Consistency is a word we’ve all heard countless times. We become motivated, set our goals, and promise ourselves to stay consistent. But one week later, we’re wondering who even sent us. I can totally relate. You’ve probably tried so many things and eventually concluded, “I’m just not a disciplined person.”
But that’s not exactly the problem. The problem isn’t you, it’s most likely your system (or lack of one). Your system is what you put in place to help you stay on track and achieve your goals. Without it, even with the best intentions, you’ll struggle.
Why Motivation Isn’t Enough
Many times, we wait to feel motivated before taking action. But relying on motivation is exactly what keeps you inconsistent. Motivation is like that friend who hypes you up today and disappears tomorrow, unreliable. It’s great to have, but can’t sustain you all through. This is why you need a system.
You want to eat healthier, but you don’t prepare meals in advance. As a result, you often eat whatever is available when hunger strikes. You want to grow your business on social media, but you don’t have a content calendar. So, you only post when inspiration comes and by the time you finish preparing one post, the whole day is gone. You want to save money, but you don’t have a budget. Then at the end of the month, you realise you’ve spent everything.
You’re neither lazy nor unserious. You just don’t have systems in place that make it easy to follow through.
So how do you fix it?
Break the goal into tiny, practical steps. Don’t try to change your entire life in one day; that’s where we get stuck. We set huge, unrealistic goals and then feel bad when we don’t hit them.
Also, small progress is still progress, and it creates momentum for more progress. For example, let’s say you want to read more this year. Instead of saying, “I’ll read 20 books,” start with 5. Then plan to read for just 15 minutes a day. It might sound small, but that’s 7.5 hours of reading a month! You’ll feel proud, consistent and confident. That feeling will push you to do more.
Have a plan, not vibes. Having a plan helps you think through what you need to do to succeed. It forces you to be intentional, not impulsive.
That could mean setting an alarm to remind you to read or work out. Meal prepping on Saturdays when you’re less busy or doing a quick 15-minute workout before your shower.
Ask yourself: When will I do it? What exactly will I do? How will I do it? How long will it take? Once you’ve thought through these details, your plan becomes clear and easier to stick to.
Concentrate on progress rather than intensity. Your goal should be to show up consistently, not to achieve rapid results. It’s perfectly fine to take things one step at a time. Once you become consistent with small steps, you can gradually increase the intensity. The key is to develop the habit of showing up, rather than striving for perfection.
You don’t need more motivation to stay consistent; you need better systems to help you follow through. Once you create simple, supportive structures around your goals, everything will start to flow. If it feels too easy, that’s exactly how it should feel. Complete the task, no matter how small it may seem, and know that you’ve made progress for that day. This is how you will continue to advance toward your goal. So, go ahead and start implementing these steps.
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Featured Image by Karolina Grabowska for Pexels.
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