Consistency is a common topic and everyone agrees that it is a good thing, but the importance of consistency is not always clear. If you’re interested in learning more about how consistency can benefit you in different aspects of your life, you’re in the right place!
The importance of consistency becomes very clear when trying to reach your goals. You may have heard this in regard to professional goals or fitness goals, but consistency can benefit all aspects of your life.
This article is all about the importance of consistency and why you need to focus on it.
The Importance of Consistency
What Does it Mean to Be Consistent?
The dictionary definition of consistency is “always behaving or happening in a similar, especially positive, way.” Someone who is consistent in their life always sticks to a routine and follows through with their plans.
Those who are consistent focus on the mindset of being consistent rather than the end goal. The people who are consistent are able to look at their large goals and determine what small goals they can focus on now.
These small goals might be something like going to the gym at least 3 days a week or wanting to sit down to read for at least 10 minutes every day. These types of goals are built around what you can control. These will help you feel accomplished and keep you consistent.
Maybe the end goal of these is to be able to lift a certain amount of weight or read a total of 15 books in a year. These big goals seem overwhelming and if that’s all you focus on, you’d be less likely to reach them. For that reason, you will be more successful by breaking these into smaller goals that revolve around consistency.
1. Reach Your Goals Faster
Some goals can seem extremely daunting and difficult to stick with if you’re not seeing much progress. With consistency, you’re able to set smaller goals that are more in your control. These smaller goals will be far easier to reach and seem less daunting. If chosen appropriately, completing the small goals will allow you to reach your big goal.
For example, if you’d like to lose 20 pounds it might seem scary at first if you’re not sure how to get there. After doing some research, you understand that you need to focus on eating healthy and moving your body. Instead of making your smaller goals something like losing 5 pounds, then another 5 pounds, and continuing until you reach your goal, try to focus on the journey and something you have more control over.
For example, your first smaller goal might be to walk for 20 minutes 5 days a week. Then maybe your next goal is to only eat out one day a week. Focusing on these goals will allow you to feel accomplished faster and enjoy the journey more.
By taking this approach, it is a more sustainable way to approach the weight loss goal which means you’ll be less likely to get discouraged and give up. By trying to do it all right at the beginning and then giving up and having to restart, you will not have any consistent habits to help you reach your goal.
Another example is if your goal is to learn how to crochet. It might be tempting to sit down for hours one day to try to figure it out, but you’ll likely get burned out. If you’re new to crocheting, you might want your goal to be to make a blanket.
This is a great goal and by focusing on consistency rather than the end goal, it will be faster and a less frustrating experience. For example, you can make your goal to crochet for 30 minutes every evening before bed.
2. Improve Accountability
Others will see you as more accountable if you prioritize consistency. This is because you would be able to consistently show up on time and never miss appointments.
In a professional setting, this could mean that your manager feels like they can count on you to show up to a meeting in their place, giving you more opportunities. In your personal life, this could mean that your friends can count on you to always show up.
Again, consistency is something that takes time, which is why it’s better to set goals related to it. One occasion is not going to make everyone think you’re accountable, but consistently showing someone they can count on you will absolutely make you more accountable.
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3. Improve Trustworthiness
Similar to how consistency can make you more accountable, it can make you more trustworthy in multiple aspects of your life. In a leadership position, it is important to build trust with those on your team. This can be done by following through with what you promise and by setting a good example. Consistently sending that email you said you would and consistently finishing your work on time will allow you to build trust.
In your personal life, consistency will also help you build trust. Similar to the professional example, if you’re in a relationship, following through with your promises will absolutely help you build trust with your partner.
4. Have Improved Self Discipline
Consistency and self discipline go hand in hand. Self discipline is like a muscle and will get stronger the more you use it. In many cases, consistency requires self discipline, but the more consistent you are, the stronger your self discipline will grow.
By improving your self discipline, you will be more successful in reaching your goals. Many people confuse self discipline with motivation and don’t realize that in many cases, self discipline is what really allows you to achieve your goals. When your motivation runs out, it is important for your self discipline to keep you consistent.
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5. Keep Your Momentum
By being consistent, you can continue to work toward your goals without taking breaks. Even if you’re making small steps, it will still be more beneficial than nothing at all. Again, this applies to all aspects of your life. If you’re trying to save up for a trip, it is better to save a little every month because it will add up.
Consistency can be tough to stick with at first. This is because it may not seem like you’re making much progress, but the consistent effort will absolutely pay off in the end. In addition, by taking small steps, you are always moving forward. If you find yourself stopping and starting, you may notice that you’ve gone backward and actually lost progress over time.
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6. Develop Habits
Habits are created by being consistent. According to this article, on average, you need to be doing something consistently for more than 2 months before it becomes a habit. This shows how long you will need to focus on your consistency before the action becomes second nature to you.
In addition, this article has a very clear explanation of how to create a habit. I would highly recommend reading it if you’re interested in learning more.
Focusing on creating habits is a great way to work on making things easier. Having good habits will allow you to complete everyday tasks without having to think too much or make decisions. This will reduce any decision fatigue. It will also take away the option of maybe skipping something that you know you should do.
7. Inspire Others
Consistency can be very inspiring to others. Have you ever noticed someone that runs by you every morning when you’re getting some fresh air on your balcony? Or maybe you see someone who has just accomplished a major goal that you would love to do someday. Chances are that person reached their goal through consistency.
Whatever the circumstance, even if you think no one is noticing, I’m sure there is someone out there who is inspired by your consistency.
I hope these benefits were able to show you the importance of consistency and get you to think about how you can be more consistent in your life. If you have any questions or would like to share why consistency is important to you, please comment below or send an email to us at ourteam@wellroundedyou.com!
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