"In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently." - Anthony Robbins

I did a detailed blog post on this earlier this month, and I'm excited to do this again, as some members of the community voted for this as our discussion of the month.

One thing I am sure of is; CONSISTENCY IS HARD WHEN you've got no one cheering for you.

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've tried to be consistent in my writing and blogging before I finally got a hang of it. It takes a lot of trial and error, and it gets hard when you aren't getting the results you anticipated.

Truth is, we can't ascribe consistency to only one aspect of our lives, it tends to affect everything else if we can pull it off.

I know first hand how difficult it is to create a routine that is consistent, yet I also know to be productive is highly predicated on consistency. You cannot get results from anything if you do not persist, nurture and keep at it.

But as I said earlier, it is hard to be consistent when you don't get the results you want from all the work you put into a project. We get discouraged when no one's cheering us on, when our efforts aren't rewarded. Why persist when there's no benefit?

As hard as it is to keep going when results are SLOW, you've got to remind yourself WHY you started that project in the first place. If you blank out here, get a pen or grab your laptop and be sure to scribble down the WHY of whatever you start.

Learning to be consistent is a very powerful personal development tool that will propel you towards real results in life. Once you master the art, your life runs like a well oiled engine headed for perfection, improvement and achievements.

"We are what we repeatedly do" - Aristotle

Here are a few tips I have implemented into my routine:
1. Form a consistent routine
2. It starts with the mind
3. Always remember the why
4. Self appraisal

I am not able to go into as much detail as I would like, but I'll elaborate just enough.

1. Form a consistent routine.
To get into the habit of consistency, you need to establish a routine. Start small and work your way up. Start by writing out everything you need to get done tomorrow, make a clear progressive list. It should include the most basic things like;

- Wake up at 7:00 AM
- Take five minutes to breathe and meditate.

Include the simplest things and tick them off as you go. Make it a routine, and then work your way from daily tasks to goals split into weekly reoccurring tasks.

I use the Microsoft Task app, you should check it out or try out any other tools you think will work. Once the ding goes off to remind you of a task, DO IT. Drop what you were doing and devote the allocated time to that task, then tick it off once you're done.

By breaking goals down into small achievable tasks, and starting with the little things, you're suddenly doing the impossible. And by keeping at your routine, you slowly build a consistent workflow that drives you and fuels your purpose towards accomplishing your goals.

2. It Starts With The Mind.
I say this a lot because it is true; mindset is everything.

We ultimately become what we think, so believe you can, and you're half way there. So it starts conviction; remind yourself that you can, and you will, and keep reminding yourself. That moment you wake in the morning, remind yourself of your affirmations. Start your day with the mindset of a productive and capable achiever.

3. Always Reminder The WHY.

As you work tirelessly to achieve consistency in life, work and everything else, you need to prepare for the waves of self-doubt that will arise. When you feel like reverting to your previous state of inconsistency, either because of lack of interest, laziness or just sheer frustration, whatever it is, always remember the WHY.

Grab a pen or grab your laptop and be sure to scribble down the WHY of whatever you start.

So even when the benefits don't bloom as quickly as you want, and you get tempted to quit, let your WHY be powerful enough to push you on. Do not stop until you get what you want. You only get the things you work for, so WORK until you get the result you want.

4. Self Appraisal.
Take time out every week to evaluate your tasks and goals. How much have you achieved? How organized have you become? Can you see a difference between when you started and where you are now? What's lacking? What needs more gravitas and what's doing just fine? Are you able to now do things without reminders blaring to keep you on track?

If you don't do this, you won't know if building consistency in the things you want to be consistent in is working, so it is a very important step.

At the end of the day, you're your own crew. You need to learn ways to keep yourself motivated. Follow people who inspire you to push yourself on social media. Surround yourself with positive affirmations and always, always remind yourself that you are you and that is your superpower.

Things may be going slower than you wish they would, but they're moving en?

You've got this!

Written by WordSmith001