Have you ever set a goal for a desired outcome such as: getting fit, or learning a new skill?
You jump straight in and join a gym or sign up for that online program.
For the first month or so, you are driven by your motivation to meet your goal. You show up to work on your new passion every single day.
Then, slowly, you start missing a workout or skipping a session. A day here. A day there. You say to yourself: I’ll go tomorrow instead. It doesn’t happen.
Before you know it, a month has passed since you last attended the gym, or you’ve completely given up on your coursework. You’re so far behind and feel the pressure of how hard it would be to pick it back up again.
Inertia sets in and after time, this cycle unconsciously begins all over again.
This is how most of us live our lives, me included.
Even though we know consistency is key to creating habits and helps us to make progress in all areas of our life, we stumble and falter. We make excuses why we can’t do things because we are too busy doing something else, or it wasn’t the right time.
We are avoiding the issue…
Our lack of consistency can be painful, shameful, or frustrating (depending on our personality type).
What’s ironic is that the only thing that we find ourselves being consistent about are our inconsistencies: We’re successful at starting something and then stalling before we get any results!
We become trapped in this cycle and cling to a false hope that next time, we’ll be more consistent and get things done.
…if only this was true!
(BTW… If you can already see this in yourself then this is a great first step to changing things!)
Why does inconsistency happen?
No one sets out with the intention of being inconsistent. We begin with a strong motivation to take action and make things happen. When our initial motivation wears off, no one is watching, that’s when inertia creeps in and we STOP…
Overcoming our inconsistent patterns begins by first understanding why we fall into these cycles. Then, with this awareness, we can consciously take the necessary steps to interrupt the pattern and overcome any potential challenges.
Change can be hard especially if you are fixated on the outcome!
Any changes you are looking to make in your life will involve hard work over a period of time. Nothing is instant, especially when it involves behavioral change.
It’s hard to maintain the effort and momentum if you’re fixated ONLY on the outcome. This is why many of us fail at New Year’s Resolutions like joining a gym to get fit. Most give up by February!
The idea excites you, to begin with, but your motivation wanes when you don’t initially see the results and this works against you.
You have to be in it for the long haul, do the work, and not expect instant results.
If you are inconsistent with your progress you’ll probably become impatient, you’ll make excuses and your motivation will be replaced with resistance and discouragement. It’s easy to let your good intentions slip or give up altogether.
It doesn’t matter how good you have been in the past, how talented you are, or how many amazing opportunities are coming your way in the future…
Your performance is linked to discipline.
Consistency is the key to continued growth and achievement of your goals in whatever you want to achieve.
How to overcome inconsistency and take action.
I first started writing blog posts in 2009 and was scared to put myself out there. But I made a commitment to write and post an article EVERY week.
I posted EVERY week consistently for five years, no matter what was going on in my busy life.
I showed up, did the work, and made it happen. I was disciplined and consistent in my approach to writing.
It paid off.
I have been invited to numerous radio interviews, and podcasts. My articles have even been published, one of them in an English Textbook! I’ve been asked to write chapters in books and delivered keynote speeches from stages around the world. My blogs have also introduced me to many new coaching clients and gotten me additional corporate contracts.
What did I do to get all this?
I showed up consistently and did the work! Even when I didn’t feel like it, or it felt too hard, or when I thought it was pointless and no one was out there reading it!
The 5 P’s for Creating Consistency
Here are my 5P’s to help you take consistent action and achieve your outcomes:
(WARNING: It involves showing up and DOING the work!)
PURPOSE – WHY do you want to do this?
You might start with a clear purpose and know what you want to achieve. Personal motivation and enthusiasm usually kick starts you into action.
Motivation is what gets you going. This alone won’t keep you growing because it can soon disappear once things start to get harder. When this happens you have to dig deeper for your WHY and re-connect to your purpose to keep your motivation alive.
The more you understand WHY you want to do this, the more you are tuned in to your purpose, and dedicated to growing towards it, and the greater your chances of success.
