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There are things that no one tells you about how to be consistent in your goals.
Those were big goals and dreams, and to be fair you started strong. But you slowly begin to back off and then it’s been three weeks since you last worked out. Leaving you wondering, why is it so hard to stay consistent.
Planning and dreaming are by far my favorite things to do. I can create a vision board and journal about my dream life, body, and mind. I will talk to you all day long about everything I will achieve.
In fact, for about two weeks, I was working out, counting my calories, waking up early, and doing a skincare routine. Only the skincare routine stayed consistent. Everything else started collecting dust. For most people, this is unfortunately the result when starting something new.
And trust me, I understand your frustration and your disappointment. This was supposed to be THE year, YOUR winning season but instead you’ve fallen back into your old habits. But you stopped doing the things that were going to create your dream life.
However, don’t be too hard on yourself, according to Medium, 95% of people NEVER achieve their dreams. The truth is, that most people are stuck in life situations that are nowhere close to the vision they had. They had no idea that their success was just around the corner, had they just kept going.
This post is all about what no one tells you about how to stay consistent (and how to be in the 5% of people who achieve their goals).
The Truths About Being Consistent
Why Do I Struggle With Consistency?
To understand why you struggled, you’ll need to answer these questions first:
Answering these questions will allow you to gain some clarity. Your answers will offer a starting point so you can begin to work on a solution.
1. You Didn’t Write Your Goals Down
A study by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University in California discovered that those who wrote down their goals regularly were 42% more likely to achieve them! You are more likely to stick with your goals by simply recording them.
For example, let’s say you want to eat healthier meals. And all you did was have a fleeting thought about having healthier meals. You have no list when you go into Trader Joe’s, what is the likelihood that you will walk out with healthy food?
But on the flip side, Lindsey wanted to eat healthier meals and she used a weekly meal planner to create her shopping list. She has things like whole wheat feta pasta, turkey burgers, and loads of fruits and veggies. What’s her likelihood of walking out of Trader Joe’s with healthier food?
It’s the same principle when writing down your goals. Having them written provides increased clarity, commitment, and continuous reminder of what you want to accomplish. However, we cannot stop there if we want to be the 5%.
2. Your Goals Aren’t S.M.A.R.T. (Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-bound)
No, this does not mean your goals are stupid. This is referring to the king of goal-setting (in my opinion), creating SMART goals. Your goals are vague in time and what you want.
For example, you have written down that you want to be rich. Okay cool. When and how are you going to make that a reality? That goal is too vague and you will more than likely not accomplish that. Instead, try this:
You cannot tell me that doesn’t make you want to become a millionaire. If you want to be a writer, your goal cannot be “I want to write a book.” That is too vague and there’s no game plan. Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals creates the bones of a plan and will help you stay consistent.
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3. You Were Not Going To Be a Millionaire in 30 Days
I hate to break it to you but unless you were going to win the lottery, you were 99.9% not going to become a millionaire in 30 days. And because of that, you started to slow down and then stop working on your goal. You set an unrealistic timeframe and that’s not to say it’ll never happen. But unless you already had revenue-generating assets, it was unlikely while working your 9-5.
If you want to become a millionaire, you have to adjust your timeline. Try 5,10,15, or even 20 years depending on your goals. Creating a realistic timeline will allow you flexibility, a clear timeline, and checkpoints to see how you’re progressing.
I am currently in my late 20’s and by my mid-30’s, I want to make 6 figures from this blog. When I started this blog in 2022, I knew that it was not going to make me rich in 60 days. Honestly, it wasn’t going to make me any real money in the first few years.
Understand that with most goals, you will not see results in a short timeframe. Be honest with yourself and you’ll be more likely to consistently reach your goals.
4. There Were Zero Systems in Place to Help You Be Consistent Everyday
Stop setting goals (by themselves)! Some people have a “just do it & grind it out” kind of mentality. However, most of us need a plan in place. We need systems to support us to start building our habits on autopilot.
