but ultimately it would be hard to sustain going from doing none of them to doing all of them every single day for perpetuity.  It’s a recipe for failure to try, in my opinion and in my experience.

There may be a time when the change feels big – like quitting drinking and getting sober – but it’s the small practices that lead to that big change that matter.

Pick one small thing, and pick one only. And then do it consistently.

Do it every single day until it becomes a part of your life, until it is habit. Do it on the days that you want to, but especially on the days that you don’t. And if you miss a day? Pick right back up where you left off and keep going. Consistency matters.

There is so much debate as to how long it takes to develop a new habit. Some people say 21 days. Some people would claims it’s 30 days. Other people argue for 75 days. And still others probably have other ideas. The point is, I don’t think there is a magic number. But my guess, from personal experience, is around a couple of months.

I know, I know. It’s no fun only doing one small thing. We want it to be grand! We want to change everything, right freaking now! 

But it doesn’t work like that. I say that from experience. I say that based on books I’ve read, podcasts I’ve listened to, and people I’ve studied.

Make one change at a time. Start small, and once it’s habit, you can build from there. And no matter what, be consistent with that change. Because:

Consistency beats intensity, every single day. Period.

Until next time,

Jeri Austin

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