The Mindset That Kills Consistency

Last year, I committed to show up for a 5:30 am class at the gym every weekday. The commitment was to myself — nobody else holds me accountable to this, and in fact most people don’t even know I made this commitment.

The practice of starting my day with a workout was not new; this is something I’ve done daily since August 2013. But 5:30 am was a new standard for me. Over a decade ago I had tried to adapt myself to waking up at 4:30 am, and I couldn’t sustain it.

Despite having sustained this practice now for over a year, I did not suddenly become a “morning person.”

In fact, most mornings, when my alarm goes off at 4:20, I am hardly able to move. On my best days, my joints are stiff. I move slowly.

I almost never “feel like” working out.

I also know that exercise is important for my physical, mental, and emotional health. So I am training myself not to go by “feeling.”

Regardless of how I’m feeling, and no matter what’s going on in my life, I still get up and go.

Unpopular Opinion: Don’t Listen to Your Body

The mantra to “listen to your body” is popular, but often implemented incorrectly. Most of the time, we are actually listening to the mind, and using the body as an excuse.

Sometimes my body really is tired. But most of the time, what’s actually tired is my mind. It doesn’t want to train.

That’s why I have the structure of the class to support me.

Usually, I feel better by the time I get to class and start moving. Although not always. That said, even when I struggle through that morning class, I know I’m I’m training my body in the habit of moving and serving my long-term health.

I’m also training myself in the practice of consistency.

“Feeling Like It” is the Block to Consistency

If you want to be consistent in a practice, you can’t do it only when you “feel like it.”

This principle applies beyond workouts.

I rarely “feel like” writing, or doing my yoga practice, or sitting to meditate. But I do these things because I know they serve me in the long run.

It’s easy to find reasons not to do a practice. You’re busy. There’s a lot going on. You have obligations. People need you.

No matter what I’m feeling, I show up to do the practice.

If you want to be consistent, let go of the feeling.