Sustainability Over Intensity

I can get pretty obsessed with things.

When I was younger and it was time for my first basketball jersey, two of my friends chose #22 and #23, so I chose #21. Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with the number 21. When I was introduced to CrossFit, I went all in, training six mornings a week for multiple years. It was intense, and I was hooked.

I’m also a huge New York Giants fan. My apartment is filled with Giants stuff, and I’m fully convinced that God’s favorite color is Giants blue. Tied for second is every other shade of blue. See, I am obsessed with the color blue too! 

While I never want to lose my passion for things that truly matter, I’ve learned that when it comes to growth—especially in health and wellness—sustainability matters far more than intensity.

One of my favorite books, The Compound Effect, is a constant reminder that small actions done consistently will always outlast big efforts done occasionally. Real change isn’t about going all-in for a short burst. It’s about rewiring your brain to choose habits you can actually maintain.

For example, if you’ve been living a sedentary lifestyle and want to move more, starting with a 15 or 30-minute walk each day is far more sustainable than obsessing over a goal to now be at the gym 5 days a week. If you didn’t finish a single book last year, reading five pages a day is more realistic than setting a goal to finish one book every month. If you’re naturally introverted but want more connection, reaching out to a few friends each week for coffee, food, or a meetup is more sustainable than committing to a year of networking events you attend alone.

The same applies to nutrition. If you want to eat healthier, you can start by increasing protein at each meal and adding a side of vegetables. That’s far more sustainable than immediately cutting out every food or drink you’ve decided you “shouldn’t” be having. The best diet really is the one you can stick to. As you consistently eat more protein and vegetables, your body will start to crave them more, making it easier to let go of some of the other foods without forcing it.

Let’s fight the urge to go from 0 to 60, only to end up right back at 0 a few months later. When you commit to small, sustainable changes that fit your current season of life, you give yourself the chance to walk into the next season as a better version of yourself. Choose to commit to habits that you can repeat, not just ones that impress. We all had to start crawling before we learned how to walk!