It Takes Time

Most of us want results right away, especially when we feel like we’re working hard. It’s important to realize and accept that most things worth accomplish take time. Let’s talk about long term dedication and consistency. Let’s talk about time.

Long Term

If you want to accomplish any meaningful goal in life, chances are it will involve a great deal of effort over a long period of time. That’s simply the reality of learning, growing, and becoming a stronger person. You can’t allow yourself to become discouraged by how long it takes, and you can’t become disheartened by the failures along the way.

I talked last week about the importance of variables, and that comes into play here as well. If you are doing the same things the same way with no variation, it won’t matter how long you do them. You have to combine the willingness to put in the time with the vigilance to change what needs to be changed in order to achieve the results you want. You don’t get stronger lifting the same weight each session, you have to gradually increase the weight to force your muscles to grow. This applies to every area of your life, even if it has to be extremely gradual. Setbacks will happen, but you have to push through long term to see your results.

Consistency

Hand in hand with investing the time and effort long term is being consistent. It is important to be aware of your variables and always be ready to increase or change something to move forward. That does not mean, however, that you lack consistency in your efforts. You must apply yourself toward your end goal, each and every day.

Every decision you make impacts your goal either positively or negatively. Every proper meal you eat fuels your physical training and body composition. Every training session impacts your strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. Every conversation impacts your relationship with that person. The impact of what you do is rarely seen or felt immediately outside of extreme circumstances. It is consistency over a long period of time that leads to long term results. It just takes time.

What is Your Time Going Toward?

As always, I want to hear from all of you. What goals are you applying yourself toward each day? What have you accomplished as a result of long term thinking and consistency? Share your stories below.