Will 2024 be your year of consistency?
Did you make a 2024 resolution on New Year’s Day? Personally, I didn’t. Note: I don’t make new year’s resolutions. However, I have chosen a word that I will be applying to the way I approach my habits and goals – business and personal.
The word is CONSISTENCY. I know that if I can be consistent in everything I do, I WILL make progress and grow. And the same is true for YOU too!
CONSISTENCY …. like food for your growth habits
Consistency drives your success. It’s how you keep showing up for yourself! When you are making changes to grow your health, business, career, create a new habit, etc. the extent to which you are consistent will be a key driver in your success.
When you show up EVERYDAY for yourself, it feeds your motivation, gives you steely determination and creates incremental success toward your goal/s . You have a daily choice to do the work required to get you from A to B, which will grow your energy, drive progress and take you one step closer to your goal.
OR, you can be consistently inconsistent and take the long route, never quite making it to your goal destination.
Consistency is the driver for success – it’s one thing to be motivated to make a change but it’s another to stick with it.
“Success is the product of daily habits, not once in a lifetime transformation.”
James Clear, Author, Atomic Habits
No quick fixes here
Being successful in your goals is not achieved by a quick fix, as much as you, and I, would love a quick fix, lasting change comes from showing up and doing our daily growth habits.
This can be hard to get your head around especially when we are surrounded by and bombarded with social media and other content showing us how quick and easy it is to get fit, have a healthy weight, grow your income, grow your career, etc.
In reality change happens when you work towards your goal every single day. It takes consistent effort which leads to sustainable change and long-term results.
Client story
One of my clients was a classical musician, who looked slim, fit, strong and flexible until they moved through a yoga class. This client approached me for extra help. We talked about what they could do outside class to find freedom of movement in a tight and weak body, which was the result of playing violin as a professional musician for many years.
Many students ask for advice but not many take action and put in regular practice. Within a few months, this student’s ability to move was transformed by doing a short, daily yoga practice at home.
They were consistent. They turned up for themselves everyday. The results speak for themselves.
Ten steps to consistency
Define Your Goal
Break Your Goal Down into Smaller Steps
Create a Plan
Set Realistic Expectations
Hold Yourself Accountable
Find a Support System
Celebrate Your Wins
Find joy or pleasure in your new behaviour or habit
Think about which behaviour you are replacing with your new habit, as James Clears says, “you don’t just break a habit you replace a ‘bad’ one with a ‘good’ one.”
Be positive and know you can achieve whatever you want. The right mindset will keep you consistent
Be kind to yourself but not lenient
Sometimes, inspite of all our good efforts and intentions, life comes up and we might not be able to get to a daily habit.
James Clear has some great advice on this: “Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible.”
I agree with James. Missing a habit once in a while is ok but it when it leads to twice in a row or more you are on a slippery slope. Particularly if you are in the early days of growth habit making.
It’ s easy to get overly confident in the early days of a new habit when things are going well but the first 6-12 months of a life change are critical to embedding new behaviours.
Stay consistent and stay on track!
How are you tracking with your consistency? I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line or schedule a call to talk about your challenges, get some quick wins and learn more about how I can help you.
Love Rhi xxx