Let’s Go Streaking!

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Don’t worry -- I’m not talking about that kind of streaking (keep your clothes on). I’m talking about a consistency streak to help you reach your goals (health and non-health-related). Something that I have said in the past, and still believe, is that "Consistency is the key to success! If you are consistent in reaching smaller goals, that leads to bigger goals, and you'll be successful no matter how you look at it."

I recently looked at my SparkStreaks page and noticed that I currently have a streak of 854 days (over 2 years) since my last drink of soda. WOW! That’s a long streak and I am proudly keeping it going. Not only am I keeping track of that goal as a streak though, I’m also keeping track of other various goals on my SparkStreaks page. Some of those include doing a minimum of 4 days of cardio, doing a minimum of 2 strength training session days, drinking at least 8 cups of water daily, and many more. While I am doing great with those streaks, my longest streak is my “don’t drink soda” goal. Now, while that may not seem like a big deal to others, that was a hard habit for me to break. I admit though, the first couple weeks were the hardest for me, but once I got past the first month, it did get easier. The longer I went without soda, it got even easier to not drink it. Today I don’t think a soda sounds appealing at all.

While the “no soda” goal has been easier as time goes on, it has been fun seeing how consistent I have been with that goal. Using SparkStreaks has really helped me see how well I can stay consistent with my goals overall, especially on days that I don’t feel as motivated to do certain things, which also helps motivate me to keep up with my goals. I am one of those people that likes to see my streaks get longer and would hate to have to start all over, so they have been a fantastic tool for me to use as I continue my healthy lifestyle. But even on the days that I may break one of my streaks, I don’t see it as a failure. Instead, I see it as a chance to look at how well I’ve been doing overall, see how I can do better and possibly go for a longer streak.

As I mentioned, SparkStreaks can help as a motivational tool. However, be forewarned, it may bring out your competitive side (it did with me and I’ve seen various SparkPeople members say something similar about themselves). Although, I think a little healthy competition with yourself is perfectly fine. As Steve Young said, “The principle is competing against yourself. It’s about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before.”

Now remember, you don’t have to start out with large goals to make a difference in your health. Instead, we actually recommend starting with small goals/streaks, and over time, as those add up, you can build on the foundation that you created with those smaller goals. Doing that will then help you piece together a realistic healthy lifestyle and help you achieve even more goals.

Not sure how to set up a SparkStreak? No worries! Click here to learn more about setting up a SparkStreak today so you can join the fun of streaking!
 


Have you been using the SparkStreaks page to help you track your streaks? What is your current longest streak? Do you find yourself more motivated and/or more competitive when you see your streaks?