Not Too High, Not Too Low
Fitness isn’t just about lifting weights and protein shakes. Although that’s part of it… —it’s about disciplining your mind as much as your body. After coaching for 15yrs, I can say with certainty, that the people I’ve helped get in the greatest shape, and those that stay in the best shape year round, are the people who are emotionally disciplined and consistent.
One of the most underrated skills in both life and fitness is emotional consistency. Too often, people ride the highs of motivation when everything is going well, or they have a very specific goal to work towards, only to crash spectacularly when challenges arrive. Conversely, when life or training throws obstacles in our path, it’s easy to spiral into discouragement.
Many people reach out for help only when they’re in crisis. They’ve just been to the doctor and the blood work results came back bleak. They’ve had a heart incident and they’ve been given a second chance. They’re losing balance and control of their coordination and walking and doing basic tasks seem far too difficult.
Reaching out for help is a good thing. Inviting a professional to help you is a great idea. But once you’ve made the initial step of welcoming accountability, then the hard work truly begins. Following through and changing habits long after motivation has peaked is the hardest part about change. Staying consistent when you don’t “feel” like it is the real work.
The Highs: Motivation WILL Fade
We all know the feeling: life is going great, workouts feel effortless, and our energy is through the roof. Motivation feels like a superpower. But here’s the trap—riding this high without a plan or structure can backfire. When things inevitably dip—injuries, financial worries, work stress, relational strain—those who depend solely on peak motivation often crash. One week of high energy doesn’t compensate for months of inconsistency.
This is why a steady, disciplined approach beats short bursts of inspiration every time. True fitness and growth come from habits, not highs. Respect your motivation, but don’t rely on it to form your habits and lifestyle. Treat it like fuel for the engine, not the engine itself.
We all know that one friend who get’s fired up about eating clean and working out hard 6-7x per week for a short few weeks, then watch them burnout and fall into apathy and a cycle of shame. This is sad, and it’s definitely NOT the way to win in the long run.
The truth is, we’re ALL that person in some area of our life. Maybe you don’t do that with your nutrition, but you do this with your stress. Or your sleep habits. You dial it in for a short while, then fall away from healthy habits, finding yourself frustrated and disappointed. While some of us have committed to working out regularly, and eating good, there's always room to grow and build healthier rhythms.
Motivation is so fleeting. It’s not reliable. We must learn to form our lifestyle around healthy habits, not a moment of motivation.
The Lows: Building Resilience
On the flip side, life will throw curveballs. Trouble and trials are not a matter of if, but when. We all know that life is hard. A scary health diagnosis, the loss of a loved one unexpectedly, financial turmoil, an injury, unending pressure at work, or a failing relationship can all bring incredible pain and suffering.
Going through life without the acute awareness that a trial or challenge is coming is naive. If you’re not currently battling something, great, enjoy that season. But know that at some point in the future, you will encounter a challenge. The danger here is letting your energy and drive sink too low and allow yourself to spiral. Emotional lows don’t have to dictate action. Maintaining consistent habits—even when motivation is low—is what separates those who plateau from those who ultimately thrive.
Resilience isn’t about never feeling discouraged—it’s about having the discipline to keep going when you do. Small, steady actions during tough times compound into progress, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
I personally believe that as a culture, we’re extremely soft. We’ve embraced our feelings so much so that when we encounter hard things, rather than tucking our chin and facing them head on, we turn to social media or Netflix to doomsday scroll or binge tv to push our problems under the rug. We numb ourselves with drugs and substances, hoping that the problem somehow disappears. This is not healthy. Our culture is riddled with anxiety and depression, and is NOT healthily handling stress.
We MUST learn how to deal with stress in a healthy way . We have to learn how to react to unexpected lows in our life.
So how do we do that? It’s easy to talk about, but difficult in practice. I’ve outlined 5 practical ways to practice staying consistent.
Staying Steady in the High’s and Lows
Developing emotional consistency is like training a muscle. It requires awareness, self-regulation, and practice:
Don’t Make it Emotional: You may “feel” like drinking an entire bottle of wine and having cheesecake after a brutal day of work. But you ultimately know that won’t lead to feeling good the following morning. When we base our decisions on how we FEEL, we often get ourselves into trouble. Practice pausing and taking a few minutes to actually process and acknowledge your emotional state. Then, logically work through what your goals are, and reinforce your brain to form the action steps that lead to good outcomes.
Actively Invite Accountability: Avoid the rollercoaster of extremes by allowing others to speak into your life. A personal trainer, nutritionist, therapist, friend, or family member can help check in and keep you from straying too far in either direction. Set a regular rhythm of having someone in your inner circle check in on you.
Eliminate Excess: Have you met someone recently who DIDN’T say that they were busy? The amount of “stuff” on our plates is insane. We have to prioritize saying NO at times and eliminate the excess that we’re carrying. It’s okay to not attend all of the social events and participate in everything.
Prioritize Recovery and Longevity: Physical, mental, and spiritual recovery reinforce steadiness and prevent burnout. If you feel yourself drifting, it may be time to take a pause and get right before you spiral further. Practically this could be a day trip to the mountains to tune out work, technology and all the distractions to find some peace. It could be a massage, sitting out by the pool in the sun, or a short vacation to fill your cup again. You’re in this for the long haul so taking short breaks is absolutely necessary!
Clarify your Non-Negotiable’s: If your ideal workout routine is 4x per week, set your minimum standard too. Getting 4x in EVERY week may not be realistic. You’ll get sick, get called into work, etc. If you set a minimum of 2x per week, you know that even on a bad week, you can still achieve that. Set healthy standards with your nutritional plan, sleep, hydration, and daily movement. Once these non-negotiable’s are defined, you can be accountable to them.
In fitness, life, and everything in between, consistency is your superpower. Peak motivation may feel thrilling, but it’s fleeting. Deep lows may feel crushing, but they don’t have to define you. The real skill is in staying steady—building discipline that endures both the highs and the lows.
Not too high. Not too low. Just consistent. That’s how real progress is made.
-Coach Tanner