Consistency Builds Motivation

Setting goals can lead either to success, or failure. Success usually brings pleasure and self-satisfaction, while pushing the individual to his personal development. Failure, on the other hand, can have either a positive effect, by mobilizing internal forces, or a negative one causing frustration and avoidance of taking new responsibilities.

Most people believe that knowledge is power. Of course, that is true only when knowledge is accompanied by “consistency”. Consistency is the most important prerequisite for success. A small step forward every day could add many miles to our personal journey, through time. Consistency is a challenge for inspirational leaders also.

The Power of Consistency

So, let’s think about it! Do the small things of your daily routine add anything positive to your life, or quality to your lifestyle? Do you feel that life is slowly slipping out of your hands? If you were to implement an action plan for the next 5 or 10 years, how many things could you achieve? If you were selling a product and making five successful sales per day, think about, how many sales would you make each year, how many in five, or in ten years? You could even make a fortune!

On the other hand, if you decide to eat five small pieces of chocolate every day, how many calories would be accumulated in your body, every year? You might even add 7 extra pounds of fat. This means that there are “consistent behaviors”, that might help and others that can hurt us. Let’s see how consistency of thought can be used effectively to our advantage. After all, consistency is key to success, accepted even by the most skeptical.

Clarification of terms “Consistency” and “Motivation” – Examples_What is consistency?_

Consistency is respect for ourselves and our principles. A consistent person is, foremost, well-planned, and can always be in the right place at the right time. This man is an invaluable collaborator as, using his calculated accuracy, he manages to finish everything planed, without causing stress or anxiety to himself and others.

Consistency is a great quality, and one must lay the foundations for its acquisition from an early age. Just as nothing comes down from the sky, so consistency requires systematic effort to be achieved, while beginning being taught from early childhood. Thus, from this tender age, man could lay the foundations of order and discipline consistently, not obligatory, but because he will have realized that without it, neither can he maintain human, social, professional, or even friendly relationship, nor achieve his goals.

Consistency is a habit and it is slowly becoming “one” with our nature. That is, we do complain for being tired, and we do not think about how remaining consistent, despite difficulties. We choose this path consciously, simply because that is how we have been raised, and that is our way of life. This identification is a great achievement and an effortless advantage, which adorns our attitude towards people around us.

_Example of Consistency_

Networking is the showcase of a professional’s personality. How do you imagine a shop window? It’s your networking behavior that makes the difference in how you treat someone. Before someone meets you, there is no recognition. Recognition is fueled by presence, information, repetition and consistency. The same goes for reliability, except that it follows recognizability. Consistency is the most important component of recognizability and reliability.

Let’s see how a consistent networking professional would react in each of the following cases:

1. He receives an invitation and responds positively or negatively, within the time limits.

2. If something sudden happens, that does not allow him to attend an event, while he has initially answered positively, he sends a message immediately.

3. A consistent professional says “thank you” to the call, before even answering if he accepts the invitation. An answer with a “thank you very much” is easy and always takes place.

4. When you meet a consistent networker, within 24 hours of your acquaintance, most likely you will receive a polite short email. No advertising!

5. A consistent networker will make sure to find out in time the duration of the event, as well as the full schedule. He wants to use his time effectively, so before answering to you positively or negatively he wants to get enough information. You have to appreciate that!

6. A consistent person will come on time and watch the program, doing the right things at the right time; in open networking he will introduce himself to people without monopolizing them, he will respect the speakers and will avoid playing with his mobile phone. Obviously, he would never leave in the middle of an event.

7. Consistent professionals say something and do it, so they will do the right follow up.

Consistency is an indelible element in people’s memory. The more inconsistent the people around you, the bigger the difference between you and others. They will single you out for it, before they even get to know you well.

_What is Motivation?_

Whether you realize it or not, motivation has a huge influence in your life, which needs to be harnessed to begin to really enjoy what you do, on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many people generalize the meaning of “motivation”, and act with one of the “yes or no”. However, motivation is not a switch that you turn “on” and “off”. Motivation is a way of life and thinking; you need to dig deeper in order to feel its power.

Get off the surface! Just reading an excerpt, a motto, or hearing a few encouraging words from your friends and mentor, will not help you build the right foundation, to motivate you in the long run. Of course, this could be the beginning of your personal mobilization to unexplored, but magical spiritual paths, since you have the courage to discover them.

