I was looking up the relationship between well-being and consistency because there is an interplay between the two, and our 4 Pillars. We talk often about being consistent with our health and fitness. Consistency gives you predictability, control, confidence, and a sense of stability. All of those qualities help you feel and perform better.
I got a clear reminder of that recently between my jiu jitsu and strength training.
If you can’t relate to jiu jitsu that’s okay. Maybe your version is hiking, kickball or pickle ball, golf, yard work, fishing, the shooting range, knitting – whatever keeps you active and engaged.
For months, I’ve been managing an uncomfortable strain in my right forearm that eventually worked its way into my elbow. Classic sign of overuse. In jiu jitsu, grips matter, and I have been relying on my grip strength way too much, which means my technique isn’t where it needs to be.
My straightforward feedback is overuse and lack of skill.
Instead of taking a break or pushing through it and making it worse (which would make me a hypocrite given the way we talk about these things in our gym), I changed how I practiced and how much I relied on my grips.
I kept showing up and was forced to adjust what I was doing.
I forced myself to get uncomfortable, worked different positions, used less grip strength, and leaned into something my coach recently said, “Movement is opportunity.”
The outcome? During live rolls, everything started to feel smoother. I was flowing instead of fighting. I wasn’t completely wiped out afterward. Pulling exercises with my right arm started to feel as comfortable and pain-free as my left arm when I was strength training.
Honestly, I wasn’t surprised.
All of this happened because I stayed consistent, yet flexible.
I didn’t fixate on what hurt. I focused on improving other skills I’d been avoiding, doubting, or too intimidated to try.
The pain didn’t shut me down. It gave me an opportunity to make progress somewhere else.
Consistency doesn’t mean doing the same thing over and over. It means showing up, adjusting when you need to, and keeping yourself moving forward.
When something hurts or stalls, whether it’s with your exercise routine, nutrition, or life in general, don’t quit and don’t grind yourself into a deeper hole. Shift your strategy and keep going.
That’s where real progress happens. That’s where consistency and well-being align.