Why It’s So Hard to Stay Consistent With Exercise (The Inconsistency Paradox)
You’ve probably heard that consistency is the key to getting results from exercise, and that’s true. But when you’re trying to change, consistency is not the answer… you should start with inconsistency.
Read on to find out what I mean and how you can use inconsistency to achieve your goals.
The Power Of Self Identity
We all have a self-identity, which is who we think we are. It’s the sum of our beliefs, our values, and the stories we tell ourselves about our previous experiences.
To learn more about why your self-identity is so crucially important when it comes to achieving your goals, here’s my full article: Want To Be More Active? Build An Active Self Identity
Basically, what you do is defined by who you think you are. When your actions and your self-identity line up, it’s easy to follow through on your goal behaviors.
If you think of yourself as an exerciser, you probably don’t have too much trouble sticking to an exercise program or achieving your fitness goals.
An exerciser exercises. It’s just what they do.
If you don’t already think of yourself as an exerciser, you’re going to struggle to achieve your goals until you change from the inside so that your desired action (exercise) matches up with your self-identity (an exerciser).
You might be able to stick with it for a little while, but over time, human beings fall back on easy and familiar patterns that match our self-identity. It’s just the way it is.
The Inconsistency Paradox
Change is so hard because (among other things) it requires acting in a way that’s inconsistent with your old habits, patterns, routines, and self-identity.
This is called the “inconsistency paradox”.
If you’re not an exerciser, exercise is not in your usual routine. It’s inconsistent with who you are and what you do.
Since your brain wants to pull you back into your established behaviors, doing things that are inconsistent with your current self-identity causes a lot of friction and resistance. No wonder it feels so hard.
How To Leverage Inconsistency For Change
If you’ve struggled with change in the past, the first step is to identify your current self-identity.
What do you believe about yourself? What do you value? What are your personal narratives and what have your actions been?
This kind of thinking isn’t easy. Often when we reflect on these questions, we find that we’re not truly acting on our beliefs and values. That can be hard to face, so please take your time and be kind to yourself during this process.
Next, decide on the self-identity that you do want. If you want to achieve your fitness goals, you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor by becoming an exerciser.
That’s the kind of person who:
Exercises regularly
Cares about their health and fitness
Plans ahead to make sure they won’t miss their workout
Think about what this kind of person does. They take every opportunity to move, like using the stairs, parking farther away, and sneaking in movement throughout their day.
They schedule their workouts and defend those scheduled times.
They don’t have an all-or-nothing mindset and are willing to do something, no matter how small, towards their goals each day.
Start Small: Your First “Inconsistent” Actions
Identify one or two daily goals that are inconsistent with what you currently do. Each and every time you do one of those things, you’re casting a vote for the person you want to be.
Make those actions small enough that they won’t trigger too much friction or resistance, and make sure you acknowledge and celebrate them every time.
When you do this kind of deep mindset work, change becomes much easier and consistency will follow.
If You Need Help
I have a couple of FREE eBooks to get you started:
Strength Training 101 explains how to get started with resistance training, including how to choose exercises and weights, how many sets and reps to do, and how to make progress in your workouts.
A Guide To Exercise For Mental Health explains how exercise can help you feel better and includes specific strategies you can use to leverage exercise for your mental well-being.
For personalized assistance, contact me to find out about personal training options.
