About 12 minutes ago, I thought my world was falling down on me. Depression hit like a fastball from Roger Clemens straight to the gut. I didn’t know what to do or who to go to. Then, I took a deep breath and solved my problem.

See, consistency is one of the toughest aspects to living a healthy and fit life. The more consistent I am with preparing my meals and hitting the gym, the easier it is for me to stay healthy and fit. Simple as that.

With that said, I have fallen in love with the Commit app. It keeps me focused on completing my simple daily goal and  it has never failed me. I have only failed it. It’s like my own personal accountability robot.  So, when it busted, aka I screwed it up, my heart fell to the floor. See, I have been keeping track in 2013 as I have worked out every day of 2013. The Commit app has been my trusty buddy in this venture. Until I went to get my iPhone replaced.

I went to the Apple store and the wonderful folks at Apple quickly replaced my busted phone with a brand spanking one. The dude that helped asked if I had backed it up within iTunes and I had…3 days ago. Thus, when I reinstalled the Commit App, it reflected a missed day. After some jimmy-rigging with the phone’s date and time along with manipulating the app, I was able to plug in the whole and now we are back to 28 (29 after my workout later tonight…as of writing this article) straight days of working out.

“Well, what’s the big deal David?!” I know that’s what you’re saying to yourself right now. That or, “You’re crazy David.”

I get it. It’s just a stinking app that I mark that yes I worked out that day. But it’s really about consistency and being loyal to it. I would not have achieved the 28 days to this point had it not been to the faux accountability to the Commit app.

Got it David. How Does this Affect Me?

Let’s assume you are in fairly good shape and follow and somewhat healthy diet. Great. I’m proud of you. Now, what about taking your body to the next level? What is pushing you to get there? Are you taking any accountability steps to see your goal through? Or – – – Are you stuck?

The assumption is that you have reached “pretty good” levels. Often, in all aspects of life, we get to that “comfortable” area and stroll through the rest of our life. Borrrring! You aren’t here to “Become a Boring Person”. You are here to Become a Beast. A beast in the wild wanders the land every-single-day looking to chase down whatever it’s next prey is. Whatever it’s next GOAL is. The beast in the wild is living one hell of a life and we are just sitting here not striving for the next big thing in ours. While we are comfortable the beasts, literally and metaphorically, are roaming the lands chasing down their goals.

Now, I am not saying to go out there and run a marathon tomorrow with no training. Yes, that’s a goal, but consistency will get us there. Consistently kicking ass will get us to our goals. By being consistent, we are capable of passing comfort and that urge to be stagnant and start living life to the word’s fullest meaning to it’s full potential.

So Where Should You Start

ANYWHERE!

Just fricken’ start already. It doesn’t matter how or where you start, but that you actually do it. Then, the next day, continue. And the next, continue. And so on. Pick an action that will get you going and then keep doing that everyday.

The Power of Creating Consistent Habits

In Episode 4 of The Become a Beast Podcast, Vic Magary discussed his opinion as to what the #1 reason people fail at living a healthy and fit life. It wasn’t what to eat. It wasn’t how to workout. It was habit creation.

Healthy habit creation leads to a healthy lifestyle. You walk for 30 minutes everyday. You only eat vegetables and legumes for dinner. You wake up early every day to meditate. All of these things are habits. The habits you choose, whether it is to eat a green smoothie every morning or drink a fifth of vodka every night, effect your health.

As mentioned earlier, currently the Commit App has helped me create a habit with my workout-everyday goal.

But I’m Smart & Don’t Have to Write It Down

“But Mrs. Pendleton. I don’t need to write down all of these things you are saying. I just remember it.”

“Then why have you failed every single quiz?”

Sound familiar. If not, you were one of those smart kids paying complete attention in class. I, on the other hand, was cramming the night before every test because I didn’t take notes. I decided that my brain and my attention-span were far greater than pen and paper. I was wrong.

Today, I keep a note of EVERYTHING. You should take a look at my Evernote. That thing is loaded with ideas, thoughts, ramblings, and so on. I keep track of everything. Why? Because I decided I needed to be consistent with what I wanted and needed to follow up with. This applies directly to my health and fitness as well.

The times, like currently, that I have kept a daily log of my workouts, I have been the fittest I have ever been.

The times I have kept a food journal, I have had the lowest body fat percentage ever.

Whether it is keeping notes for class or jotting down your sets, reps, and weights, taking note of what you are (or aren’t) doing will lead to the consistency that success requires.

#1 Reason People Fail to Stay on Track

Consistency, or lack thereof, is the reason people will live a long and prosper life or will not.

Those who decide that getting fit and healthy for their wedding is the only reason to be doing so, will probably be the lazy asses, overweight and pissed off at life 20 years from now.

Have you ever had that friend or family member that just hates life? Not that there life is that bad, but that they think it is and the world is just against them. How out of shape were they?

I bet the answer to that question will tell the tale for 90% of unhappy people.

So, why do these people derail from the tracks? Because they have decided that a consistent approach to health and fitness is more work than complaining about life and the world. What? That doesn’t sound politically correct. Too bad. It’s the truth.

Now, what was once can be changed. It doesn’t matter what lifestyle you are living now, if you are that mad-at-the-world person, you can decide to change. And no will power is needed. No magic pill will solve the problem. All it takes is being consistent. Pick something to do (i.e. eat a salad w/ olive oil/vinegar dressing; walk around the block for 30 minutes) every-single-day then do that simple thing over and over and over. That’s it. Just change one simple thing. Go to sleep earlier or drink a gallon of water every day. Do something that promotes a more vibrant you.

Once you start this new habit, you will find that, “Hey, these other small changes might make me feel better and better.” Soon enough, you’ve gotten yourself to a healthy weight and loving life.

This was Waaay Too Long – Give Me a Top 4 Healthy Habit Creation List Already

If you skipped to here, I’m sorry the rest bored you. If you read everything, I’m sorry it took so long. However, this practice of habit creation breeds success.

Here are the Top 4 Healthy Habit Creations

1. Buy Commit App (non-aff) – If you haven’t noticed by my earlier severe depression about my Commit App crashing, sorta, I love this damn app. It is easy to use and if you fail at keeping up with it, you are a goner. All you have to do is hit the YES button as long as you did whatever you committed to. Sure, you could lie, but your waist size is a fairly clear indicator of whether you are lying to your Commit app or not.
2.  Write Down Your Goal and Action Step – Pick a goal & write it down along with a daily action step. Now, post that goal every place you see in your home, car, office throughout the day. Force yourself to remember the action step you need to take than take it.
3. Tell Someone You Strongly Dislike About Your Goal – Guess who won’t forget to put you down about not hitting the gym? That idiot that sits next to your cubicle. Yep, he will motivate you to keep up with a consistent approach so you can shove it in his face when you are 20 lbs. lighter and have that six pack rocking on the weekends.
4. Choose the Simplest Daily Action Possible –  “I’m going to walk up and down the stairs at work 3 times each day for the next month.” “I’m going to eat one banana every day.” Whatever it is, make it super simple and just do that. Make it so simple that you will feel ashamed of yourself for not doing it. Even a small action can create further consistent action in other aspects. However, you have to start somewhere.

I hoped these helped you out and this article showed you how important and critical to success habit formation through consistency really is.

Good luck out there Beast Squad!