What To Do When Your Consistency Slumps

We all know that time. The time just after your initial enthusiasm subsides. You hit the first speed bump or wrong turn. You can either go home or adjust course and continue to where you want to be.

Heres a familiar story for you.

You start on Monday with wide eyes, a shopping list full of whole foods and you buy new workout clothes to start training.

You eat well and hit the gym 3 times a week for 2 weeks, eat well too and then BANG.

Then you hit the “messy middle”.

You have a party to attend and you’re weight is up that Monday. Or you miss the gym out of stress or bad weather makes you want to stay at home instead of trying to find parking and getting drenched before you get to reception.

How do you deal with the “messy middle”?? Recently I listened to a Pat Divilly podcast that outlined 4 ways you can overcome your blip to ensure you continue towards your goals.

1. Look back, not forward.

The horizon is never reached but you are always further from where you started once you keep moving.

Look at how far you’ve come. If you take a wrong turn on a journey from Waterford to Dublin do you say “fuck it” and turn back? No way! You adjust course and keep the end goal in your sights – even if the road has changed slightly and it takes an extra few minutes to get there.

2. Commit…..again.

Remember that “I’m going to lose this weight forever” moment you had on Sunday night and the energy you had on Monday??

Do that again. So what if its Thursday!!! Some people are interested in doing something. The ones that actually do it are committed to achieving it.

Commit to one small thing that puts you back on track. It could be prepping breakfast for tomorrow or texting a friend to arrange a walk, run or gym session. You might just write down your To-Do list for tomorrow.

One positive step in the right direction is all ot will take to move forward again.

3. Remember that results are not linear.

You wont lose 2lbs per week every week. You might lose 4, then 1, then gain 1, then no change at all. That’s still a 4lb loss in the grand scheme. Still awesome and still going in the right direction.

The same will happen with strength gains. Beginners, especially, will see great improvements at the start of a new program. These will plateau but the emphasis has to be on continuing with training. You wont get any stronger if you quit.

At some point you will plateau but remember that expecting anything to continue on an upward trajectory is unrealistic and you need to cut yourself some slack.

4. Adjust the Plan

Whatever it is that you’re aiming for if it’s not getting any closer then maybe the plan isnt working?

Planning a workout at 6am every morning but your newborn keeps you awake until 1am and then wakes again at 4am. You’re beyond optimistic that 6am workouts will happen consistently.

Change it to an evening workout or just a 45 minute walk when you’re shattered and still want to be active. Or simply focus on a healthy meal at dinner to keep you energised and feeling well for the night ahead.

“You cannot fuck this up!” – Jordan Syatt

The ONLY way you can “fuck this up” (to not reach your goals) is if you QUIT. And you’re not going to quit are you? Of course not. Why? Because you’re COMMITTED and not just interested in reaching your goal.

Now get back on track. Now.

PS – The link to my live video on the same topic is available below……