The Power of Consistent Action

Consistent intentional action is the key to achieving results.  There was a time when the thought of being a champion bodybuilder wasn’t even on my radar.  But I have always liked to stay physically active.  As a young girl, dance was my passion.  I especially enjoyed the modern and jazz dance classes.  When I became a mother, I enrolled my daughter in dance classes and she, too, became a dance enthusiast.  At that point, I thought it a good idea to involve myself in another type of physical activity to stay fit and to give my daughter the opportunity to excel at dance without me still trying to keep up.

I tried a few aerobics classes at a local gym and really liked it.  I enjoyed aerobics so much that I decided to become an aerobics instructor.  I did that for several years and then my interest in human anatomy grew so I decided to become a certified personal trainer.  I’m sharing this to demonstrate the power of consistent action.  I simply used something that I enjoyed to help others while also helping myself.

Fast forward a few more years, which is when I got involved on the nutrition side and began promoting a protein shake that helped control your appetite and burned fat.  It was a great product but people who engaged in physical activity on a regular basis saw faster more sustainable results.  After several months of hanging around people in the bodybuilding arena, I decided to do something way outside my comfort zone.  I declared that I would train to get in the best shape of my life to compete in a bodybuilding competition.

When I started training, I weighed 180 pounds.  I’m 5 feet 10½ inches tall with a medium build.  I wasn’t in bad shape when I began this journey, but I wasn’t in great shape either.  Nevertheless, I gave myself 90 days to drop the weight and build muscle.  In late November, I hired a personal trainer.  You see, even though I’m a personal trainer I knew that I needed someone to push me further than I would push myself had I done this on my own.  By February, just 90 days from when I started, I weighed 147 pounds and my muscles were developed in ways I never even thought possible for me.  I was ready to compete.

But let me back up a bit. The purpose of sharing this story is to show you what is possible when you take consistent intentional action. I had a workout routine that consisted of weight training, aerobic exercise, good nutrition, lots of water, and rest. I lifted weights three to four times a week.  Each day my trainer focused on a different muscle group and worked me until my muscles were sore.  The truth is that a clean diet is critical to losing fat and developing muscle.

On the day of the competition, I was extremely nervous.  I had never done anything like this before, but I knew I had put in the work.  I stuck to the meal plan. I worked-out as scheduled.  I rested as needed.  I drank the water.  I practiced posing in the required positions in preparation for competition.

Have you ever worked hard for something and yet still doubted if you were good enough?  In this case, I knew I had done the work and was just grateful to have not given up along the way.  Yes, there were days when I was tired, but I had made a commitment to see this through and I was determined to do it.  No matter what I considered myself a winner.

On the day of the competition, I was on stage with four other women in my age category standing in front of a panel of judges.  The judges asked us to flex and turn individually and then as a group.  We went through several rounds of this until the judges were satisfied.  Keep in mind the attire for this occasion was a two-piece swimsuit.  It was a pageant of sorts with makeup and sparkling jewels, and toned bodies being the main attraction.  The announcement of the winner didn’t happen right away; we were kept in suspense until all categories of the competition were judged.  Then group by group we were called back on stage for the awards ceremony (by age category and division category).

When my group was called back to the stage, the third runner up was called, then second runner up, then first runner up and then the winner.  When I heard my name, I was shocked.  It could only have been me or the other person whose name hadn’t been called yet. When I heard my name “Jacquelin” announced as the winner, I was overjoyed!

There are numerous occasions in my life when I wasn’t sure if I would accomplish the goal, but I kept at it and didn’t give up.  Whatever you want to do, be, or have in life, you’ve got to believe that it’s possible.  Take consistent intentional action toward your goal.  It may not happen overnight (in most cases it won’t happen overnight) but over time it will.

Keep the faith!

Don’t give up!

And stay in action!