“Success is not about being brilliant. It’s about being consistent.” (Selk and Bartow, Organize Tomorrow Today, page 68)
This quote resonated deeply within my being. Partly because I’m not brilliant. Partly because it puts a bit of control into my hands, such as I can control my actions and attitude which facilitate consistency. But mostly because my word for 2021 is CONSISTENCY. I have a love-hate relationship with all things consistent. Daily routines have been torturous to implement (although significantly helpful) and getting over the inertia of staying still can test every ounce of my character.
And yet at the beginning of 2021 I seem to have chosen to read books like Organize Tomorrow Today that emphasize consistency. One of the things I hadn’t considered when starting out this consistency journey on January 1 was that consistency is very much about choice. And specifically, the choices I make. On what am I choosing to focus my energy? How am I organizing my day to make the most important and significant impact? What things do I want to do but don’t contribute to my vision and goals?
For me, consistency must come in baby steps. If I choose to make a big leap, I know that it won’t stick, and I’ll be left in a worse situation than before. And I know that I need to add things to my calendar to reach my goals. Because of the ‘Rona, I’d prefer not to enter a gym right now. And I need to do some kind of strength training to get my hip and leg muscles balanced and strong so I can run another half marathon. I found a workout DVD from years ago (I know, how retro!) and have been doing it almost every day since the beginning of the year. It’s not a great video but it’s helping me get consistent. If I can do a half-hour workout video six days a week, I can also be consistent with my business, writing, and speaking. All it takes is a little focused effort and blocking the time into my calendar.
Questions to ponder: With what things do you want to be consistent this year? What tangible steps do you need to take to make it happen?
Stay curious friends!
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