Welcome to this post about how to stay consistent in 2022!
Consistent. Acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate. Unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time. What does it mean to be consistent, and how does it relate to our success? To answer the first question, being consistent means to keep doing the same habits over time. For example, waking up at 6 a.m. for the rest of your life. And, to answer the second question, staying consistent is crucial to head towards success as it helps us become disciplined, build momentum, and form lifestyles by repeating our habits.
Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.
Dwane Johnson
In life, you can’t practice something one time and master it. If you want to become a better piano player, you have to keep practicing playing the piano. If you want to become a better basketball player, you have to keep playing basketball. By repeating practices, you become closer and closer to mastering the sport or activity. And, just like that, by being consistent in life by repeating good habits over and over again, you form a lifestyle and get closer and closer to success.
The reason why we find it hard to stay consistent, especially as teenagers, is because we are surrounded by distractions, and instead of focusing on the procsess, we focus on the end result. We are simply not focused or committed enough to stick with something long-term and get long-term results. For example, at the beginning of the year, I told myself I would wake up at 7 a.m. every day, however I failed to follow through. If you can relate to my experience, this blog is perfect for you! As I am writing this blog about consistency, I, too, am learning about how to stay consistent, and I hope you do too. So, without further ado, here are 10 tips on how to stay consistent in 2021!
1. Consistent thinking
All of our actions, all of our statements, and all of our goals – these all form with our thinking and our thoughts. Because our minds tell us to do something, we do it. Because our minds tell us to say something, we say it. And, because our minds tell us to achieve it, we strive to accomplish it. So, in order to have consistent actions, we must have consistent thinking. If our minds are not consistent with its thoughts, how can we be consistent with our actions?
As you think, so shall you become
Bruce Lee
2. Don’t let self-doubt creep in
As we keep walking on forward on our paths, we tend to wonder: Am I going on the right track? Or is this even the path I want to take? These questions are a result of self-doubt. Self-doubt is the ultimate consistency destroyer.
Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will
Suzy Kassem
Our knowledge eliminates these shadows, but we cannot eliminate all the shadows in our minds.
If you want to stay consistent, you must not doubt yourself throughout the process. You must keep going towards your outcome goal, and only after should you confront the doubt in your mind. “If after you’ve completed your process goals you still haven’t progressed toward your outcome goal then it might be wise to explore the shadows to see what new path might be worth taking.” (medium)
3. Develop a plan
The definition of a “plan” is: “A scheme, program, or method worked out beforehand for the accomplishment of an objective:” A plan is in place so that you don’t have to think beforehand or in the moment. Preparation is consistency’s wonderful cousin!
You must have a plan to be successful, even if it’s a daily plan. For example, you could prepare your meals for the week or get a nutrition consult for a meal plan. Pack your gym clothes the night before and write in your planner what your workouts will be for the week. It is imperative that you have a plan so that you know where to direct your actions, thoughts, effort, and time. It must be a plan that you want. And, it must be in line with your values and your heart’s desire. The more emotionally invested you are in your plan, the more you will remain committed, the higher your chances are for success.
https://www.goalsontrack.com/blog/2018/02/19/5-tips-for-being-consistently-consistent/
4. Be present in the process
Being consistent requires you to be present in the process of doing so. You must be fully engaged with the tasks you’re performing. When we focus on the end goal rather than the process, we get too ahead of ourselves and lose motivation to keep going. Sure, it is important to look at the bigger picture, but you can achieve that once you know what you’re p
5. Anticipate the dip
Most of us go into new endeavors believing that the path to our desired outcome is straight and clear. The amazing thing is that we believe this even when we know better from past experience. In his book The Dip, Seth Godin says that anything worth pursuing will have a messy middle.
What makes the Dip even more challenging is that it typically hits after a period of initial success. This serves as a natural barrier to separate the quitters from those who go on to experience extraordinary success. Quitting is not a bad thing in itself. In fact, the whole purpose of the book is to help the reader know what to quit and when so they can focus their efforts on the things worth pursuing.
By anticipating the Dip, I was acknowledging that if I wanted to become a consistent writer, I would need to decide ahead of time what to do when it showed up. If the answer was “I would quit,” then you probably would not be reading this blog post today. Instead, I felt that my desired outcome and my big “why” for writing would keep me going when times got tough. So far, so good.
https://www.spirituallivingforbusypeople.com/consistent
6. Do it even if you don’t feel like it
Do it even if you don’t feel like doing it. Sure, it sounds simple. Just do it! However, in reality, it is easier said than done.
