Consistency Rather Than a Challenge

Happy Monday Team, hopefully those of you that are like me and got pummeled with snow have come out the other side or you know, dug yourselves out of it. Now then, right into today's subject, how many of you started a 30-day, 6-week, or whatever odd time frame, challenge at the turn of the new year? Have you found success with it? I’m mostly talking about, have you learned anything in that time frame? Hopefully at the very least, you learned that challenges that make you be super strict  and rigid, for a length of time like that, are not sustainable.
 
I know I said at the beginning of the month I was OK with things that get you moving, anything, but I do have to add a caveat to that and it’s things like these super restrictive challenges and fear mongering folks into eating half the calories they probably actually need to function as a human,I’m not super into them. If it gets you moving and started on your fitness, great, but there’s a few key points that you should keep in mind for your lifelong training plan.

It should be sustainable, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Even if you reach the goal you were seeking, there’s always new goals to look towards. Just ask yourself, is this something you could do for the rest of your life, if you had to, and have a vastly positive outcome over a negative one? If the answer is no, adjust to something you’ll be able to do for a much longer period. You can always make alterations but be sure the base is a solid one you can do forever.
 
You must have consistency, hit your targets as often as possible. Whether it’s with your eating, enough protein, enough water, vegetables, etc.., or your workouts, 3 days a week, 4 days a week, whatever, hit them consistently. A miss now and again will not end it all but doing things in bursts RARELY works (see sustainable). The answer to the question in your head is, yes 30 days is a short burst in comparison 20-30+ years. Being consistent, as often as you can, will build little victory on little victory. All those will add up with a little patience, so just keep at it.
 
It needs to be a regiment for you. There is no single regiment that is perfect for everyone. There’s a reason that most coaches will put a plan together that’s meant for you when it comes to programming, it can evolve over time as your goals change, but still, it’s yours. Can they look similar? Absolutely, but they will be different in many nuanced ways. When it’s right for you, it’s not a chore and almost feels like a no brainer. That takes a lot more time than 30 days to ingrain into your life.

That is the bit I have for you all today folks. If you are participating in one of those challenges, and it got you moving. That's great, once it's over, I really hope you can find a routine that's sustainable for the entirety of your life. Have a great week folks and thanks for tuning in!