[Read: Quick Guide: How to Create the Ultimate Productivity System to Reach Your Goals]
These systems will allow us to get back on our feet should life hit us hard. Life will constantly throw us curveballs and life-changing events. Setting systems is how to be consistent in daily routine.
Don’t focus on the goal which is your endpoint. Focus on the journey (the system) of getting there. If your goal is to lose 40 pounds, then set a system of eating healthier, running twice a week, and practicing self-love as you are now. The 40 pounds will be lost but you will have trained yourself to have discipline and that will carry you so much further than fixating on the goal.
5. There Was Zero Accountability on Your Part
You need an accountability partner, group, or mentor. I have a blogging friend (I met through a Facebook group) and we talk practically every day. Having her there motivates me. Not only does she understand the struggles of blogging, she also understands the wins.
I also don’t want to disappoint her haha. We have become friends over this blogging career path and both want to see the other win. We both share tips and tricks that work and offer caution if something isn’t worth doing.
You need to surround yourself with like-minded people with similar goals as you. Reporting to your group significantly increases your chances of staying consistent. Think about it, why are there so many support groups for people with addictions? For community. For accountability.
6. Your Heart Was Not in it and You Didn’t Have a Clear Why
Oftentimes, we let life happen to us. Very few of us go against the grain. Our goal-setting habits reflect that and usually lead to failure. Going to school was something I never liked and college was no exception to the rule. I tried and tried to like college and I tried different career paths.
I just couldn’t get through the courses because my heart wasn’t in it and I didn’t know why I was in the curriculum. Sure, it was because they were lucrative careers but why did I want to attain this degree? Society had conditioned me (and many others) to college, get a high-paying career, and start a family by my 30’s.
Job situations or even family can influence your goals. Do you really want to climb the corporate ladder? It’s fine if you do, just make sure it’s because you want to. You only get one life to live, make it count.
7. You Have Limiting Beliefs (and possibly a support system that also has limited beliefs)
Don’t blame yourself for having these beliefs. Society has most likely socialized you to believe them and your environments didn’t support anything else.
For example, I was working a retail job and I will never forget this coworker of mine. I am African-American and so was she. (This is important) I was newly married and not in a rush to have children. She was in her 70s and had to work there, it was not a part-time job she enjoyed. She worked full-time hours.
I remember her asking why I wasn’t already making babies now that I was married. I told her that there were some key goals I wanted in place before I did. Plus, I had just turned 22 and wanted to enjoy my marriage before kids.
To give some context, those key tasks were:
This was my first introduction to limiting beliefs outside of me. I have never forgotten this encounter and it’s now been 8 years since I have last talked to her. She told me, with a straight face, “Black people don’t get rich.” Now, I don’t remember what came before or after that statement but she believed it. And it’s shocked me since.
She mentioned that Micheal Jordan was a sellout and more than likely she didn’t grow up in an environment that disproved her statement. She believed that black people were never meant to have money and any black person that did were sellouts.
That is a very limited belief that played a key role in her decisions, which impacted her actions and led to her current lifestyle. Now, do not confuse the fact that there were privileges I had that she may not have had because of how I grew up.
My brothers and I grew up middle class, went on vacations, and were told that I could do anything I put my mind to. The only limiting beliefs I had were within. However, because of those, I stopped and started a lot of projects and I am no closer to making six figures.
If you think you can do it, you’re right. If you think you cannot do it, you’re still right.
My Dad
Do not believe negativity, people who are not living the life you want, or what you think about yourself. They are all limiting beliefs and life is what you make it. This goes for anything you want in life whether it’s a marriage, a relationship with God, to make 6-figures, to become a writer, to move away from your small town, to become a doctor, or whatever you want.
No one tells you that you’re going about consistency wrong. Mainly because they don’t realize they are also doing it wrong. Consistency is hard work but very rewarding when you have goal-setting systems in place to get you there.
This post is all about what no one tells you about how to stay consistent.
