Why Imperfect Consistency Beats Trying to Be Perfect Every Time

 

Perfectionism has a sneaky way of showing up in fitness, even when your intentions are good. It sounds like needing the perfect plan, the perfect week, or the perfect amount of motivation before you start. And when something doesn’t go exactly right, it can feel easier to stop altogether than to keep going imperfectly.

In this episode, I talk about why that mindset keeps so many women stuck, not because they don’t care or don’t try, but because the pressure to do everything perfectly makes consistency feel impossible. 

I walk through what your body actually needs to adapt and change, why repeated effort matters more than flawless execution, and how learning to show up imperfectly is what builds real momentum. This is about releasing the pressure and choosing habits you can return to, even when life feels messy.

Here is what you will learn:

• Why perfect plans usually fall apart in real life
• How all-or-nothing thinking interrupts progress
• What your body actually responds to when it comes to change
• Why repetition matters more than intensity
• How imperfect follow-through builds confidence over time

If this episode resonated, you may also enjoy:
Episode 556: 5 Mindset Swaps That Made Motivation Irrelevant

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Transcript

 (0:00) Hey, hey beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? (0:04) I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. (0:08) You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter.

(0:13) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. (0:19) Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Real. Let's get it, let's go! (0:34) Welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast.

Today (0:38) we're talking about something that quietly impacts almost every fitness journey, (0:42) but doesn't nearly get enough attention, and that is perfectionism. So many women aren't struggling (0:47) because they don't know what to do. They're struggling because they feel like they need (0:50) to do it perfectly or not at all.

And that mindset is one of the biggest reasons (0:55) that progress keeps getting delayed, reset, or just abandoned altogether. (0:59) In today's bonus episode, I want to help you release the pressure to have the perfect plan (1:04) and instead focus on building habits that you can actually repeat, because consistency does not (1:09) require perfection. It requires permission to show up imperfectly.

In today's bonus episode, (1:15) I'm going to be breaking down why perfect plans oftentimes fail in real life, how this all or (1:20) nothing thinking derails consistency, what your body actually needs to adapt and change, and how (1:26) imperfect consistency creates sustainable progress. We're going to dive right into the bonus episode. (1:32) Number one, perfect plans rarely work.

Perfect plans look amazing on paper. They're organized, (1:38) they're ambitious, they're full of promise. The problem is that real life doesn't follow (1:41) perfect plans perfectly, right? And schedules change, energy fluctuates, stress shows up.

(1:47) When your routine only counts, if everything is going exactly right, one missed workout can feel (1:52) like a whole week of failure, and your body doesn't need perfect execution. It just needs (1:58) repeated input over time. Muscles adapt through consistent tension.

Joints become stronger (2:03) through repeated movement. The nervous system, that becomes more efficient when it actually (2:08) encounters familiar patterns repeatedly. None of that requires flawless weeks.

And this is why (2:14) I'm such a believer in having a plan that bends instead of breaks. And inside my movement with (2:19) Julie dumb only weekly workouts, the workouts are already laid out for you, but they're (2:23) flexible. They're not locked into perfection.

You can choose a shorter, longer session, (2:27) adjust based on energy, stay within the clear structure. You can delete a workout or a (2:32) movement within there. You can delete a set if you need to.

There's so much flexibility, (2:36) but that flexibility, what I have found is that is what is going to keep you showing up even (2:41) when life isn't ideal, even on the hard weeks, even on the days that you're like, man, (2:47) I thought that this would be perfect. And it is just gone the complete opposite. (2:51) Having those workouts and the flexibility within the workouts and within the app to (2:56) customize it to what you need, that is what is going to allow you to keep showing up (3:01) day after day, week after week.

Number two, how this all or nothing thinking (3:06) disrupts consistency. This all or nothing thinking sounds something like this. (3:10) If I can't do a full workout, there's no point.

If I missed a few days, (3:13) I'll just start over next week on Monday. If I can't do it perfectly, I shouldn't do it at all. (3:17) But your body doesn't reset because you missed a day.

It doesn't lose all progress because a week (3:23) looks messy. It responds to trends, not isolated moments. Imperfect consistency might look like (3:29) a 20 minute workout instead of skipping it entirely.

It might look like two workouts this (3:33) week instead of four. It might look like getting back into your routine without punishing yourself (3:36) for the break. This is where understanding how your body responds to both movement and food (3:40) becomes really, really important.

When workouts and nutrition are flexible enough to fit your (3:45) real life, your nervous system stays more regulated. That regulation is what makes it (3:50) easier to return after a missed day instead of feeling like you failed. When fuel supports (3:55) training rather than restricting it, energy stays more stable.

Recovery improves and decision (4:00) making around food becomes calmer. That's why learning how to eat in a way that supports your (4:06) activity level matters so much. When nutrition feels clear and supportive rather than rigid, (4:11) consistency stops feeling like a battle and becomes more natural.

That combination (4:16) is precisely what helps people step out of that start-stop cycle. Having steady, predictable (4:22) movement through my Moo and Julie app, that's going to give your body a familiar rhythm (4:26) to return to even when life gets busy. Pairing that with the clarity around feeling your body (4:32) and learning that inside my macro kind of means simple on the academy, that's going to help to (4:36) ensure that your body actually has the energy and nutrients that it needs to recover and adapt.

(4:41) Number three, what your body actually needs to change. Your body changes through repetition, (4:46) not intensity. Let me say that again.

Your body changes through repetition, not so much intensity, (4:52) and it adapts best when it feels safe in doing so. When movement is predictable, (4:56) your nervous system doesn't have to brace itself every time you work out. (4:59) That matters more than people realize.

