Athletes and scientists alike agree that consistency is the key to achieving all your goals, whether they be athletic, personal or professional. Discover how to become more consistent in your practice
by reinforcing your determination in a positive way and by better understanding the mechanisms of your brain. Each day is a new blank page to fill, in which everything becomes possible! You have all
the tools to succeed in your hands.
The impact of consistency on the brain
Becoming more consistent in your practice helps reduce stress and frustration during training. The
brain operates in a predictive mode, which is one of the main principles of learning.
If you repeat a signal, information or gesture several times on a regular basis, the brain starts to
make an effort to assimilate this new stimulus. It adapts to it and reacts in the way that seems most
appropriate (secretion of hormones, nerve impulses, mobilization of different physiological
processes, etc.). With repetition, the signal is recorded and anticipated: brain activity decreases.
When each part of the body knows what to do, the action no longer generates any stress.
Congratulations, you have succeeded in creating a habit.
If an element disturbs the execution of the expected scenario, an alert system is set up. The stress
reappears, but you can easily get back on track by resuming your routine the following days.
This predictive system works in several steps:
● Trigger: the brain receives the signal for the routine and goes on autopilot to perform it
● Performance of the routine
● Reward: the brain sends signals of satisfaction because everything went well
With each repetition of your training routine, your body gets stronger and the reward is generated
after more movements. You now understand the value of relying on consistency to progress.
How do you find your rhythm to become more consistent?
At first, you will have to make an effort to establish consistency in your practice as a general rule.
Once you get into the habit, you’ll be much less vulnerable to self-doubt and lack of motivation. If you get a powerful sense of satisfaction from completing your workouts, your body and brain will
demand that you do them. The key to finding the right pace is planning:
● Develop a realistic exercise schedule with regular sessions and adequate recovery time.
● Keep in mind that the consistency of the sessions is more important than their duration:
it is better to do 20 minutes of exercise 5 times a week than 2 hours every now and then.
● Adapt your workout schedule to your goals: the number of weekly workouts will not
necessarily be the same if you want to stay in shape, gain muscle mass or lose weight.
● Stay tuned to your body and keep track of your progress: if the lack of regularity temporarily disrupts your strategy, you will also learn from your mistakes. Once you have established your habits, each deviation from the initial program is an opportunity to
update what you thought was established and to reinforce your training plan.
The key to your success: focus on consistency before looking for results
Each day, focus on the system that will keep you going. To become more consistent, first put your goals on the back burner. What you want to do is establish habits so that your brain automatically performs certain tasks and your body feels the need to do them.
Your goals inspire you, pointing you in the right direction, but your habits ensure stability and consistency in your progress. To understand the difference in mindset, imagine yourself at the end of a session. If you are hoping for a tangible result, such as a weight-loss or a change in your body size, when that result is not achieved, your session may seem frustrating. On the other hand, if your victory of the day is simply achieving the session, you win every time, and you feel pride and satisfaction. These are the feelings you’ll want to return to the next day and look forward to the next
session.
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