_Example of motivation_

An example that can help you understand the concept of motivation could be the Sun. The Sun is self-sustaining and long-lasting, providing a continuous flow of energy, throughout life on Earth. Just like the Sun, motivation has different layers; it starts from the nucleus and spreads to the surface. The surface is what you see, but the real process starts at the core. And this is the most important part.

If you could create a self-sustaining motivation engine, not only would you be able to find more meaning and purpose in your life, but you would also enjoy every minute of your day. Your life would automatically become easier, while the obligations would not look like chores. Wouldn’t that change your daily routine for the better?

How can consistency build motivation?

Motivation creates consistency. The more you find motivation to pursue your daily goals, at all levels, the more you take courage not to give up and therefore try to be consistent in your initial planning.

Nevertheless, in addition to this obvious correlation, the opposite fact is also true; consistency generates motivation. How could this be done? How can a person without motivation be consistent? And, yet, that is possible! I will explain it to you, through the following simple example. There are 2 categories of people: those who love routine, and those who have an innate drive for self-improvement, who keep being in search for new paths of development, without guides.

_Consistency is more important than perfection. _

For the latter, the first correlation mentioned above is the obvious one. But for those who love the routine and have lost their interest for life, or have never put their mind in the process of focusing on their next evolutionary stage (whether it is work or personal development), these people need motivation. These persons, usually, tend to be consistent in their work, love their routine, as well as predictable future. So theoretically, the more they try to keep this balance the more they are rewarded, in the long run. This reward always creates a sweet expectation, which in turn is an incentive to continue maintaining this balance, and why not for further development.

Steps to build new habits that can lead to accomplishing your goals

1. If you were given the opportunity to live again, how would you like to be in 10 years from now? If you saved a small amount every day, would you become rich? Conversely, if you eat too much, can you become overweight?

• An effective way to predict your success is to see what you do every day, on a regular basis, and to project it in the future. For example, if instead of watching TV every night for an hour, you practiced on a musical instrument, what would that mean for your life in 10 years?

• Your teeth remain in good condition, because you brush them every morning and every night for a few minutes, since you can remember yourself.

• Think for a moment about where your daily habits lead you, across the spectrum of life, financially, socially, spiritually, physically. Where do you think these habits will go in the future?

2. Realize that many changes in life are coming slowly. Many success gurus argue that mass action leads to massive results. However, this strategy is difficult to implement consistently and faithfully.

3. Consistency requires “habits” or “discipline”, and discipline requires “supply”, in a daily basis. Use discipline to create useful habits. Day by day, increase the effort to develop a “routine”, that will lead you to positive results. Discipline only increases with effort, otherwise it can become a tedious, painful process that makes you give up, very easily and quickly.

4. Do what you wish the moment you want it. The biggest obstacle to success is procrastination and the belief that you can postpone what you want to do today, for tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. See those people who are late to their appointments, those who are waiting to “feel” what the right time is. They systematically take time off from their path to success. Every minute, every day, has the power to bring you closer to what you wish, to your goal, to your dream. Every minute, every day that is lost, is lost forever. The only real discipline required, is the discipline to act right now!

5. Have realistic expectations. When your time horizon is unrealistic, you are more likely to fail, and become frustrated. When you ask for too much from yourself, in a very short period of time, then it becomes very difficult to achieve your goals. Being positive and enthusiastic does not mean that you cannot be reasonable. Focus on regular and ongoing effort. You do not have to be perfect!

6. Use your habits as small reminders or stimuli to be consistent. Think about things you do every day: you make your morning coffee, you get dressed, you turn off the light before going to sleep. Every night, when you turn off the light, envision your goals. Being consistent means choosing a way of thinking, that will fill our lives with meaning and purpose.

Advantages of being consistent

• You choose to have measurable results in everything you do.

• You choose to earn the respect of those who live next to you, your family, friends, co-workers, so you build your good reputation.

• You choose to always get your message to the recipient, to be clear and meaningful.

• You choose to systematically deal with the obstacles that appear in front of you.

• You choose to recognize mistakes and failures and to create, with perseverance and effort, the actions that will bring you closer to what you want.

• You choose to do “more” than what you already know is already ‘working’ well.

• You choose to see yourself as a successful professional, and therefore act as a successful person.

Consistency ensures successful achievement of our short and long-term goals, while maintaining a long-term vision. The more we follow this behavioral pattern in our lives, the more we experience it. At the same time, our lives flow with gratitude and free from depressive thoughts and misery, that keep us handcuffed to obsession and malice.