A regulated nervous system allows your muscles to fire more (5:05) efficiently, improves coordination, and reduces the stress load that your body is carrying into (5:10) each session. This is why familiar movement patterns done consistently tend to produce (5:15) better results than constantly switching workouts or pushing extremes. Your body learns (5:20) the pattern.

It gets better at the pattern, strength improves because the signal is clear, (5:24) not because the workout was brutal. When routines feel chaotic or overly demanding, (5:29) your body stays in this state of stress. Recovery takes longer, energy can dip, (5:34) showing up just starts to feel heavier.

Even if motivation is there, your progress is going (5:39) to slow not because you're doing something wrong, but because your system is overloaded. (5:43) Consistency sends your body one of the most important signals it can receive, (5:47) and that is familiar, that is manageable, that is something I can keep doing. (5:51) That signal is what allows adaptation to actually happen.

(5:55) Number four, why imperfect consistency builds confidence. So every time you're following (6:00) through on this realistic promise, even when it's small, you're building trust with yourself, (6:04) and that trust matters more than intensity or effort because it shapes how your brain (6:08) predicts future behavior. Your brain is constantly collecting evidence.

When you (6:13) make commitments that are too big and then break them, your brain is learning to expect (6:18) disappointment. But when you choose actions that you can actually repeat and then follow (6:22) through, your brain starts to associate effort with success instead of stress. (6:27) And that's when identity begins to shift.

You stop seeing yourself as someone who starts (6:31) strong and fades out, and you start seeing yourself as someone who shows up, adapts, (6:35) and keeps going. That identity shift is powerful because confidence isn't something (6:40) that you wait to feel. It's something you build through repeated proof.

(6:44) Confidence also grows when your body feels supported. When fueling is constant and (6:48) adequate, energy stabilizes, recovery improves, and workouts stop feeling like something (6:53) that you have to push through. Food becomes a tool for support instead of a source of stress (6:59) or control.

And this is why the approach inside my macro kind of made simple on (7:03) the Academy focuses on clarity rather than extremes. Learning how to feel your body in (7:08) a way that supports training, recovery, and real life reduces the mental load around food. (7:14) And when meals feel predictable and nourishing, decision fatigue drops and consistency becomes (7:18) easier to maintain.

Imperfect consistency works because it removes the fear of failure. (7:25) You know when you can return to something without punishment, showing up just starts to (7:29) feel safer. And when showing up feels safe, that's when confidence is going to grow naturally.

(7:35) Number five, instead of asking how to do everything perfectly, a more helpful and sustainable question (7:40) is, okay, what can I repeat even on the hard weeks? Because hard weeks are part of real life, (7:45) stressful seasons, poor sleep, travel, busy schedules, low energy days. Those aren't (7:50) interruptions to progress. They're just a part of it.

The goal isn't to build a routine that (7:55) only works when life is calm and predictable. It's to build one that still holds when things (8:01) feel messy. And that might mean choosing a workout plan that fits your actual schedule, (8:06) not your ideal one.

So a plan that you can return to consistently will always outperform (8:11) one that looks impressive, but rarely gets completed. Allowing shorter sessions when energy (8:16) is low instead of skipping it entirely. Showing up for 20 or 30 minutes keeps the habit alive.

(8:22) It reinforces the identity of someone who follows through. Fueling yourself consistently instead of (8:27) perfectly focusing on regular meals and enough nourishment rather than rigid rules. Consistency (8:33) around fueling supports stable energy, better recovery, and fewer swings between restriction (8:39) and overeating.

And last but not least, returning to routine without guilt or breaks. Understanding (8:44) that progress doesn't disappear because of a missed workout or a few days off. What matters (8:49) is the return, not the interruption.

This approach is going to build momentum without the pressure, (8:55) and momentum is what carries habits forward. When habits feel repeatable, consistency stops (9:00) feeling forced. It starts to feel natural, and that's how routines actually last.

Okay, (9:05) let's wrap this up with a few reminders to take with you. Perfect plans fall apart when (9:10) real life shows up. Consistency does not require perfection.

Your body adapts to repetition, (9:15) not intensity. Returning matters more than restarting. And imperfect consistency is about (9:21) how habits actually stick.

If this episode resonated with you, I know you will also love (9:26) episode 556, five mindset swaps that made motivation irrelevant. It's a beautiful (9:32) follow up if you're learning kind of how to show up for yourself without pressure or guilt. (9:37) I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below.

And just remember progress (9:40) doesn't come from doing more. It comes from doing what you can actually sustain. (9:45) If you're craving a workout plan that feels supportive and removes the guesswork, (9:49) by moving with Julie Dumble only workouts, weekly workouts, five brand new workouts every single (9:53) week, that's there for you.

If nutrition has been a part of that all or nothing cycle, (9:58) that's where my macro canning needs simple on that Academy can help you feel more calm, (10:02) clear, and confident around feeling your body. I've linked all three of those things. (10:07) The episode 556, five mindset swaps that made motivation irrelevant.

(10:11) My move with Julie Dumble only workouts, my macro kind of made simple online Academy. (10:15) All of those things are in the show notes so that you can explore them when it feels right. (10:19) But that is all that I have for today's bonus episode.

I hope that you enjoyed it. If you do, (10:24) you could scooch over to Apple podcasts and liberating interview. That would mean the (10:27) absolute world to me and our team.

Just kind of help get the message out there. And also (10:31) it allows other people who stumble upon the podcast, just kind of read the reviews to see (10:36) if it's right for them. I love you so much.

I mean it and I'll talk to the next one. (10:50) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do.

(10:56) First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A. (11:00) Ledbetter. Yes, it's within a in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips (11:06) and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check.

The second thing, (11:11) be sure to subscribe to Apple podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining (11:18) me. It means the absolute world.

And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. (11:22) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident (11:27) and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than (11:34) the surface.

So go out there and embrace a real because you're worth it.

 
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