Can you show up consistently? Most people cannot, and it is why many are called, but few are chosen. You have the power to choose yourself, but you have to be able to do the small tedious things daily. Those little annoying things often develop into powerful habits. The habits are what carry you to everything you want in life.
Your goals, dreams, the mission for your life all lay on the other side of excellent habits. The only question you need to ask yourself when it comes to making a change is, can you do it consistently? Can you show up when you don't feel like it, can you show up when your life is not going the way you thought? Do you have what it takes to choose your habits carefully? The people who get it right consistently, get up, and they get to the small things that others believe do no matter.
Can you show up consistently? Most people cannot, and it is why many are called, but few are chosen.
Can You Do It Consistently?
I will keep you asking you this question, and it will be the reply to everything you are wondering in your head.
Do you want to start a new business? Can you do it consistently?
About to start working out? Can you do it, consistently?
Are you done biting your nails? Can you do it consistently?
Do you want to be a pro athlete? Can you practice consistently?
Start choosing your habits carefully based on which ones can get you to where you want to be.
If you can do it over and over again, day in and out over a long period, STOP NOW! I'm serious. It is much better never to start something than to begin to get half way and quit. Things that make it halfway cost the most. You often lose your time and your money doing something you knew you never had what it took to finish.
You rely on habits because you can't devote the mental energy to figuring out what to do every day. There is too much margin for error. If you have to think of what time to wake up or if you should brush your teeth. It's too many choices, and it leads to decision fatigue.
Thinking About The Next 10 Years
Bill Gates has one of the best quotes ever. He said
"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten."
How many times have you seen this in your own life? You say next year is going to be the best year ever. You're hoping everything is going to change and nothing does. You keep coming back and saying that year after year. You need a new approach!
Instead, focus on the next ten years and don't be afraid to stick. Right now, my focus over the next ten years is helping people to develop winning habits. That is all that matters to me. Never fear temporary obstacles that come up. I also will not take my goal of the ten-year mark.
Great things take time to build, but the problem is that most people cannot do it consistently. Instead of striking, they think if I try ten different things over ten years, one of them is bound to make it. People love to chase the new thing, but real success shows up when you fight for what you want, and you make it stick.
What do you want over the next ten years? What are you willing to do to get it? Can you do it consistently?
I Know What I Should Do But
I want to lose weight so I should not eat that candy but...
Getting an athletic scholarship sounds so I should go to practice instead of hanging out at the mall but...
Waking up early is something I need to do to work on my craft, but this bed is just too warm and cozy right now...
My writing needs work, so I planned to write all day, but my show is on today, so I'll get to it tomorrow...
These are some of the many lame excuses people come up with. You have even thrown a few of these out before. You can get what seems enticing now, and suffer from regret later. The other option is you can suffer now, and live the rest of your life a champion.
You build up a stack of money in your savings by putting a little bit away month after month. You improve your skills by getting 1% better each day. If you consistently choose to do what you don't need to, you will keep losing. There is no easy way to put it, and there is no way around it. Success comes with no shortcuts or easy buckets.
Bang That Rock Consistently
Anyone good at anything understands that you have to bang the rock. The mistake people watching make is that they think the final blow that cracks the rock was from the last blow. It was not at all. That was when you were finally able to see the results. The 100's of strikes that came before that did all the work. They kept wearing away on the structure of the rock until it cannot take it anymore.
What are you banging on consistently? You have seen no results at all recently. Don't worry about it! Keep hitting the rock because one day it will crack the rock and everyone will be in awe of you. They will say you are an overnight success because it's not impressive to watch someone hit the same rock. They will want to know how you did it, and you will say one word.
Consistently!
They will not understand, but any champions that are within earshot will smirk. Some will appreciate the truth that you are speaking. They will know what you mean. Winners show up, and they bang the rock. Losers show up every day with new rock, a new technique and a different spot to the rock. Champions prepare for results, losers hope for something good.
How Can You Track Your Habits?
Habit Stacker is a tool you can use to do that. You build your habits around your life mission. You can add friends to your habits for accountability. If you do not follow through with your habits, they will receive a notification.
After some time, you will be able to look back and see what choices you have made. If you did not make an effort to get your habits completed, it would show you that. The good news is that you cannot improve what you don't measure. Once you measure your habits, it gives you a base to begin to improve things.
Habit Stacker also comes built in with a journal, goal tracker, and daily check-in questions so you can get these habits done right in the app. The app will help you to choose your habits carefully and track those habits until you win.