Want to know how to be consistent and achieve your goals? When it comes to achieving your goals, especially longer-term goals, consistency plays a major role. Whilst most people understand the importance of being consistent that doesn’t always mean they are able to be consistent. If you are one of those people keep on reading as I’ll be sharing how to be consistent and achieve your goals.
Start small and build
When you have a big goal, it can be tempting to think you need to take big action to start making good progress. Whilst this might feel natural remember that in this instance the aim is to use consistency to achieve your goals. When it comes to achieving your goals through consistent action the aim isn’t to take big action one day and then do nothing for weeks. The key is to regularly take action and usually, that is more achievable if the required action is smaller.
In the beginning, you want to make it be as easy as to get going. Remember you aren’t trying to change your life in an instant, but instead create a new habit that you will perform consistently. So if your goal is to write a book then start by just saying you need to sit down and write for 10 minutes each day. Writing for 10 minutes each day should be highly achievable. Start with that and once you are in a consistent writing habit you can build from there.
Block the time out in advance
The likelihood is the consistent action you need to take to achieve your goals is a new action that isn’t currently part of your regular routine. Whilst over time that will change, in the beginning, you should make your life as easy as possible and block out the necessary time you need to complete your action. Put the time in your diary in the same way you would if you had a meeting with someone else. This reduces your ability to say you’ve forgotten. Treat the time in your diary as sacred and stick to your meetings in the same way you would if they involved someone else.
Track your actions
Blocking the time out in advance is a way of setting your intentions before the action is required. Another way of staying consistent is to acknowledge your action taking after the event. You can do this by tracking your actions. Every time you perform the required action you should make a note of it. You can do this on an app, on a spreadsheet, with a whiteboard, calendar or even a piece of paper. Whatever method you choose the key is to ensure it is super easy for you to track your actions.
A great way to encourage consistent action is to use the don’t break the chain method. This is where you create a visual tracker where you mark having completed an action (usually on a daily basis). Having a visual representation means you don’t want to not complete the action one day and as a result – break the chain. You can read more about the method here.
Write down your goals (and your why)
A great way to be consistent is to remember your ultimate why. With long-term goals it is easy to forget the ultimate goal and lose sight with why you are consistently taking action. By taking the time regularly write down your goals and the reasons for wanting to achieve your goals you are reminding yourself about what you are trying to achieve and how the actions you are taking today are supporting your future.
There you have it. You now know how to be consistent and achieve your goals.
Whilst it may feel counterintuitive small consistent action really will help you to achieve your goals.
In the comments, I would love to hear what action you commit to consistently take to help you achieve your goals.
You might also be interested in reading – Why it is important to take consistent action.
