Do These 26 Things To Help You Stay More Consistent
When life bucks you off track…
Sometimes life pulls you in a million different directions. Often in those times, it is hard to stay consistently working toward your goals. But that's okay, you just have to figure out how you can stay more consistent. And remember, we all have slip-ups, that part of life. So when you fall off the horse, saddle back up and ride again, don’t dwell on the fall.
With that said, I wanted to share this short excerpt from my book The $h*t You Don’t Want To Do to help you stay more consistent in your life today.
1. Dedicate Focus
You have many goals. Some are long-term; some are short-term. Make a list of all your goals at the present moment. Organize them in order of importance to you. Choose your primary goal and two secondary focus goals. Build a blueprint around your primary goal. Dedicate your focus towards achieving your primary goal. Fill in extra time with any steps toward your secondary goals.
2. Follow A Strict Morning Routine
Create a morning routine to help you “Win The Battle of The AM.” Include Hydration, Meditation, Physical Movements, and Education or Journaling. Following a strict morning routine that begins the minute you wake will create a sense of accomplishment. Starting the day with small wins builds momentum as the day continues.
3. Don’t Hit Snooze
It is not always easy to get out of bed but do it anyway. For example, if you complete your morning routine and need a nap later in the day, then fine, but get up and follow your morning routine without hitting snooze. This will train your body to wake up more immediately. The more consistent you are, the easier it will become.
4. Build An Evening Routine
Often our mornings are difficult because we don’t set our evenings up for restfulness. Have a set bedtime routine that settles you down and ensures you can obtain adequate sleep.
A simple routine might be something like plugging in your phone on your dresser (or somewhere away from your bed), Brushing your teeth, then getting in bed and reading for 30 minutes before hitting the lights and going to sleep. Keep a notepad and pen next to your bed if you have a mind that often races with thoughts. If you have an idea that you want to remember, or work through, write it down and review it tomorrow. Do not spend all night working through it just to forget it the next day. Instead, write it down and clear your mind for sleep. Whatever you do, leave your phone alone. Phones are the leading cause of lack of sleep for the majority of people.
5. Lean Into Resistance
This may be the most powerful cheat code of all. When resistance to do something rises, attack it head-on. Applying this rule to even the most simple things in life will lead to massive change.
For example, if you are in a public restroom and throw a paper towel away but miss the garbage can, DO NOT tell yourself the janitorial staff will pick it up, DO go and pick it up yourself. If the garbage is full, but it’s not your job to take it out, DO NOT leave it for someone else, DO take it out and replace it with a new bag. If you do not want to run because it is rainy, DO NOT say I will do it tomorrow, DO put on your running shoes and go for the run; even a short 1 mile run in the rain will keep you constantly moving forward toward your goals.
The more often you practice leaning into resistance, the easier it will get. The challenging tasks won’t be as hard, and eventually, it will become automatic, and you can save your willpower for bigger tasks.
6. Have Set Times
To accomplish any goal, it must be planned out. Have set times when you will get each activity done. A goal that is planned becomes achievable. If it is not written down, it is often easy to forget or push off.
7. Couple Habits
When scheduling time is not an option due to an ever-changing schedule, couple your goal activities with other daily activities; this will help you follow through more consistently. For example, go on a 10-minute walk before eating breakfast, meditate before lunch, read ten pages before dinner. Though not set at a specific time, these activities are coupled as part of your existing routine.
8. Set Reminders
Set reminders on your phone or schedule your activities in a calendar. The more you are reminded to follow through, the easier it will be to complete the task.
9. Create a Vision Board
Find pictures and articles of the things you want. Maybe it is a house on a lake, a fancy new car, a slim-toned body, a trip to Spain, a loving family. Post these on a board that you can look at every day. The more you lubricate your environment, the easier it will be to continue forward during the difficult days. And trust me, there will be days when you want to throw in the towel.
10. Journal You Why’s
Another great thing to do when times get tough is to journal out your WHY’s. Begin your 30 Days by journaling your whys. Then each time the road gets rocky, and you feel the desire to quit, go back and read your whys or journal them again to become more actively invested.
11. Find Mentors
Find mentors you can ask for help. You will not always have the answers; when you don’t, ask your mentors for support. Mentors can be someone you know who has already achieved the goal you are striving for, and they can be someone who has a podcast on your goal or a book you read that got you excited about your goal in the first place. Mentors do not need to be someone you know. They are someone who can help you along your journey, whether locally or far away.
12. Feed Your Mind
As the saying goes, “garbage in garbage out.” In simple terms, this means you become what you feed yourself with. Feed your mind with an abundance of food that will push you closer to your goal. Read books on people who have achieved your goal, listen to podcasts from your mentors, or take classes that help you obtain some skills that will push you to your goal. A great way to do this is total immersion; instead of listening to music while running or on the radio in the car, listen to an audiobook or podcast from one of your mentors.
13. Show Up
Not all days will be smooth sailing. But always show up even when it is difficult. Plan baseline activities that you will do no matter what. The great Baseball player Ken Griffey said he had some of his best games on days when he didn’t feel like playing. Just show up when the times are hard, and in the end, you will be proud you completed the tasks at hand.
14. Tell A Friend
The more people you tell, the more likely you will be held accountable. Have a friend you can confide in that will check in with you, hire a coach to push you, or post your goal on social media. The more you talk about your goal, the more you will be driven to act on it. (shameless plug… If you are looking for a coach, DM me “coach on social media” )
15. Stay Present
Life often gets out of hand and does not go to plan. When this happens, remember to stay present. Focus on where you are now in this very moment and take action accordingly. You always have the power to change your situation. No matter what has happened or what may come, you can only live now. So stay present and take the next best step as it comes.
