Everyone says change is hard, and they are right.
But I think what they really mean is that the middle is hard.
Starting a change is easy. Everyone can get fired up and start working on a New Year’s Resolution. It’s even easy to achieve a goal once you are almost there and can see the end in sight.
It’s the middle that sucks.
It’s in the middle when the newness has worn off. The finish line is still a ways off. In the middle, you have to rely on your ability to be consistent.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
Robert Collier
He’s talking about being consistent.
Consistency is something I struggle with. Because I know that there areas of my life that are hard for me to be consistent in, I do 7 things that make it easier for me to be successful.
7 Tips to Help You Be More Consistent
1. Pick one thing to change.
It is a big mistake to try to decrease your spending, lose weight, and get up earlier at the same time.
Because change is hard, you can set yourself up for success by only focusing on one change at a time. Start with the thing that would make the greatest difference in your life.
2. Start small.
If you drink a six-pack of soda every day, don’t torture yourself by trying to quit drinking soda cold turkey.
Figure out what the smallest, baby step would be and start there.
In this case, cut back to 5 sodas per day, and when that becomes easier, drop down to 4.
3. Have a strong reason to change.
When it gets hard, making a change because your husband, your doctor, your mom, or anyone else wants you to isn’t going to push you.
You’ve heard the saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
No matter what change you need to make, you will never be successful until you want it bad enough.
4. Track your new habits.
Other than his wildly popular TV show, Jerry Seinfeld is also pretty well known for his system called “Don’t break the chain.”
Jerry advised a young comedian that the only way to get better was to write better jokes and the only way to write better jokes was to do it every day.
Jerry did this himself by using a calendar and marking an X on every day that he wrote. He suggested this method to his fellow comedian and said, “Don’t break the chain.”
Oddly enough, that visual chain is very motivating, because once you have a good streak going, you don’t want to miss a day.
You may not be a comedian, but you can use this same system to track any habit you are trying to start or break.
5. Think long-term.
The “don’t break the chain” method is powerful, but let’s be real, none of us are perfect and there will be times when we mess up.
Make your goal gradual improvement rather than perfection.
As you look back over the course of a month or a few months, are you getting closer to your goal, bit by bit.
6. Don’t do it alone.
In his book The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy says we should use the people in our life to help us succeed. He recommends telling your friends, family, co-workers, etc. about the change you are trying to make, because nothing works better than public accountability.
Also, find a success buddy who wants to make the same change you do. He or she will help keep you going and you’ll return the favor.
Thirdly, take advantage of your competitive spirit. Add a competitive aspect (keep it friendly) to your goal, and you are much more likely to succeed.
(I highly recommend picking up Darren’s book if you are interested in reading more about how to make changes one small step at a time.)
7. Don’t depend on motivation.
There are many days when you will not feel motivated.
You will want to buy those shoes you don’t really need.
You will want to eat that cake at the office.
You will want to hit the snooze button.
Don’t expect that you will always feel motivated or feel like sticking to your new habit. You won’t.
Decide ahead of time that you will persist no matter how you feel. That’s called discipline.
Or at the very least, postpone the decision. Tell yourself you can buy the shoes, eat the cake, or sleep in– tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes, see if the urge is still as strong. I bet it won’t be.
Craig Groeschel says, “Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally.”
Use these 7 tips and with time you will move from occasional actions, to consistent habits, to successful change.
And, if starting your days with purpose is something you would like to do consistently, sign up for my FREE, 5-day audio course, Design Your Own Morning Routine.
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