By Jake Boly, Staff Writer

I’ve said before: there isn’t a silver bullet when it comes to progressing toward your goals, whether it is gaining, losing, or maintaining. If your goal is to just live a better lifestyle and become more active, this silver bullet still applies. This silver bullet isn’t something you can buy. It’s something you create: consistency.

What is the best way to progress towards any goal? By staying consistent. This should apply to everything involving your goal.

If you’re trying to lose/gain weight and have your set caloric/macro goals, what’s the best way to see results? By staying consistent with your numbers.

If you’re trying to gain strength or run longer what’s the best way to see results? Staying consistent with your training.

If you’re trying to be happier and live a better life what’s the best way to do so? By keeping a consistent positive mantra towards everything.

Consistency can be the easiest yet hardest obstacle we encounter. For some of us staying consistent is easy. For some, it’s an easy way to keep ourselves in check. Others don’t have it as easy. Some have trouble staying in the same mindset and constantly jump around. Both sides will encounter problems and both sides will require work this is when it comes down to willpower.

Personally, I try to stay as consistent as I can, but I admit I jump around from time to time. We’re human, we make mistakes, we learn from them. If we never jumped around, how would we find better methods to incorporate in our processes? These are the tools I focus on when I’m trying to stay consistent.

Diet: This is one of the most important aspects in progressing and you should fight for consistency with it. When you determine your goal and find your numbers the hardest part is over, let the consistency begin. If you consistently hit your numbers and eat things you enjoy, guess what? You’re doing everything right. What I do to stay consistent with my numbers is always stay accurate with counting. This means using good judgment, and changing up foods sources for different micronutrients and macronutrients. I can’t stress enough how varying your diet can save you from burning out on the same foods and falling off track.

Workouts: Workouts are different for everyone. You should have a clear idea nad a plan to execute what you want to get out of each gym workout. If you want to grow stronger, run longer, or become more fit, there should be an ideal behind your reasoning. In this scenario, consistency means giving your all at the gym and consistently pushing yourself to new limits. What good are you doing by going to the gym each day, or every other day, and simply going through the motions? Nothing. We progress by setting new limits and proving ourselves wrong. Keep that mentality in the gym and the world is yours for the taking. Another workout tip for the gym is to, on your walk over there, envision what you’re going to do and how good it will feel when you’ve accomplished your workout.

The mind comes into play more than anyone thinks. If you believe you can, you will.