Success comes to those who are consistent

Consistency is key! For those of you who struggle with consistency then I am really sorry for what I am about to say.

 Without consistent application, your efforts are ineffective – wow! That’s a statement.

Whether it is improved fitness, improved health, weight loss, stop-smoking, achieving a goal, building a business, getting noticed for a promotion at work or any other aspect of life, without consistency, your goals and desires will be harder to achieve, if not unachievable.

How do I know? Because it is something that I have become very good at – consistency.

If you were to look at me now, you would see a fit and healthy 50-year-old that eats relatively well and can run for miles and miles, is a healthy weight (something I used to struggle with a lot!) and I run 3 businesses. The only way I can do this and maintain my health and happiness it is to be consistent.

I first learnt the true value of this when I started running, and believe me it was not easy. My first ever ‘run’ was the distance of a lamppost – nearly 13 years ago. Last week, I was chatting to a lady who I see pretty much every Tuesday as we each start our ascent up quite a steep and long hill. She to get to the bus stop for work, me to do 3-4 times as part of my half-marathon training. She mentioned something about my ability, and I found myself telling her how many times I attempted to run up that hill before I could even do it just the once – 19 times! That is consistency and determination and the reason that I can now run up the hill 3-4 times reliably.

Since then, I have mostly run 3 times a week, for 13 years, that’s over two thousand runs. I’ve rarely had more than a week or two off at a time due to injury, another benefit of consistent application and can now easily run 6-10 miles with little thought put into the how, and little if any muscle soreness afterwards.

Now move that concept to build a business. It hasn’t been an overnight success, but I have shown up each and every day and done what has needed to be done (mostly) and as a result, I now have 3 successful businesses, two of which are international.

Now move that concept to my eating and weight. Before, I have yo-yo'ed through my life, yes both child and adult. Ranging from borderline underweight to obese and I have over-eaten, under-eaten, binged and purged. Once I started consistently fuelling my body and seeing it as a fantastic machine that needs to be fuelled appropriately, that it needed to be well-maintained, I have maintained my good eating habits and weight. This achievement has been as recent as the last 4 years.

I then read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, if you want to make consistency something in your life then I highly recommend this book. As the title suggests, it is all about creating consistent and beneficial habits and the art of doing this successfully in all areas of your life.

‘Tiny changes, remarkable results’ James Clear

And for those of you who are questioning whether this is quite a rigid or boring way to live, you can also consistently plan to have fun and flexibility.

So, if you want to start achieving those things that have previously been beyond your grasp, start with one thing.

What will you do today, that:

1.       Is reasonable

2.       Is achievable

3.       Will benefit your future self

4.       Can be done consistently

5.       That will make you feel good about you

It can be as simple as deciding to step out the front door and go for a walk, no matter the weather, your mood or your excuses. It can be as simple as deciding to floss your teeth every night. Or it can be the decision to work consistently towards a bigger goal, every day for the next 6-12 months.

What will fill your heart with joy, knowing that you have already achieved it?