Today at a Glance
- All those hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled lie entombed in the graveyard of inconsistency.
- Consistency is a delicate balancing act.
- What consistency is all about.
- The M.E.D. to keep you going
- How to be Consistent — 3 simple steps to fulfill your dreams
When it comes to being fit and healthy while building or running a business, we all strive for consistency.
Regardless of the time and place, if you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur, or business owner, chances are you’re constantly battling for more consistent productivity.
However, something that doesn’t get mentioned enough is what happens when you have more than one path you’re attempting to maintain.
For us that’s
- Living an active and healthy lifestyle.
- Personally evolving into your best self.
- Building and growing an online business.
In cases like this, I think of consistency not as an achievement to be made but rather as an art form to be mastered.
The reason for that is simple:
It’s a balancing act.
It requires us to create smart systems that propel us forward while freeing up space to live the life we desire.
Some of you might remember Eddie Edwards, known as “The Eagle”.
He became famous during the 1988 Winter Olympics as the first ski jumper to represent Great Britain in decades. He was not the typical ski jumper: thick nerd glasses, short, a bit of a belly.
But despite lacking proper funding, training facilities, and experience, Eddie consistently pursued his dream of participating in the Olympics.
Eddie had a quite unconventional journey. He was determined to the bones. With that, he captured the hearts of many.
His remarkable achievements showcase two traits:
- the effort of consistency
- a refusal to give up (that’s the pinch of madness you need)
What is Consistency anyway?
Consistency is the practice of doing hard things day in and day out — no matter what. It’s a promise to yourself to be steadfast and reliable. You shut down your resistant brain that tries to talk you out of achieving a particular standard, learning a new pattern, or changing behavior. Consistency is self-reliability, self-trust, and self-mastery. You align your attitude, actions, and outcomes.
"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals."
Why Consistency is Essential
“In the marathon of life, consistency is the steady rhythm that propels us forward mile after mile.” — Avijeet Das
Look around you and you won’t see many folks over 30 in great shape and full of energy. And certainly not hard-working entrepreneurs. Because 99% of people struggle to do something that can’t be found in their social media feeds and Google searches.
It’s consistently turning up and doing the M.E.D. (Minimum Effective Dose)
See, consistency is the steady steps of actions and habits that hit the concrete at a sustainable pace like an ultra runner on his 100km race.
Certainly, there are a ton of variables that determine if that runner finishes his race. But essentially it’s setting one foot in front of the other — 85,470 times (at an average running stride length of 1.17 meters).
Doing the Minimum Effective Dose means doing just enough to move the needle and improve your fitness, health, and personal growth as you get s*it done in work and life.
Tiny things that are sustainable over years and decades.
It’s better to nail this M.E.D. day-in day-out than to only manage to do something much higher maintenance for let’s say 6 weeks while hating life, being desperate to stop, and eventually giving up and doing nothing for months.
Think about it.
From a purely mathematical perspective, it’s better to do:
7 workouts á 30 min. per week for 52 weeks (182 hours exercising)
than
3 workouts á 90 min. per week for 6 weeks, 3 times a year (81 hours exercising).
Similarly, it’s better to:
lose on average 1lb/0.5kg per week for 52 weeks (52lbs/26kg)
than
lose 2lb/1kg per week for 6 weeks, 3 times a year (36lbs/18kg).
Side note for the holiday season:
It’s 10x easier to not eat that cookie or drink that eggnog or champagne than to sweat it off after New Year.
How to be Consistent — 3 Simple Steps to Fulfill your Dreams
The consistency secret is no real secret. It’s doing the work. Day-in. Day-out. We don’t eat differently because we’re on holiday and there’s all-you-can-eat. We take our minimal equipment wherever we go so we can exercise no matter what. Often you don’t even need equipment.
We simply don’t break our routines and make sustainable choices.
Here’s what that could look like:
1. Start Small and Gradual
- Exercise: If you’re new to exercising, start with manageable workouts. Take less weight/resistance than you think you could. Then gradually increase the intensity and duration as your strength and mobility level improves.
- Healthy Eating: Instead of making drastic changes to your diet, start by incorporating small, healthier choices. You could swap that croissant for a smoothie bowl.
- Productivity: Small changes in your work routine could mean, you set specific goals for the day (1 big and 3 smaller ones).
2. Establish a Routine
- Exercise: Choose a specific time of day that works best for you. For us, that’s early morning so we eat the frog right away. We put it in our schedule so it’s visible. For you, that could mean lunch breaks or evenings. But there are additional benefits of exercising in the morning.
- Healthy Eating: Plan your meals and snacks in advance. Write down a weekly meal schedule along with your grocery shopping list, and stick to it. You automatically lower the risk of impulsive, unhealthy food choices.
- Productivity: Create a weekly and daily schedule that includes dedicated time blocks for work, breaks, and regeneration. That’s how business athletes structure themselves to reach their goals.
3. Be Accountable and Track your Progress
- Exercise: Find a workout buddy or join a fitness group to keep each other accountable. If you track your progress, through a fitness app or a journal, you get that extra motivation boost.
- Healthy Eating: Share your healthy eating goals with a like-minded friend or partner and consider keeping a food diary to track your meals. It’s super easy to take a picture of everything you eat. This increases awareness and accountability.
- Productivity: The clearer the goals the easier it gets to achieve them each day. Note down your accomplishments. Celebrate small wins. And use any setbacks as opportunities to learn, adjust, and grow.
Who of us doesn’t want to do that thing we were always dreaming about, like being fit and healthy, traveling the world, or building and running a meaningful business?
Don’t let it end up on the graveyard of inconsistency.
Start today.
For that reason, we’ve created a growing community for High-Energy Habits to own your morning so that you can own your day. Check it out here.
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
What’s going on in our world
This week Ketty had an exciting conversation with Oliver Manalese.
Oliver is an awesome Lifestyle Business Coach.
He is helping entrepreneurs eradicate spiritual bankruptcy and create peaceful prosperity.
In the episode 10x Your Personal Development of The Energy Lab Podcast he talks about the 4 Pillars to Own Your Day.
If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. We are just getting started and would appreciate your support!
We are getting ready to start the 3 High Energy Habits Challenge next Monday.
Together with a growing community of dedicated high-achievers, we take 7 days to:
- Structure your day to not waste time and be more productive
- Train body & brain with daily exercise to have peace of body (and mind)
- Breakfast for High Energy to get all the healthy nutrients that carry you through the day
Win the morning to own the day. Get access to everything you need inside our WhatsApp Community by clicking or scanning the QR code below. No strings attached!
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus
