Sometimes, Regularity Beats Intensity

My health coach told me to jog every day. I said I wasn’t fit, that I often have foot pain or feel tired. He replied, “Jog every day, even if just 10 meters.” Focus on regularity. The goal is to make it easy — so easy it becomes a no-brainer.

Not intensity — when you’re unfit, you can’t suddenly jog 5 km. If you force it, you’ll injure yourself, and not be able to jog for a while, which is counterproductive. It can also develop fear or hesitation about doing it next time. It’s not about giving it your all in one heroic attempt, like they romanticise in movies, but about doing a little everyday. Not dramatic, but effective.

Besides, regularity is the only way to make it part of your routine, at which point it becomes automatic. If it requires willpower each time, it will fall by the wayside sooner or later.

This applies just as much to mental health practices, like journaling. You can’t skip writing for months and then write 100 pages one day.

For some things, regularity beats intensity. In these cases, ask yourself, “How often am I doing this?” Not, “How much am I doing when I do it?”