The power of consistency

This article is inspired by my observations of how social media works and how little, consistent, daily acts, intentional actions, made that my audience gets larger and I can reach new people with my ideas, comments, shares.

When I have started being more active on social media, I didn’t have as a goal to reach 10,000 followers in 3 months.

My goal was to get the ideas spread, to get my voice heard when I saw that it resonates with many that maybe right now don’t feel they can use their voice (I honestly hope that they will learn how to use it in the near future). I wanted to speak about what I am most passionate, about personal growth, personal development, change and evolving as a human being while on Earth, and not only as a human doing.

It was not very encouraging in the beginning, because my posts would be left ghosting the large space of Linkedin, no likes, a couple of views, no reaction. Did I stop? No, I didn’t stop, but also because people that supported me kept telling me to keep going, to keep writing and keep showing up, because persistency and consistency will pay off. Did I feel like giving up? Yes, many times, asking myself if it’s really worth it, if I should not do something more “productive”, stop playing or spreading random thoughts over the internet.

Did I give up? No, I didn’t give up and even more, I have rooted my motivation in my goal: get my ideas spread and use my voice. Did it feel always easy to do it? No, it did not and still I get an uncomfortable feeling every time I do it. I still get back in old patterns of people pleasing and what if people (especially those that know me, at least with whom I have interacted in person) will not like my posts. And then I decide to do it anyway, because there is also the other side that I choose to value more: the people that like what I have to say, resonate with it and want that voice to be amplified because it’s exactly what they think, feel, experience.

Consistency emphasizes faith over experience.

Meaning that with whatever you choose to be consistent, you will have to learn to use faith in the beginning when results will not show up as quickly as you expected them (we all want instant gratification, right?).

You will have to learn to trade instant gratification over long term satisfaction.

Or as John Maxwell says it: “Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time”.

Being and staying consistent in your actions, requires a daily reaffirmation of your goals and whether it’s still worth it.

Those constant daily check-ins with yourself where you will have to focus again on your why. Remember why you have set a goal and how your daily consistent steps get you there.

“The discipline of being consistent brings forth marvellous fruits; those fruits can only be harvested in we continue to put in the effort day in and day out. We cant’s stop doing it because we are tired, we can’t stop doing it because we are sleepy, we can’t stop doing it because we are going on vacation, we can’t doing it period, no excuses.” — Robinson Reyes

When your why is bigger that the excuses and the comfort, with practice, these little “impostors” will be easily navigated and quieted by your actions and commitment.

One good habit helps us build up other great ones.

Consistent people are extremely rare. If you learn to cultivate CONSISTENCY in your work, you will eventually beat any talent, luck, skill, and even quality- just by being consistent” — Anthony Moor

You may easily identify around yourself those people that decided to play the bet of consistency instead the bet or talent or luck or quality. They just decided that showing up it’s enough sometimes to just keep going.

Those people understood that:

“It’s not about perfect. It’s about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that is where transformation happens. That is how change occurs”.

No one has ever accomplished anything by doing it when they feel like it, or by doing it once in a blue moon. Achievements happen when those consistent daily actions are applied in your life.”.

So now the focus is on you. How will you demonstrate consistency in your life and what is your why that will keep you going?

It’s easy to pick up goals, such as losing weight, changing job, asking for a raise, be a better parent at home, exercise more, meet your friends more often.

It will also be very easy to skip on working towards those goals, when you don’t really have a specific goal to achieve and you did not work it through to understand why achieving and keeping up with those goals is so important to you that you will not skip them.

Let’s take the example of staying late in the office, one more time to finish a project because you know evaluations are getting closer. At the same time, you will have to cancel plans to go to the gym, meet with friends for your regular meet ups, be home in time for dinner and spend time with your kids, work on your hobby, you name it.

When you will not know your why and on what values are you living when working towards those goals, it will be very easy to trade them for something else, which seems of equal importance or even higher.

But imagine or even reflect on how these choices impacted your life and your goals. Where are you on achieving them?

The easiest way to stay consistent with your goals is to just do it. Stop overthinking and just do what you have already decided to do and keep showing up for yourself first.

I’m sure you’ve heard the proverb: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over — but expecting different results.”

Right now, we are almost half way through December. By the time you tap your heels twice, the New Year’s ball will be ready to drop.

Why am I mentioning the year end? Because it seems to be a good time when people reflect on their current year and make New Year Resolutions.

And also, not to discourage you, but you already can anticipate what happens with New Year Resolutions. They stay like that: resolutions.

In the absence of consistent action, commitment and knowing and walking your why, 2023 might be a copy paste of 2022, even against your wishes.

If you want to begin 2023 as a new, upgraded, confident and consistent version of yourself, it’s time to make a firm decision…

…One that could forever alter the course of your future.

And that is: stay consistent, even when results are not visible immediately. The compound effect of daily, consistent actions will pay off, just like compound interest does !

If you need someone to partner with you to make 2023 uniquely different for you, consider also working with me as your coach.

My goal will be to see you succeed in your plans, create a safe space for you to explore what you don’t even know that you want, encourage radical candor and acceptance, to acknowledge where you are and start envisaging where you want to be and get there.

One consistent step at a time !