I’ve previously mentioned that consistency isn’t necessarily what we think it is—doing the same thing over and over without losing motivation or focus. Today, I want to add an important layer to that idea.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that consistency means repeatedly doing more of what initially produced results or sticking to the plan no matter what. But in practice, that approach often leads to stalled progress—not because effort eventually falters when life throws a curveball, but because the stimuli within the plan fall out of line with the outcome we want and the progress we’ve already experienced.
If the ultimate purpose of consistency is to regularly implement actions that produce a desired outcome, then what matters most is staying true to the outcome—not rigidly clinging to the actions.
In other words, unproductive consistency is adherence to the same inputs—which may have produced past results—while productive consistency is adherence to the same intended outcome, paired with a willingness to adjust inputs as conditions change.
Why this matters (especially with fitness)
Our bodies are remarkably good at adapting. Give them a stimulus and, over a relatively short period of time, they adapt to the point where that stimulus is no longer challenging enough to continue driving change.
At the same time, changing stimuli too much or too often can be just as problematic. If every day looks completely different, recovery always pulls us in a new direction—and momentum toward our primary goal stalls.
Perform the same workout a few days per week for a couple of weeks, and it will get easier—but only to a point. Alternatively, do completely different workouts—jog one day, lift weights the next, then basketball, yoga, or swimming—and you’ll likely improve your general health. But strength, endurance, and flexibility will only creep slightly above baseline.
The same goes for nutrition. Increase your protein intake (along with weight training), for example, and your body composition will likely improve. But without making further adjustments—especially as sleep, stress, hormones, or overall life load change—progress eventually flatlines because you’re simply supporting what you’ve already built. It should go without saying that being completely sporadic with your nutrition won’t lead anywhere useful either.
In these cases, consistency (or lack thereof) to specific inputs won’t lead to meaningful, long-term progress. What’s needed instead are appropriate adjustments to execution while maintaining a consistent focus on intent.
Consistency with intent
I’ve been thinking about this recently in my own training as I prepare for a climbing trip at the end of February—in which I expect to say “I’m excited” a lot.
My goal hasn’t changed: I want to feel strong, capable, and efficient on the wall. But from the initial plan through modifications due to a small, annoying injury to this final month of preparation, some of the inputs have.
Lately in my 10+20+30 routine, I’ve begun layering in a few one-arm pushups, which demand more rotational tension and develop greater control and strength in the torso. And I’ve finally added back some weighted pullups when I’m at the gym—not a ton, but enough to nudge my strength forward and, just as importantly, reinforce the confidence that comes from feeling lighter once the extra weight is removed.
(If you recently watched Alex Honnold free solo Taipei 101, you can imagine how important confidence is when you’re a thousand feet off the ground—though we’ll be using ropes on this trip.)
I’m also ramping up fingerboard work and other grip-focused training to improve hand strength, refining my kettlebell swing volume and nutrition to improve my strength-to-weight ratio (meaning: losing weight while maintaining strength), and adding more getups and bent presses into the mix to build strength in awkward positions.
While the details of all this may look different than in prior months, none of it represents a shift in direction. The destination is the same, and the inputs are simply being adjusted to better support the current circumstances of the situation.
That’s consistency in practice.
Putting it into practice
About a month into each new year is when consistency of action toward the achievement of recently set goals tends to falter.
If you find yourself in that situation and feel anxious because of it—or if you’ve been very consistent but notice that progress has stalled—consider answering two questions:
- Is my goal still the same and still important?
- Which input/action would benefit from a small but meaningful update?
Then remind yourself that consistency isn’t about doing the same things. It’s about changing just enough to keep moving forward.