The Key To Life
I think there is a one word answer. Consistency. Over my short life this seems to be a common theme. If I am consistent with something, I am successful. If I’m not, then I’m not. I am not consistent with many things. Life gets in the way and we drift off course then have to steer back to focus. It can certainly be tough to do things consistently. I’m happy I’ve been so consistent with my training. I don’t think I’ve missed a run in over 12 weeks.
There are a few things that I have heard over the years that I try to think about when it comes to consistency.
Don’t miss two days in a row of any habit or task.
The things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.
If it can be done in less than two minutes…..do it now.
No excuses.
Show up.
I think 4 and 5 can kinda be lumped together but I like to keep them separate. It is so easy to tell ourselves why we can’t do something. Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow. My knee hurts. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. I’m tired. I worked all day. I don’t feel good. Blah, blah, blah. The list goes on and on. They all pass through our minds when we think about doing something we don’t necessarily want to do or something that is uncomfortable. We have to push through that. The key for me is showing up.
The simple step of just showing up can set all excuses aside just for a moment so you can start. Just get off the couch and put your running shoes on. Go grab the keys to the car. Take the book off the shelf. You get it. Just a simple step to start the process. Remember how hard it was to write essays in school? I know for me it was always hardest to start. Once I got past that things started to flow. I think most things in life are similar. You just need to show up and things will start to happen.
I’m young and I am still learning but I find that consistency in my life is the key to success. As I continue to evolve as a person I am sure I will continue to learn new things and change my habits. I bet consistency will continue to be my key.
P.S. I ran 18.5 miles today. Here I am at about mile 14 or so.
