How to Create Lasting Success Through Balance and Consistency
If you’ve ever quit a diet halfway through or given up on a side hustle after a few months of not seeing results, you’re not alone. It’s part of life, and realistically, we’re not meant to succeed at everything we try. We need to fail, quit, and make mistakes in order to learn and grow. When it becomes a problem is when it starts negatively impacting your life. For example, you know you need to eat healthier and get in shape, so you keep spending money on diets, workout programs, and gym memberships. However, after only a couple of weeks, you end up quitting each new thing. Not only are you no better off than when you started, you are now short hundreds of dollars with no results to show for it. You lack balance and consistency.
The problem isn’t the diet, the program, or the gym. The problem is in the approach. We want instant gratification, and we think that by working harder or by doing more, we’ll get that gratification sooner. As you’ve probably seen, this leads to the opposite: burnout, discouragement, and eventually quitting. The question isn’t whether or not what you want is possible. We are the creators of our reality and anything is possible if we have the right mindset. The question is how do we set ourselves up for sustainable growth that leads to lasting success?
The Danger of Extremes
Hustle culture, popular diets, workout challenges and the like lead to the belief that success only comes from extremes. They say you can’t be a millionaire unless you’re working 100 hours a week. Or, in order to get a 6-pack you need to run 5 miles a day and spend hours in the gym. And social media leads you to believe you’re not eating healthy unless you’re only eating raw plants and fruits.
The truth is, none of that will get you where you want to go because none of it is sustainable. You will burn out. Your body will begin to fail because of the overuse and lack of nutrients. Your mindset will crumble because you keep giving up on yourself.
Real lasting success stems from balance and consistency, and it starts with your mindset. It comes from recognizing that you are human and that mistakes, rest, and non-linear growth are all part of life. It comes from realizing that taking small actionable steps towards your goals will lead you to success far quicker than trying to accomplish it all at once. This helps build your resilience and establish a growth mindset, which will allow you to overcome challenges, and create lasting success, more so than any “shortcut” will.
Balance in the Body
People often believe that extremes are the shortcut to a fit and healthy body; that at the end of a 6-week diet and workout program, you’ll have your dream body, and you can go back to living the way you did before. Not only does this usually result in burnout before completion, but it’s not fixing the root problem. While this may not be what you want to hear, if your current lifestyle has led you to feeling unhealthy or out of shape, then it’s that lifestyle that’s the problem.
Listen to Your Needs
I know this certainly wasn’t what I wanted to hear 7 years ago when I first decided I wanted to be healthier. I tried (and quit) so many diets, forced myself to do some kind of intense cardio every day on top of other workouts, and despite all my effort, for over 3 years, I never saw results. Not only that, I absolutely hated working out. It wasn’t until I changed the way I thought about my health that I began to finally notice results.
While I still prioritize eating organic and whole foods, I now allow myself to eat sweets or order out every once in a while. I stopped forcing myself to lift heavy and run for miles and miles every day and started listening to my body and giving it what it needs. If I’m tired, I take a rest day. If I’m feeling stressed and exhausted, I opt for a gentler workout. This gave me the energy and space to really fall in love with lifting and running. I work out consistently, but the difference is now I listen to my body and move in a way that energizes it rather than exhausts it. Finding a balance in health and fitness is what has allowed me to see the greatest results and feel my best.
Consistency for the Soul
Consistency and balance are not only important for the mind and body, but for the soul as well. When you consistently show up for yourself in healthy and sustainable ways, you begin to build self-trust and confidence. That increase in self trust eventually leads to a greater feeling of safety within, which allows for calming and regulation of the nervous system. A big contributor to the fight or flight response is instability, so by creating that trust and knowing that you can rely on yourself, you are combating that instability with stability and peace.
Balance and Consistency over Rigid Routines
Consistently showing up for yourself does not look like setting rigid routines and strict schedules. Think of the practice more as mindful consistency. Become self aware of what you need and how you are feeling. Instead of forcing something your body is rejecting, adapt it in a way that will allow you to be the most productive you can be. Here’s what I mean by that.
Let’s say you commit to a new side hustle and you’re going to work on it for 1-2 hours every day after work. Sometimes you have the energy and motivation to go straight from work to working on this side hustle. Other days, you’re feeling burnt out by your job, so you decide to go for a walk, eat dinner, or go to the gym before working on the side hustle. Maybe one day you’re so exhausted you skip working on it entirely, but you wake up the next morning and jump right back on track.
The goal here isn’t complying with a rigid set schedule day in and day out. This type of mindful consistency relies on you turning inwards and working with yourself rather than against yourself. Not only will you be more productive, but you will find more joy in the activity, which will make it easier to continue with.
Important to Note
There are a few caveats with the concepts of balance and consistency. One of which is becoming aware of your triggers and weak spots, and cutting out whatever they are or what causes them. For example, if you know you have issues limiting your intake of substances or certain snacks, or if you have had issues with gambling or making risky investments in the past, it is best not to engage in those behaviors at all. Cut them out of your life. If you know you can not find a balance, it is much better to avoid it entirely than to continuously test your willpower.
The next is to realize that you will not see results right away and that’s ok. In fact that’s more than ok because it means you are building something sustainable that is going to last. It is also important to recognize that you will not automatically be good at what you are trying to do. Try not to compare yourself with where you want to be, and rather focus on the journey of getting there and celebrate all your small wins. Everyone starts out as a beginner, so everyone has been there before, even when it’s hard to imagine. Small, balanced, consistent steps towards reaching your goal will lead you to lasting success.
Final Thoughts
The best way to build a strong foundation and lasting success is through consistently taking small, actionable steps. There is no shortcut or get rich quick scheme for this kind of success. You can not force your body or mind to stay out of balance for very long or else you run the risk of burnout. So by creating a balanced plan of consistent action towards your goal, you are laying the foundation for something bigger to be built, and taking care of yourself in the process.
