Catchup with Coach M - Edition 74.4 - Principles of Lasting Lifestyle Change

Part 4 of 6: Consistency — Keep Showing Up

Welcome to Catch Up with Coach M!

This is Part 4 of 6 in our series exploring the principles behind creating lasting results and building a lifestyle that supports the person you want to become.

So far, we've covered time, patience and hard work. We've established that meaningful change takes time, that progress doesn't always follow a straight line and that we have to be willing to put in the effort.

But what happens when the excitement wears off? When life gets busy, motivation disappears and your new habits become inconvenient?

That's where our next principle comes in. Because doing something once is a start, but what you repeatedly do is what helps shape your lifestyle.

Consistency is not perfection

Somewhere along the way, many of us decided that if we couldn't do something properly, there was no point doing it at all.

You miss a workout, so the week is ruined. You eat something that wasn't in your plan, so you decide to start again on Monday. You have a stressful few days and abandon the habits you've been building.

One disruption becomes several. A short break becomes a complete restart.

But consistency doesn't mean every day must look the same.

It means you return to the habits that support you, even when your circumstances change.

I made a commitment to intentional daily movement on 29 July 2024. That didn't mean every day had to be a hard workout or a run. The point was to keep movement in my life, with a minimum amount of intentional movement recorded each day.

There were different sessions, different demands and different circumstances. The principle was to keep showing up in a way that made sense.

That distinction matters.

Consistency is not doing everything perfectly. It is refusing to let imperfection become a permanent excuse to stop.

Build habits that fit your real life

You can create a beautiful plan on paper, but if it doesn't fit your actual life, it won't serve you for long.

If your workday is packed, a two-hour daily exercise routine may not be realistic. If you don't enjoy the food you're eating, you may struggle to maintain the change. If your budget is limited, your plan must take that into account.

Your habits need to fit your circumstances while still moving you towards your goal.

That might mean preparing meals in advance, keeping simple nutritious options available, scheduling movement like an appointment, planning around family responsibilities or having a shorter alternative for particularly busy days.

It could also mean recognising when your current plan needs to change because of illness, injury, stress or exhaustion.

Consistency doesn't require you to ignore your circumstances. It requires you to respond to them without abandoning your bigger picture.

Small actions accumulate

Think about the everyday decisions that shape your life.

One walk might not seem significant. One balanced meal might not feel life-changing. One night of better sleep won't solve every problem.

But what happens when these become regular habits?

You begin to build a different routine. Your choices become more familiar. You spend less energy negotiating with yourself about whether you'll do them.

Over time, the accumulated effect of repeated actions can be significant.

The same applies to the habits that don't support your goals. Small choices repeated regularly can also take you further away from where you want to be.

This is why consistency matters so much. You are always practising something.

The question is whether the things you're practising are helping you become the person you want to be.

Stop restarting every Monday

You don't need to wait for the first of the month, a new year or another burst of motivation.

If today hasn't gone according to plan, make your next decision a better one.

If you missed a workout, return to your routine when appropriate. If a meal didn't go as planned, continue with your next meal. If a difficult week interrupted your habits, identify one small step you can take to restart.

Don't punish yourself by trying to make up for everything you've missed. Simply return to the process.

And remember, consistency also includes recovery. Pushing through every warning sign isn't discipline; sometimes it is poor judgement. Sustainable habits leave room for rest, adjustment and life itself.

Your challenge this week

Choose two or three habits that support your goal.

Make them realistic enough to repeat, even when your week isn't perfect.

Then measure your success by whether you practised those habits, not just by whether you achieved your desired outcome.

Coming next: Sacrifice. Because consistency means choosing your habits repeatedly, and sometimes that requires saying no to things that don't align with where you want to go.

Movement + Nutrition = Life.

Coach M