Stop Pretending You Are Consistent
Many claim to be consistent, but most are not.
How people fake consistency
The word consistent can be used in a variety of different situations. People don’t seem to realize the actual meaning of what it truly means to be consistent.
The main topic where this word is thrown around is exercising. This doesn’t surprise me because consistency is very important when it comes to working out.
I was at the gym with one of my buddies and he was upset that he was coming to the gym 5 days a week but not seeing any meaningful results.
My response to him was that being consistent refers to more than simply the number of times he showed up to the gym. It also refers to the genuine quality of his actions and efforts while executing his workout routine.
The true meaning of consistent
To establish a better understanding of this word, let’s take a look at some of its true definitions. One of the most common definitions is as follows, “always behaving or happening in a similar, especially positive, way” (Cambridge).
This is the definition that I have been referring to because it refers to one’s behavior and it brings up positivity. I advocate this definition because it states that behavior and positivity are a big part of consistency. It portrays that being consistent is not just a numbers game of showing up and doing something.
Instead, it shows that consistency is about positive behavior and many occurrences. Another part of this definition that I like is that it uses the absolute word “always.” This is a key part of the definition because it implies that to stay consistent there is no room for any excuses.
Another dictionary definition is as follows, “constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc” (dictionary.com). An interesting part about this definition is that it uses the word form. Those who work out consistently in good form will see better results than somebody who consistently shows up to the gym but puts in no effort.
Staying consistent is hard
Mindset is the most important factor to consider when trying to stay consistent. If you do not truly want to stick with something for a long time, it will be very hard to remain consistent.
No matter what you are trying to accomplish, you must have a true desire for the outcome. Without this desire, willpower doesn’t come as naturally and can cause you to derail.
It is human nature to lose interest in something after we do it for so long. If you are not prepared to put in the same amount of effort every single day you will never be truly consistent.
The original definition of consistent
To understand the meaning of consistency even deeper, we can refer to its original meanings. The word consistent has evolved a lot since people started using it, and it is important to recognize its original definitions.
One of these original meanings comes from the 1600s, “Standing still or firm; staying, remaining: as opposed to moving or giving way” (Oxford English Dictionary). This older meaning is where all of our current definitions stem from.
However, it makes a significant difference to use the more current meanings over this one, because the original meaning doesn’t refer to positivity or effort. This older meaning just states that to be consistent one only needs to remain in a certain state.
It does not mention that one needs to focus on positive behavior and act in a similar way which is the main point of being consistent. Without these key aspects of the word consistent, it doesn’t call for improvement of productivity in one’s attitude.
Ever since my writing journey started I have remained pretty consistent with posting at least once per day. If you are interested in hearing about how freelance writing changed my life, you can check out my post called How Freelance Writing Can Change Your Life.
Bottom line
The word consistent can be used in many situations and can easily be misinterpreted. It is necessary to dispute the meaning of this word because its more recent definitions add a value of positivity and effort to it.
When we apply this word to working out and going to the gym we must understand the meaning of consistency completely. If we fail to recognize some key components then one’s results in the gym can be hindered due to a lack of knowledge about what being truly consistent is.
Based on the more recent definitions of consistency, we can see that it takes more than just showing up to accomplish your fitness goals. One must always retain the same positive attitude that they had when they first walked into the gym. As long as you keep this attitude and continue to show up at a consistent rate then the results you desire will be achieved.
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