Part 1 of 3: Changing Your Thinking: A- Be realistic. Consistency is a fantastic trait and one that you should definitely work to cultivate. Remember, however, that it's a trait that can take time to practice. You won't be perfectly consistent right away. That's okay! Be kind to yourself when you screw up. Don't make a generalized "be more consistent" plan. Trying to be more consistent in general is just going to be overwhelming. Think about what specific areas in your life require more consistency. Do you need to be consistent about your exercise habits? Do you need to be consistent about your work requirements? You're not going to be consistent 100% of the time. You need to be okay with making mistakes and occasionally getting lax about your consistent habits. B- Build your willpower. You can't have consistency without improving your willpower. Consistency requires willpower to achieve, because consistency tends to lean towards going to the gym every day, even when you don't feel like it, for example. To do that, you need to have the willpower to do it. Have tricks to boost your willpower. It's really hard to just force yourself through things and not always the best way to accomplish something. Avoid situations where you will be forced to exert considerable amounts of willpower in order to be consistent. Make sure your actions match your words. Being consistent means that you don't say one thing while actually doing something else. You can't be inconsistent in your behavior and expect yourself to behave consistently in other parts of your life. Eliminate negative thinking. Negative thinking is the bane of consistency and of willpower. When you think negatively you are making yourself less likely to be able to hold to your consistent actions. Pay attention to negative thought patterns that will hinder you in the future. There are specific thoughts that have a tendency to run your life: "I can't do this," "I'm stupid (lazy, etc. etc.)." When you do notice these negative thought patterns, turn them around or introduce a more positive or neutral thought. So for example if you find yourself thinking "I can't do this" instead turn it around and think "I'm going to practice doing this, even if I'm not great at it to start with." Figure out what areas you need to work on to make yourself more likely to be consistent. Everyone has areas of themselves that could do with a little work. To be continued…
How to Be Consistent
موضوع: How to Be Consistent
