n keeping with the New Year resolutions that abound right now, I want to talk about consistency with goal setting.
Last week, we talked about perfection and goal setting and this stays along those lines. I hear from a lot of clients that it’s hard to take definitive action in a certain direction because they’re not sure what’s “best.” Or, they will take off in one direction – say they’re going to “eat clean” or do some sort of really extreme exercise regimen (either with intensity or time). I may have a client who says that starting to be active again is really important to them – great! Research has shown many physical and mental benefits from activity. But, if they haven’t exercised in years, and their goal is to now exercise 20 minutes, 5 days a week, I wonder how realistic it is.
They might start off strong, sure. But, when clients see me, they usually are talking about changing for life. They want to feel good, not just now, but always, into the future. Often, even though people might be desperate for a change, making a drastic shift in their lifestyle just isn’t sustainable – which definitely is a problem when it affects their self-esteem.
I’m here to tell you: It’s okay that major changes aren’t sustainable!
One of the most important things I consider with any goal is: how consistent can you be with it?
For someone who hasn’t exercised before, can they commit to 5 minutes of exercise per day? If so, great! They can certainly build up from there. But, if even 5 minutes a day is a stretch, then 20 minutes a day will be completely unrealistic! That can lead to cycles of going all in, the goal not working out, feeling like a failure, and falling into unhelpful behaviors, and then everything repeats.
If someone has never cooked before, they might want to make that a goal – cutting back on eating out or pre-made meals – but to have a goal to now NEVER eat out, it will likely lead to failure unless there is some sort of huge shift in mindset or priorities.
How to Improve Your Consistency
My recommendation is to focus on 1-3 things that you really want to see change. Plan out time each week or day that you can devote to those things. See how things change over time. Do you like the way you feel when you are being consistent? If you find that you can’t be consistent, look deeper – why? What can you change so you can find success?
I’d love to hear what changes you are working on consistency with this month!
For more on consistency, check out this article.