How to Plug Consistency Leaks

Image: Researchgate

Now I am looking at my last week goals this day and surpassing them. If a day's achieved is less than any of the surrounding, then I am trying to beat that. I dont know why we have to have this connection, but it must mean some relatable thing improving over time.

Trying to reach new heights by pushing the local maxima each day. 

Behavior consistency as used in Fitbit is one way to motivate to atleast repeat the past and from there take the fillip from Achievement. Imagine my thrill when I realised my steps would be easily met with a walk opportunity that I forgot.

Consistency provides a chance for measurement. Have you seen this message on Apple for some of the trends? It takes 180 days of activity to start your trends. If you don't see your trends, keep wearing your watch and closing your rings. When there's enough data, you'll get a notification that your trends are ready.  There needs to be a pool of data before you can understand the trend and get some actionable data. Many digital tools can help you with this - counting steps, calories. Which then can help you decide which behaviors to shun and which new good behaviors to take on.

Part of maintainining routines is creating routines for predictability. It is the Festina Lente mentality. What got me thinking about consistency leaks.

But we need to get ahead too. 

Spartan

Focus on one thing. In this cultivation theory, like the person with an orange in his head and a mass media praise of apple makes him swiftly change his likes. With limited time and attention, very few things get our actual attention. My focus had moved to enjoying my favorite activity of reading first thing in the morning, which relegated exercise to the vagaries of the day. Gift of done is the handsel, you give yourself each morning. Having your routine written down day by day, makes you accountable to make it happen. Apply Leibig's law of the minimum to the scarce attention, you then see that you accomplish the few you write down and keep you head and shoulders clear. 

Fewer things, fewer distractions.

No Surprises

Just like how it is better to have your meals preplanned, instead of regretting unplanned meals, our daily lives of workout are consistent with all the plan and prep of workout done beforehand such that all that remains on the day of coronation is to be present and execute the plan.

Have an arching goal.

To be consistent, is to meet yesterday's goal and surpass which means the bar needs to get higher each day in some aspect. We might not do what we can but will definitely try a lot to do what we cant. Like the spider in the King Bruce story, we should be cross the chasm to get to the other side.