Consistency in the Small Things

By
tracie.holcomb@gmail.com
October 15, 2015
Consistency in the Small Things

tracie.holcomb@gmail.com

   •    

October 15, 2015

Workout of the Day--October 15, 2015

2 Rounds:
Run 800M
30 Box jumps (24/20)
30 Push ups
30 Pull ups

Overhead barbell position is one of those things where attention to small things definitely matters
Overhead barbell position is one of those things where attention to small things definitely matters

Consistency in the Small Things

We all live busy lives. Between jobs, family responsibilities, volunteer obligations, and our own needs, our days are full. Rarely do I meet anyone that complains of having too much time on their hands. When we get busy, it is easy to ignore the little tasks and inconveniences that are not mission critical. Laundry gets washed and maybe folded but not put away. The kids make it to their activities but the dog hasn't been walked in days. You've squeezed in three workouts this week but you've been way too busy to mobilize after class. All three of these are examples of good intentions and good practices, but they are also ticking time bombs. Laundry isn't going to put itself away...it will continue to accumulate until someone addresses it. An unwalked dog? Well that's a recipe for bad doggie behavior and probably a destroyed backpack or shoe. No time to mobilize? How does a pulled hamstring or strained back sound?

Many of you have heard me say that our health is a product of the thousand little decisions we make everyday. For me, I find those decisions to be on the "all or nothing" spectrum. If I've forced myself to slow down enough to take care of the little things in my training, that typically carries over to my nutrition and my personal life and my parenting and my job. If I'm running at the limits of my capacity and letting the small things slide, I'm probably on a collision course with screwing something up in a sizable way. 

Do you want to know what is awesome about taking care of the small things? Here it is: they are small things. None of them take hours to accomplish or require huge amounts of discipline and commitment. Generally, they are not even that hard. The only thing hard about them is that they require consistency. Still, with small, consistent effort, great things can be accomplished. Now, I know I said that I find taking care of the small things to be an all or nothing proposition. Ignore that for the time being because I want you to pick out just one "small thing" that, if done consistently, could generate substantial benefits.

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