16. Create Leverage
Find a way to create more leverage and get more done. For example, if your goal is to build an online business, but you do not know how to make content or register the company, find someone to assist you. So often, we try to do it all and end up doing nothing or wasting time recreating something we think can be improved.
This can lead to paralysis by analysis. Instead, when you have a hard task and easy for someone else, consider hiring out some of the work so you can focus on your strengths and goals. This can keep you from getting sidetracked on less important tasks or tasks that should be delegated.
17. Plan A Reward
Achieving a goal is a lot more fun when we have rewards in place for milestones we pass. Set monthly milestone achievements and create a reward to give yourself if you accomplish the goal. This can be simple things like a new pair of running shoes, a night out with your friends, a golf weekend, or bigger goals, maybe a two-week trip with your family.
These rewards should align with your goals. Do not set up rewards that will contradict your progress. For example, if you are changing your diet habits, do not overdo it and reward yourself with a mountain of ice cream, Doritos, and pizza. Instead, choose something in line with the goal, like a new workout outfit or cookbook you have been wanting.
18. Plan A Punishment
All actions have consequences. When setting out toward your goal, make sure you plan for both the good and the bad. Setting up a reward is only half the battle; you should also plan a punishment if you do not reach your goal. When planning a punishment, choose something that will do some good but is painful enough for you not to want to do it. For example, a punishment could be Venmoing a friend $500 at the beginning of your 75 days, and if you do not follow through, they get to keep the $500. If your goal is workout-based, schedule a half marathon, then if you do not follow through on your goal, you will still have to run the half marathon, which would be a lot more punishing without the training beforehand.
19. Aim For Progress, Not Perfection
Victory hides in the process. When you are striving toward a goal, focus on progress, not perfection. People often focus heavily on perfection before launch, but this often leads to a failure launch. Instead, build your plan and take action. Do not worry about all items being perfect. If you focus on building on your process continually, perfection will come through repetition.
20. Pace Yourself
Change takes time. Your goal will not be accomplished overnight. Some won’t even be completed in 30 days. But the goal is not the actual value here; it is THE PROCESS OF ACHIEVEMENT. Habitizing, the process of achieving goals, is the most valuable aspect, so don’t overload yourself with tasks trying to get on the fast track. Just stay consistent and take it day by day. If one day you feel great, then go above and beyond. If you feel out of whack, then focus simply on your baseline activities.
Pace the process. You do not have to be the fastest; you have to be the most consistent. Kind of like the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. With that said, there will come a time when your baseline needs to grow. So, depending on your goals and baseline activities, plan to add to or evolve them every 30 days.
21. Sometimes You Have To Say “No.”
Sometimes distractions arise. That is part of life. When working toward a goal, make sure you analyze all potential distractions and determine if they will help you or hurt you. For example, if your friends want to go out for drinks tonight, but you have to catch up on reading and get a workout in, make a conscious decision about what the potential distraction might mean for your goals. Sometimes you may need to say “No.”
22. Forgive Yourself And Move Forward
You will fail. You will have slip-ups. Remember that is okay. That is part of the learning process. Do not beat yourself up. See it for what it is. Analyze it and take away a lesson, then move on and focus on what you can do now.
23. Fill Empty Time
We all have empty time that can be filled with more value. To reference cheat code 12, fill the empty time in the car with a chance to learn something new from a podcast or audiobook. There can still be empty time to fill while watching something on T.V. or a Youtube video. Do bodyweight exercise, walk on a treadmill, or stretch while watching. This will help you find more value in your time. Which means you will be able to get more done in less time.
24. Take Time To Recharge
Recovery is one of the 5 Pillars but often can be the most ignored. Take time to rest and recharge. The most common recommendations are a full night’s sleep and meditation, but this also can mean taking time for yourself and doing something you enjoy to release negative energy. Take the time to recharge, so when you are back in attack mode, you give it 110%.
25. Control Your State
Effective decision-making comes down to state control. What mental state are you in? If you tell yourself you are tired, too weak, not smart enough, or too frustrated and holding tension in your chest, this often boils down to a poor mental state. Do something to spark a change in your state. Some great ways to change your state are screaming, throwing a tantrum on your bed, dancing to an upbeat song, smile at yourself in the mirror for 10 minutes, or go on a run. Though they may seem silly, they often have the power to shake you out of a poor mental state that is holding you back.
Pro Tip: Track these moments of a poor state. Identify the cause of the state you are in. For example, was it a conversation you had, a rejection you received, or negative thought? The more you identify these state changes, the better you will avoid them or quickly remove them when the attack.
26. Always Find Value
The ability to find value is one of the most important skills you can acquire. If you learn to find value in everything you do, you will develop a deep appreciation for everything you have in your life. In addition, finding value will open the door of opportunity for improvements in your efficiency.
For example, there are likely not many people who enjoy doing the dishes. When you feel like dishes are a chore and don’t want to do them, find a way to pull value from this situation. Dishes present an excellent opportunity to listen to 10 minutes of podcasts or audiobooks. Doing this adds to the value of the dishwashing experience. You can learn something new while maintaining a clean environment, which can often be conducive to productivity.
27. Be Grateful
You will never get those things you want in life unless you are grateful for those things you already have. Have gratitude; it is respect for all the great things and lessons in your life. They are in your life for a reason. You can learn from them. Find the lesson, be grateful, and it will open doors for more great things to flow into your life.
Make Today Great! And if you want to check out the book, it's available on Audible and Kindle. It is called, The Shit You Don’t Want To Do
Travis Cisneros
