The value and goal of consistency is hard to achieve. While you might be wondering where to start in your movement toward consistency, the first step is just believing that you can change yourself and your lifestyle to fit the new habits you want to have.

But what exactly is consistency? Consistency means that you do the same things regularly in order to establish trustworthiness, reliability, and confidence. Humans are not the only things that are consistent. Animals can also be consistent. You might notice that your dog likes to go outside at the same time every evening. Consistency is important in all areas of life. Experiencing inconsistency can affect you in many areas including physically and emotionally.

Here are 5 things you can do today, to start being more successful and consistent:

1. Have more self-discipline:

Consistency and self-control go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. This is why so many fail at being consistent they do not have enough self-control to keep it up. Consistency can reinforce your self-control as well as make sure you are laser-focused on the tasks you have at hand.

Consistency can also mean the difference between success and failure. Can you be self-controlled enough to meet your goals and stay consistent in your ways of approaching them? This means success. Otherwise, you are looking at not being able to open new doors for yourself.

Self-discipline is the first big step to consistency. If you are having trouble becoming self-disciplined, you might want to seek advice from those around you whom you trust. You might also want to consider getting a life coach that can point you in the right direction.

2. Allow yourself to take small steps:

When making a big life change such as learning to become self-controlled and consistent, you should not expect it to happen overnight. In fact, if you over-pressure yourself and try to rush the process, you are more likely to fail.

Start by taking small steps and then see how you can grow them bigger. For example, maybe you want to have a consistent exercise routine but are not currently exercising at all. If you start hitting the gym every day for several hours, you will quickly get burnt out and quit.

Instead, try going to the gym twice a week. Once you have a consistent routine of exercising twice a week on the same day, you can add more. Adding in slowly will not help you get used to being at the gym, but it will also help you to prioritize working out even on the days when you don’t feel like it.

Some people also want to make a consistent nighttime routine. You can start slowly by adding things in like reading, doing a devotional, drinking some tea, or listening to relaxing music. Once you have a few things added, you can add in more until you have a complete bedtime routine that works for you.

3. Never step through the good times and the bad:

Once you have a pattern of being consistent, you will find it hard to naturally fall out of it. However, sometimes big life changes can leave us needing to make new patterns. This is where our consistency might take a hit.

You will need to learn to stay consistent through the good times and bad times. One of the main ways you can stay consistent is to practice toward your goals. This goes back to taking small steps until you are ready to tackle larger ones.

You can also use reminders to help you get back on track. While writing reminders might seem weird, they can help you reach goals because you always have something to look back on and help you stay focused.

Another key is to not get discouraged if you do not see immediate results. Be patient with yourself and with your goals. If you see something that is not working, you can change it. All that matters is that you are consistent in the ways you are reaching your goals.

4. Make new, good habits:

The number one way you can become consistent and stay consistent is to make new habits. This is easier said than done. If you have ever tried to make new habits, you know how hard it can be.

If you start with small habits though and build on them, you will see that you can form new habits in no time. You might also want to consider getting an accountability partner so they can keep you on track. If you have friends or family with the same goals, you can make plans together as making new habits is also easier with a partner on your side.

You also need to be honest with yourself. If you find yourself unable to meet new habits, sit down with yourself and think about why you are struggling. The solution might be simple or you might need to make a big life change to meet your goals.

Think about someone you know that is successful and consistent. What are their habits? Are they reliable? You might benefit from taking a few of them and incorporating them into your own lifestyle.

5. Change old habits: 

Not all habits are good. Sometimes you need to break old habits before you can make new ones. Think about bad habits you might have. They might include drinking too much soda, not exercising enough, watching too much TV, etc. Everyone’s will be different. Once you recognize the bad habits you have, you can start transforming them into new ones that are better.

For example, if you have a bad habit of not responding to text messages, make it a habit to return them as soon as you read them. If this is not possible, make a note to respond to it later as soon as you have time. This will help you to build a good habit and it will let your friends and family know that you are thinking of them.

Don’t be surprised if you see your personality changing as you form new habits. Your habits can change the way you think and feel about yourself. They can also change the way you see the world around you.

The longer you have been inconsistent, the longer it will take you to become consistent and choose better habits. You will need to work hard but it will be worth it.

Just remember that no matter your personality or the way you feel about things in the world, consistency is possible as long as you are willing to put in the work.

Being successful and consistent will take your farther than you can imagine. With consistency, you can get the results you have always wanted whether it be exercising and losing weight or opening your own business. Whatever you want to achieve, you can do with consistency. You will see real results once you have habits and goals that you are willing to stick to. With some hard work, you can see consistency in every part of life. If you’re struggling with staying motivated, check out my blog here for an extra motivational boost.