Why Consistency is Important - 4 Steps to Move Past Perfectionism and Towards Consistency

Take a deep breath. Pause. Now think about all of the stressors that you have in your life - people, responsibilities, obligations, expectations, unforeseen circumstances, etc…

It can feel like a lot, can’t it?

There are so many external things that bring stress to our lives on a daily basis, from work, bosses, coworkers, relationships, family, traffic, finances, internet issues… the list could go on.

With all of this going on outside of us, there is really no need to be adding to it with our own expectations that we put on ourselves, is there?

And yet, it’s something most of us do, most of the time.

We hold ourselves to standards that tend to stress us out even more, when really what we should be is our own best friend bringing ourselves internal peace and back to balance from the chaos that can come with life.

Since it’s now February, that time of year when the hype of our New Year’s resolutions is starting to fade, I want to talk about consistency vs. perfection as we move forward into the rest of the year.

When perfectionism becomes a problem, it can feel like you’re drowning in all of the things you have to get done. It can cause feelings of inadequacy because the standard you’re holding yourself to is unachievable.

Perfection is not sustainable, and let’s be honest, it’s totally stressful.

For some reason, clients and even myself tend to focus on the “bad” things, and we end up beating ourselves up over that piece of chocolate, slice of pizza, or ordering the French fries instead of a side salad.

In terms of nutrition, we don’t eat single foods; that’s not how our bodies work. We eat a whole diet across days, months, weeks, and years; and consistency over time is what will get us to our goals. That’s why when we zoom out and focus on the big picture, there’s really no such thing as “good” and “bad”. And this is why consistency is important.

Here are 4 steps you can take to shift the perfectionist mentality:

1. Watch your words. Avoid using words like “good” and “bad”, and please please please do not attach your identity to them, ie. “I was good today.” You are good because you are, not because of what you eat.
2. Zoom out and focus on the big picture. What has your entire day looked like? The whole week? Month? What’s the overall theme of your habits? Do they generally support you and your goals, about 80% of the time? Awesome, you’re doing great!
3. Move on. So you had the donuts at work in the break room. Let it go and focus on what’s next. It’s in that decision where you can really make a difference. Rather than being stuck in “I ruined my day anyway, I may as well keep going”, you can shift to continue going about your normal routine. This is how we bring balance into our lives. This is where consistency takes over and the stress of striving for perfection can be left behind.
4. Celebrate the wins. Focus on what went well; that goes beyond food, too - movement, sleep, moments of joy and laughter, connecting with others, journaling, reading a book, etc… There is so much goodness happening all around us. What went well and how can you focus more on those things?

If this is something you’re tired of struggling with and not sure how to move past, check out my 1:1 program, Healthy & Confident. This is one of the biggest things I help my clients work through. Consistency matters more than you may realize!

I’m always rooting for you.

xox

PS - I stayed at the coffee shop longer than expected, and finished typing this over a delicious peanut butter chocolate sugar cookie because my stomach was growling. Next step - home for a nourishing bowl of homemade borscht with cashew sour cream, like I planned. And I will still go to the gym later, like I planned - not because I need to make up for my choices. Enjoy your life and listen to your body, my friend!