How to be Consistent

Consistency is an important factor in any successful endeavor, from personal goals to business objectives. It’s what sets successful people apart from those who fail. Consistency is key for achieving success because it helps to create momentum, drive results, and keep us focused on the big picture. Merriam Dictionary defines Consistency as: agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or a whole. This definition highlights the importance of harmony, alignment, and agreement. Being consistent allows us to be in harmony with who we want to become and allows us to walk in integrity with what it is we say we value.

Becoming  more consistent requires four crucial components: vision, routine, accountability, and reward.

1. Get Clear On Your Vision

Vision is our target and it defines who we want to become and where we are headed. Without vision we are left in the land of confusion. To define our vision we can ask ourselves: "Who do I want to become in 10 years, 5 years, by the end of this year?" Creating a vision for our future isn't about having a list of goals and to do's. It is about having a picture in our mind of the person we want to evolve into. This is the most important step to building consistency. Consistency becomes the guard rails for our vision, ensuring we stay in harmony with who we want to become. Part of identifying your vision is to uncover your why. Getting clear about our "why" allows us to realize why this vision is important to us. We can uncover our “why” by asking ourselves: "why is this important?"

2. Establish A Realistic Routine 

Routine is the backbone of consistency and is essential for maintaining focus and staying on track. Routine is about creating rhythms in your schedule that you can stick to. Where Vision promotes inner work, Routine promotes behavior. Routine is aligning your behavior to what needs to be done and when, and then remaining focused on the vision we have set forth

3. Create A System Of Accountability

We are more likely to reach our vision if we create a system of accountability. Being able to track our progress, so we can identify areas of improvement and make adjustments as needed, helps keep us on track with our vision. Accountability can look like asking a friend to check how we are accomplishing our goals, or creating a habit tracker that is created in journals. Whatever method, accountability reaffirms confidence in ourselves and helps to build trust and credibility. 

4. Reward Your Efforts

Consistency has to do with the day-to-day progression we are making and our effort. And that deserves a reward. We have to take time to celebrate the wins that we are achieving day in and day out. Many of us get hyper focused on the end vision that we forget to celebrate the progression. Both deserve a celebration and reward. A reward allows us to feel proud of who we are slowly becoming. Some ideas for rewards can be going on a “self-date”, buying something we have been eyeing for a while,or simply having a sweet treat. We get to create the reward system of our choosing. Consider choosing rewards that will keep you motivated and inspired.   

Our consistency speaks volumes about our commitment to our work and the values we live into. Being consistent will help drive our success forward.  So if you want to be more consistent, get clear on your vision, set up a routine, create a system for accountability, and reward your progress.