Is Consistency Key??

Consistency: steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.
Routine: regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

I ask the question is consistency key to everything in life or is it mainly in sports? While swimming this morning and yesterday, this thought has been passing through my mind and so I wonder is it key? Or do we stay in the way of such a routine and be comfortable where we are?

Lets look at everyday kind of things. Our jobs do have a strong sense of routine, we are expected to turn up to work at a certain time, work till finish, have lunch and breaks at a certain time. The we go home. We get dinner ready, have family time, go and do any sport and so one, day in day out. So have we ever thought of changing our routine and making some changes in our lives? Most of us would probably love to, but we feel safe in our daily routines. 

So if the above quote is true, why do we seem to find it so hard to break routine. Is it because we are comfortable and unsure what might happen if we make some changes? Are we unsure how to go about making the changes we dream of, and so desire? How do we make small changes and be consistent with them and keep the changes happening till we get to the point where our lives have completely done a 360 degree change?

Ok lets look at swimming as an example as its what I know a fair amount about. There is still routine involved in swimming as a sport. You still need to get up each day and do the training that is necessary to reach your goals. You still need to make sure you are eating right to maintain a healthy body and mind. You still have events to take part in. Though there is a need for consistency in your chosen sport. For instance with my swimming, I have training up to six times a week and distances vary between two kilometers to ten kilometers. I still have had events that I had to take part in as part of my training and also requirements to meet before being eligible to swim in the Rottnest Channel Swim. This past week has shown me that consistency is definitely key to getting my body and mind ready for such a big swim. There have been days that I have not wanted to get into the water. Like yesterday (Saturday) I started the first 1500m really well, but then it hit me the body wanted to stop and I was debating with myself to keep going or to stop and play catch up another day. I knew that I needed to get the distance done, whether I liked it or not, or if felt like it or not, or if I was so sore or not. The debate carried on for another two to three kilometers in the water, until I realised that I was going to get it done and that is all that mattered. I also had to get myself to understand that if I feel like this in the water out in the middle of the ocean, I know that I have the mental strength to get the body in sync and keep the arms turning over.

I don't think we will ever not have no routine in our lives as no matter what we do there is always some routine to our days. I guess its a matter of some times taking ourselves out of that mundane routine that doesn't make us happy and do something different or new. 

As for consistency, when we reach for our dreams and goals there is always a need to be consistent with what we do to reach them and make them come true, no matter how long it takes. As the quote says, "The Time Will Pass Anyway", its what we do with that time to make our goals and dreams become moments in our lives of pure happiness and joy.

Have an awesome week...

Hayley xx