Know what motivates you and play to your motivational strengths when you’re stepping up to do the work each day (I motivate myself with a reward such as a hike with the dog when I’ve finished writing).
Get clear and then keep reconnecting to your purpose.
PRESENCE – matters.
Be fully present every time you show up to do the work. Remove or minimize any distractions, such as email, social media, and smartphones. Be fully engaged in the task at hand.
Focus at THIS moment on what you are creating. You may even begin your session by meditating, getting grounded, and being centered. Breathing techniques are very helpful for this.
Let go of the past and the future – neither of these exists. They cannot influence your results. They are just thoughts that will distract you.
Notice your thoughts, and don’t get hooked and drawn in by them. Let go of any negative thinking or worries about what if… For example, what if no one likes this post? What if I suck at this… Thoughts are just thoughts… they come and go and they are NOT the truth.
PROCESS – create a routine and follow it.
Your growth is dependent upon you creating new habits. One way I’ve found to do this is by creating a routine. Here’s my daily routine from Monday to Friday after I get out of bed and meditate:
- I work on content/marketing for 2 hours, it might be a blog or sales email copy.
- Then I focus on delivery like coaching calls, creating reels or videos, or recording training or a webinar.
- Later in the afternoons, if needed, I book any meetings.
This routine helps me to be consistent, doing these three core things helps me to schedule my time and stay focused on achieving my outcomes. I create space between tasks.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed and splattered you are often missing definitions in your work. So I make sure that my definitions are clear before I show up to do anything:
- What is it that I’m specifically showing up to do (Be specific, not vague)
- When am I showing up to do it? (Date and time in your schedule)
- How long am I going to do it for? (Set a timer – start with 20 minutes and build up your time as you practice this.)
Start imperfectly from where you are.
You may not enjoy doing every aspect, but every step takes you closer to your outcome. Find a way to value the process. Appreciate every moment of the journey.
Break down big goals into small doable action steps. Focus on just one step, then the next… Show up EVERY day – whether you feel like it or not.
Little and often is the key. Successful people show up and do EVEN the tedious work when it needs to be done.
PROGRESS
Get some accountability, from a trusted friend or like-minded colleague. Share what you’ve defined above and ask them to hold you accountable.
Accountability makes a difference because you are verbalizing your commitment to taking action and not keeping it to yourself. (You already know how you suck as your own accountability buddy! 
)
An accountability buddy is also someone with whom you can celebrate your successes along the way (big or small). Even the smallest step you take can sometimes feel huge – it’s great to celebrate any action you’ve taken!
It’s rare the path to achieving any outcome will be straightforward. Acknowledging this and anticipating the ups and downs, will help you to stay in it for the long haul.
Seth Godin says that anything worth pursuing will have a messy middle. You’ll encounter dips along the way. Some days you might feel like quitting. That’s normal! There is a huge difference between feeling like quitting and actually quitting.
Learn to accept and anticipate the messy middle bits. In these times go back to your purpose – why you want to do this. Re-commit and continue moving forward.
PERFORMANCE
A common mistake is to attempt too much too soon in your haste to race to the finishing line. This affects your performance and your results fall short of your desired outcomes.
Be conscious of your performance and keep checking in on how you are doing and what you still need to learn. Believe me – you’re never done!
Feedback is a great tool. What are people saying about the work you’re doing? What tweaks can you make along the way?
It’s okay to do things imperfectly and learn as you grow. It’s okay to forgive yourself if you only manage 30 minutes of content creation instead of an hour. You showed up!
Show up again tomorrow… keep going – keep growing.
Being consistent isn’t always easy – remember that your daily habits have the power to change your life…
Where do you need to have more consistency in your coaching business or your life? Which of the 5P’s can help you to create your momentum?
Reach out if you need any help!
Thank you. This article was very helpful. I’m glad you continued to write.
This was really helpful and gave me so much more information
Thanks so much, Lekitia! I’m glad it was helpful.