Why Frequency and Consistency are Important Habits in Defining Success
Can you imagine driving down a street and never touching your steering wheel? You would go off course - perhaps it's because the tires need to be aligned or because no road is perfectly straight or because you need to avoid a pothole or something else in the road.
To get to your destination, you make consistent, frequent, small adjustments.
In the book, Atomic Habits, author James Clear uses an example of how a plane frequently and consistently course corrects. If a plane leaves LA and heads east, a change in its path of just a few degrees means the difference between landing in New York vs. Washington DC. These small adjustments are hardly noticeable at any given moment in time. The end result of all of these small changes is substantial!
When we build in small, frequent, consistent habits, we can alter our paths and make the life changes we want or reach the goals that we set. And perhaps that's the new way to define success.
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We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle
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Jerry Seinfeld, the comedian, actor, writer, producer, is said to write at least a joke every day. He marks a big red X on his calendar every day that he writes. By tracking and seeing his progress every day, he is encouraged to keep the chain of red Xs going. As he is writing his jokes, he doesn't focus on whether the joke works or not. Instead, he is focused on his process and his progress over months and years. It's his consistency that produces results. And it is working for him!
I have found that early in the morning is the best time for me to work on my own self-improvement path. I wake up at 5:30 most mornings, get ready, fix coffee, and start writing (or walking or pulling weeds...) This time of day has worked for me because nothing else tends to get in the way. I have a friend who does her best work after 10 PM. Others may find Saturday morning to be the best time of the week. The time of day is not nearly as important as consistency.
These are small habits that work best when done consistently. I know that you can do these steps! Channel your inner Jerry Seinfeld, pull out your calendar and red marker, and don't break the chain!
I'd love to know - where have you seen small habits successfully impact your life? What dreams do you have that implementing frequent and consistent habits could help you achieve?
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Are you looking for more ways to motivate yourself? Check out this 4-step framework: How to Motivate Yourself Even When You Don't Feel Like It.
Looking for ways to amp up your productivity? Check out this online course, Amp Up Your Productivity. In this course, I share my foundation and 4-step framework that has changed my mindset and habits around productivity.