One personal experience that explains this topic really was is my goal of waking up at 7 a.m. every day since the start of 2021. On the first day of the new year, I promised myself I was going to wake up at 7, and I did. However, the following days, I did not stick to my goal as when the alarm rang, as I was still tired and went back to sleep. Later on, I realized that no matter what, I am always going to be tired at 7 a.m in the morning. I only woke up at 7 if I had a meeting earlier than usual, and even then, I was reluctant to wake up.
So, this taught me that if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish it. Something that helps me “actually” start my day at 7 is to not think about waking up and just immediately sit up and jump out of bed.
7. Identify: You are what you do daily
Who are you? Are you the type of person that does anything you put your mind to or are you the type of person that gives up after figuring out that something is going to be tougher than you expected it to be? Are you the type of person that looks at the opportunity in every problem or the problem in every opportunity? And, are you the type of person that works hard or procrastinates on every single task?
To help with staying consistent, you must remind yourself of who you are. For example, if you don’t feel like running, tell yourself, “I am a runner and runners run!” If you don’t feel like waking up early, tell yourself, “I am the type of person that works for their dreams while others are dreaming!”
Whatever you want to be in life, you must start practicing now.
You aren’t what you do from time-to-time. You are what you do day-in-and-day-out.
8. Go back to the basics
In any pursuit, most of us are eager to rush through the basics to get to the more exciting advanced stuff. But when we don’t spend enough time mastering the fundamentals, we can easily become discouraged by advanced tactics and strategies.
These things are undoubtedly important, but they can often distract us from the basic skills that must be mastered in order to gain traction and experience success.
When it comes to blog writing, I go back to the basics regularly. How do I write a compelling headline? Or an opening that will draw the reader in? Or good subheadings to make sure the reader keeps reading? Doing this allows me to continually hone my writing craft. The measurable progress I make keeps me inspired and keeps me writing.
https://www.spirituallivingforbusypeople.com/consistent
9. Hold yourself accountable
In order to stay consistent, you must hold yourself accountable. We all make mistakes, no matter what. So, it’s not about the mistake you make, but rather what you do after. Do you hold yourself accountable for your mistake or do you ignore it?
All you have to do is review what you did that caused something to go the wrong way. By this, you can improve that so the mistake is not repeated in the future. It is easy to blame other people or your environment, but real change starts with you and only you.
10. Remind yourself why you started
Whenever we choose to do something, we always have a reason for doing that certain action. If you want to wake up early, maybe the reason for that is to have more time for yourself. If you want to eat less junk food, the reason for that may be to become fitter.
As time goes on, things will get harder, and with that, our motivation to keep going will die down. This is when we start questioning ourselves and our choices. However, by reminding yourself why you started, you will get all the inspiration you need to keep going. Remember why you set this goal and why you want to achieve it, and that is all it takes to keep going.
The Takeaway:
Consistency is about repetition, about sticking to empowering habits and rituals that keep us focused on our goals and priorities. While being consistent, you are becoming more disciplined, more focused, and you will come out as a stronger person you never knew you could become. But, all of this requires a good amount of effort. To help with the process of becoming and staying consistent, you should follow and lead by these ten pieces of advice:
- Consistent thinking
- Don’t let self-doubt creep in
- Develop a plan
- Be present in the process
- Anticipate the dip
- Do it even if you don’t feel like it
- Identify: You are what you do daily
- Go back to the basics
- Hold yourself accountable
- Remind yourself why you started
For more information, be sure to watch this TED video on “Consistency as a Key to Success.” Along with this, consistency is a huge part of self-discipline. Check out our blog on how to build self-discipline as a teenager in 2021!
Building consistency is hard in life, but these 10 tips should significantly help. Remember to stay patient and keep trying. There will be times when you might feel like quitting or giving up, but by referring to the tips above and believing in yourself, you CAN do it. Know that nothing goes perfect each day, so even if you stop doing something for one day or one week, don’t worry about it and just start the routine again. Good luck and I wish you all the best! To end off on an even more positive note, remember:
We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.
Richard G. Scott