Consistency: How to Get A Little Better Every Day

Whether you’re looking to start a new career, achieve a weight loss goal, or correct a bad habit, one thing’s for sure: if you want long-term success, you have to be consistent. Consistency is a battle of wits; it’s a conscious effort that tests your mental strength, separating the half-hearted from the go-getters. The ability to commit to your goals over time is the fine line between success or failure.

Consistency: How It Helps With Long-Term Achievement

By definition, consistency is “conformity in the application of something.” It’s your ability to regularly perform at a steady pace. Think about it: if you continuously practice and apply your energy to anything, whether riding a bike or building a start-up. Inevitably, you’ll get better at it if you keep trying. Just by being persistent, you’re:

• Creating stability.
• Making space for constant improvement.
• Building self-discipline.
• Establishing order and routine.
• Tapping into your willpower.
• Telling the world to take you seriously.

When it comes to achieving a goal, consistency will get us further than constantly stopping and going. That’s because continually dedicating your time and attention to a plan invites steady progression over time. Consistency is a long game, and some people just don’t have the patience to wait. However, as much as we’d all love to be the overnight success story, this way of thinking isn’t practical and sets you up for unrealistic expectations and disappointment. These setbacks can deter you from pushing forward, making it seem like your goals are not within reach. But your dreams won’t seem so impossible if you keep trying.

Tips On How To Stay Consistent

If you’re someone who struggles with committing to your goals over time, here are a few practical tips.

Get organized: Establishing routine and order is a great way to keep the ball rolling. Things like planners, to-do lists, calendars, and reminders help make our goals more manageable, while apps like Stride and Way Of Life can help you keep track of your progress.

Check-In Often: Check in with yourself often to see if there’s room for improvement. Don’t be deterred if you find errors or mistakes. Instead, use them as opportunities for growth and expansion. Even industry leaders aren’t perfect, and learning from mistakes is a tried and proven method of success.

Motivate Yourself: Consistency requires a strong will and a lot of patience. If you’re going to be in this for the long haul, you’ll need to stay motivated. Immerse yourself in inspiration. You can do this by:

• Reciting daily mantras and positive affirmations.
• Reading self-help books or inspirational quotes.
• Seeking guidance and suggestions from an expert.
• Studying apps like Spotify, YouTube, and Skillshare for inspiration and instruction.

Don’t Give Up: Circumstances like slow progress and frequent mistakes can be deterring. Keep at it! The path to success isn’t a straight line, and often the process doesn’t look the way we envisioned. Don’t allow minor roadblocks to keep you from achieving success.

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others: It can be tempting to compare your success to the success of others, especially with everyone boasting about their “wins” on our timelines. However, no two journeys are the same. Comparisons just cheapen your journey and your progress. When it comes to social media, remember that the glory that’s being highlighted came after the goal was already accomplished; there’s no way to tell how long it took or how difficult it was. Most of the time, people start off in the same shoes you’re in now.

Take Baby Steps: Big goals like saving up to buy a house or building your own brand can be intimidating when you think about the time and energy it will take to achieve it. Instead of trying to tackle giant feats all at once, try baby steps. Work on doing something small every day to make your journey manageable. Taking on too much is overwhelming and can stall progress. Doing something small every day will add up to major progress over time.

Celebrate Every Victory: Small victories can be easily overlooked when you have your eye on the prize. Ignoring these benchmarks can cause us to feel stuck and discourage us from pushing forward. But these highlights, however small, are the fuel to keep you motivated. Take the time to acknowledge victories, both big and small. Celebrate every win and give yourself credit for all of your hard work, whether the payout is enormous or not.

There’s no magical secret to success; anytime you attempt a goal, there’s a risk it may not work out. However, you’ll get a hell of a lot further if you keep pushing forward!

-Kaillaby

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash