Mastering Fitness Consistency: A Transformation Journey

Consistency: A Key to Success

Just as a river smoothly shapes a stone over time, maintaining consistency in life can also lead to significant rewards.

This is not a reference to the tiresome persistence of asking parents for money. Rather, it’s about the quiet yet potent persistence of a river gradually eroding stone.

Though their impact might not be apparent instantly, this form of persistence can drastically alter landscapes and life alike.

The Power of Persistence in Fitness

Over the past few years, I have been hitting the gym with semi-regularity. When I embarked on this fitness journey, my physical condition was clearly lacking. I had poor stamina and a slow pace.

It was an achievement to complete a mile in approximately 19 minutes on the treadmill. Nevertheless, I kept pushing. Despite occasional interruptions caused by injuries or life events, I stuck to my routine.

I set a personal goal for myself: to reduce my mile time to under 18 minutes. Around this time last year, I finally achieved it.

But this only encouraged me to aim higher. I remained committed to my fitness regimen, exercising three to four times a week. My pace gradually improved, exceeding my own expectations. Along with this, I have also gradually increased my weights and repetitions.

Let’s be frank, in my younger days, I detested working out. I would start a routine, see no immediate results, and quickly lose interest. But today, decades later, my perspective has changed.

Fitness: A Pillar of Mental Health

Working out has become a crucial component of my journey towards better mental health. While the pay-offs of my fitness program manifest in the long run, I find quick satisfaction wherever possible.

No matter how drained I feel at the start of a workout, by the end, I feel re-energized. I’ve learned to appreciate the process itself. The 45-minute to one-hour sessions at the gym have become a time when the world outside fades, and the only thing that matters is the next step, the next repetition.

My stress levels have dropped significantly since I took up working out, and I believe it has positively impacted the quality of my work.

The Pursuit of Incremental Improvements

As Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a renowned movie star and fitness enthusiast, once said, “Success is not overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.” And he couldn’t have been more right.

It’s the consistent, daily improvements that truly make a difference. No one wakes up a success. Yes, some people may be naturally gifted, but most who have tasted success have worked rigorously for it, allowing their results to stand testament to their efforts.

Regrettably, it took me a long time to grasp this lesson. But despite the past being irreparable, I can carry these learnings forward and share them with others who might have had similar experiences.

Remember, it’s never too late to start. Like the relentless river gradually shaping the stone, maintaining consistency in any undertaking, even if you start now, can yield significant dividends in the future.

–Kevin Sabo, editor of the Stettler Independent and journalist for Black Press Media.