Why You Can’t Be Consistent

Despite having tremendous success as both an athlete and academic, I am not, nor have I ever been close to being, the fastest, tallest, smartest or strongest. I wouldn’t even describe myself as the toughest, grittiest, or fiercest when it comes to mentality.

However, the one superpower that has always set me apart and defined my success has been CONSISTENCY.  

Quite simply, I have always showed up more regularly and routinely than my competition. I nearly never neglected my training, practices or games throughout my entire tenure as a player. I’m talking from the age of 5, when I first started biddy ball, to the age of 30, playing as a profession. 

This one skill is what gave me an edge, this is what set me apart.

Please parents read that line again. This one thing unlocked everything for me.

Believe it or not most parents are the reason young athletes lack consistency.  Parents often disrupt the learning process through intermittent interruptions to training and practices.  

Attaining success is somewhat scientific since research has shown that new learnings are seared into the brain at around 21 days of consistent implementation. Yet with constant interruptions to training, most don’t achieve this 21 days until after 6-8 months of training. 

If young athletes are only training once per week, and also interrupting their training for holidays, travel, homework, sickness, etc. it will take approximately 6-8 months to reach 21 days. This prolonged amount of time makes it feel as though young athletes are not improving, which leads to more inconsistency in training.

To take advantage of the most time tested superpower, proven to unlock unreal learning in ANY area, just become consistent.  At JP3 Training we say ‘nearly never neglect your training.’

Consistent routine is so powerful that it actually allows us to predict growth with tremendous certainty. Think about it, the most consistent areas in your child’s life are eating, sleeping and school.  Because these three things are done with tremendous consistency, clothing manufacturers can predict how tall they will be and how much they will weigh at a certain age (think 2T, 3T clothing for toddlers). Similarly, schools can predict what level of learning they will have by a certain grade. This is because they nearly never neglect these areas.

If training becomes routine, like eating, sleeping, or school, consistent growth in prowess WILL occur.  Year after year your child gets bigger, stronger and smarter because of commitment to eating, sleeping and attending school; similarly, if you lock in your child’s commitment to training and practicing, they will experience constant growth month after month, guaranteed.

This truth is even evident in Biblical scripture when Paul admonishes Timothy to 

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee [...]” and to “meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” (1 Timothy 4:14-15)  

Paul was essentially assuring Timothy that if he fully committed, he would achieve success that was undeniable.

Believe it or not, ten training sessions a month will create the consistency needed to achieve regular breakthrough.  This is what I do with my kids; 2.5 workouts per week allow for them to achieve consistent commitment while accounting for unexpected and even necessary breaks.

Why 2.5 sessions weekly? This is because some weeks lend themselves to 3-4 workouts, while others only 1-2 workouts are possible. However, when we commit to ten workouts monthly consistency is achieved in the grand scheme even though it may be interrupted on a smaller scale.

Stack training sessions on weeks when your schedule is lighter (school breaks, no games, etc.) and get 1-2 workouts during busy weeks. This commitment to an overall monthly goal will overcome any inconsistency you will experience on a weekly basis.

This is why we now offer a 10 Workout package which will allow for flexibility and accountability.  Weeks when your schedule allows, you can book multiple training sessions and create more consistency; then taper back as things become busier. 

The package doesn’t expire, so if you don't get to all 10 training sessions, use them the following month. However, this package will also allow you to track how many sessions you are attending monthly so your young athlete has some accountability towards the expectation of training 10x per month. 

Since basketball season has begun, we are constantly seeing success stories for every client that has committed to 8-10 workouts per month, even if only for 1-2 months! Although the texts, calls and social media posts from parents are exciting, I am never surprised, because consistency is the most reliable superpower that exists!

Dr. Jason Parker

Athletic Educational Specialist

JP3 Training & Performance