November 6, 2026 "CONSISTENCY ALWAYS WINS"
Harley’s Training Lesson
As many of you know, Harley is our gym mascot. She’s 10 months old now, and people often ask me, “Where did you send her to be trained?” or “Who trained her?”
My answer usually surprises them: Harley didn’t have formal training. I trained her myself.
And trust me, I had to learn a few things before I could teach her anything.
Many moons ago, about 23 years ago to be exact, I had a Yorkie named Lenox. He was tearing up my house, peeing everywhere, and taking off whenever the door opened. I was frustrated and impatient. I even paid to have him professionally trained. He did well enough to graduate, but when he came home, he went right back to his old habits. One Christmas, he chewed on the lights and nearly electrocuted himself.
One day, a sheriff came to my door, and Lenox darted outside. The sheriff caught him, and in a moment of frustration I said, “You can have him!”
What felt like an impulsive decision turned out to be a blessing. The sheriff told me he and his wife had recently adopted two young children, and their dog had passed away a couple of months earlier.
The very next day, he returned with his wife and children to make sure everyone got along. I gladly gave them Lenox and everything he owned.
A couple months later, I started feeling guilty that I had given him away. Fortunately, the sheriff and I had exchanged contact information, and he welcomed me to come visit.
When I arrived, their son, about three years old, was sitting on the porch with Lenox right beside him. Lenox wasn’t running down the street or getting into everything. He looked happy, calm and completely different. I remember thinking, “How did they do that? I thought he couldn’t be trained.”
That’s when I realized an important truth: Lenox wasn’t the problem. I was.
I hadn’t been patient enough. I hadn’t been consistent enough. I hadn’t given him what he needed to succeed.
That same thing happens in fitness.
You can do great Monday through Thursday, then the weekend comes and your nutrition plan disappears. You can come out hot for the first couple of weeks of Boot Camp, but if the scale doesn’t move fast enough, you become discouraged and quit.
A strong start matters, but lasting change comes from continuing when the excitement wears off.
Fast forward to this season of my life.
I had been longing for a dog, but I wasn’t sure I was ready. My boo kept asking my best friend Nikki, “Do you think she needs a dog right now? I want to surprise her, but she tore her ACL and can barely walk.”
Nikki didn’t hesitate.
“Yes. Get her. This is the perfect time. She needs her in her life.”
On March 8, 2026, he surprised me with Harley.
I screamed. I cried. I was overwhelmed with joy. What I didn’t realize was that I had just become responsible for an eight-week-old puppy while on crutches and wearing a boot.
Was I crazy?
Maybe a little! Training Harley wasn’t difficult for her. It was difficult for me.
I was in significant pain. I couldn’t put my leg flat on the ground or straighten it. Yet every day, I got up to take her outside and care for her, and meet her needs while trying to heal myself.
Looking back, I often say Harley helped me recover because she gave me a reason to keep moving. Five months later, my orthopedic surgeon was amazed by my progress and no longer recommended surgery.
I stayed consistent with Harley’s routine. I was intentional about when she ate, when she went outside, and when it was time to settle down. She came to the gym with me every day. I talked to her like she was human and calmly showed her what was acceptable and what wasn’t.
By four months old, she was potty trained.
She doesn’t chew my shoes, even when I leave them around. When she goes outside, she doesn’t take off down the street. If I call her name, she comes back. She knows when it’s bedtime and if we get off our routine, she gives me a look like, “Are we forgetting something?”
She still gets excited when she sees people, and we’re still working on not jumping up. But even that continues to improve.
Because training is a process. You keep showing up. You reinforce what you want to see. You stay patient while progress takes shape.
And no, I didn’t give Harley treats every time she did what I asked. I gave her praise, affection, belly rubs, and recognition. Sometimes all you need is for someone to look at you and say, “Good job!”
We all want to feel seen. We all want to feel encouraged.
The same lesson applies to fitness. Don't treat yourself and hardwork with junk food. Progress doesn’t come from a perfect Monday through Thursday. It doesn’t come from a great first two weeks. It comes from returning to your routine after a weekend, a tough day, a vacation or a disappointing weigh-in. The scale can’t tell the whole story, and one number should never determine whether you keep going.
Harley’s Training Tips for Your Fitness Journey
- Keep going after a strong start. A great first week is a milestone, not the finish line.
- Build consistency for the whole week. Create habits that work on weekends, not just weekdays.
- Don’t let the scale make decisions for you. Pay attention to your habits, energy, strength and progress that doesn’t show through the scale.
- Expect the process to take time. A few days or weeks may not reveal the results you’re working toward.
- Celebrate small wins. Give yourself credit for showing up and following through.
- Adjust and keep moving. If you get off track, return to your routine instead of giving up.
Harley taught me that patience and consistency matter. Lenox taught me that sometimes the first thing we need to change is ourselves. And my fitness clients remind me every day that transformation doesn’t happen because of a perfect start. It happens because you keep showing up.
No Mess: stay consistent, trust the process, and keep moving forward.
