Consistency is the Key
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We all know that consistency is important. Everything from working out to be fit, to mastering a skill requires consistent efforts. It is nothing but taking steadfast action over and over again. Like it or not, being consistent is essential to make any significant change in your life. The worst part is, it is now harder than ever because of all the distractions.
How to be consistent?
Schedule: When I started this blog, I took a determination to post one article every Sunday. I have been following this for the past 3 weeks. But this week, I did not feel like posting anything as I just have a lot of office work to complete. However, I pushed myself to choose a topic and just write. I gave myself 3 hours to find a topic, write, and record the article. Just the fact that I had designated every Sunday to post an article and also gave myself a fixed 3-hour deadline, pushed me to complete this article. Writing down your goal and the reason why it is important to you will rekindle your spirit and help you take your first step!
The correct attitude: There is a Buddhist concept of having faith like flowing water and not like fire. I feel that this analogy holds even for our goals and habits. A slow stream of water follows through its path steadily. Over time, it has the potential to fill up a large dam. Fire, on the other hand, tends to be this immense passion that burns bright. But it only lasts till it consumes the source.
It is just like brushing your teeth every day vs visiting the dentist every 2 years and not caring for your teeth in between. While it is important to visit the dentist frequently, it is your daily habits that determine the health of your teeth. Make sure to build simple habits to help you achieve your goal!
20-second rule: The lesser time you require to start an activity, the more likely you will complete it. Every activity requires will power to start. This method will help us reduce our dependence on will power. I recently started to play the keys. I made sure that the keyboard has a home that is easily accessible and requires no effort to start playing. I am certain that I would have spent less time practicing if it was safely kept wrapped up in a cover under my bed. Set up your room and environment keeping your goal in mind. The key is to remove any friction impeding your progress.
Another way to use this rule is by making unproductive things harder to access. Remove all the apps that don’t align with your goal from the home screen and store them safely in a folder far far away. Also, don’t forget to move it around every week or two. Just to make sure you don’t get too comfortable finding the folder of distractions. 😛
Community: Surround yourself with people who inspire you to get more done. Having friends with this mindset will not only benefit you, but it will also help them be consistent with their work as well! Being part of a community will help you find better ways to perform your task and they often supply you with all the energy required to get back on track.
Conclusion:
Consistency is not the easiest habit to adopt! Although it is hard to implement, the reward is just too evident to ignore! Take this post for example. What started as complacency, quickly turned into happiness and a positive loop! I am filled with extra energy to complete all my work with even more vigor!
Do leave a comment with your thoughts on consistency. 🙂
