We’ve all heard the line “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, well that’s true of any great achievement, from the great pyramids in Egypt to modern-day architecture and technology.
The art of consistency doesn’t mean trying for one day and giving up, nor does it mean doing the same thing over and over again in exactly the same way.
What it does imply is not only doing what is successful over and over again, but also understanding the fundamentals of your success and improving upon it on a regular basis.
It takes focus, motivation, and dedication, but perhaps most importantly, it takes understanding the art of consistency.
Having the ability to continue moving forward when things get hard, the ability to not get stuck up on one particular task and quit, and having the ability to progress by constantly striving to be better.
So how does one gauge their success?
Goal setting
Having a specific goal you want to achieve, and having a way to measure how close you are to achieving that goal.
Breaking down the goals into small steps that can easily be measured, and simplifying them as much as possible.
Making sure the steps you are taking are central to your success and not simply wasting your time.
(It’s very easy to add unnecessary steps to any goal that has nothing to do with moving you closer to what you are trying to achieve.
Usually it’s based out of fear to take a particular action or a lack of clear understanding.)
Measurement system
Using metrics to see how well you are doing and see whether you are moving forward or backward.
People looking to increase their profits look at financial statements, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements among others.
People who want to get in shape weigh themselves, use measuring tape and fat calipers to measure their proportions and body fat.
Find out what type of measurement system works best for your situation and use it to your advantage.
People
Being around those who not only motivate you, but also give you constructive criticism and point out what you need to do to improve.
(It’s important to make sure these people are successful in what it is you are trying to achieve.
Taking responses from those that mean well, but don’t really understand what it takes can be good willed but foolish.)
Understanding the responses you are getting from others and adjusting yourself appropriately to get the response you are looking for.
Eliminating those who aren’t there to help you improve your performance, and those looking to waste your time and energy.
Sense of fulfillment
“The Final Frontier.” If you aren’t happy, you aren’t successful.
You’re simply living to achieve goals that don’t hold any real value to you.
You work hard, earn a knick-knack, drain your energy, and wake up and do it again. What’s the point!
The point of having a goal and using the art of consistency to achieve it is to give yourself pleasure and satisfaction, not to fill your garage with garbage that creates more hassle than happiness.
What are you struggling with when it comes to consistency?
Is that the only thing stopping you from reaching success or is it a lack of measuring and adjusting your actions that are making hard for you to achieve your goals?
Tip: For more tips on creating success check out these two posts
What does, Jay Z, Warren Buffet, and Steve Jobs have in common?
How your goals are determining your lifestyle