Are you interested in figuring out how to develop more consistency in your work?
Do you feel drained by the daily grind of having to face down your resistance before you do any work at all?
Do you want to learn a different approach to working that will boost both your mood and your productivity level?
If you've answered any one of the questions above with a “yes,” this article is for you, my friend. Continue reading to learn why consistency matters and how you can get better at maintaining consistency too.
Consistency is a Powerful Element of Doing Good Work
Procrastination prevents us from enjoying the good feelings that consistency in our work provides. When we work on a day-to-day basis with a goal of maintaining consistency, we make our work life easier for ourselves.
Some of the benefits of working with consistency include:
- never having to drum up the energy to get started from the beginning again
- keeping a sense of flow
- feeling like you are moving forward with your work
- avoiding procrastination and the negative feelings that procrastination brings
- becoming better and better at your work as a result of being involved in it
Procrastination and consistency are pretty much direct opposites of each other. Procrastination causes us to break our stride, concentration, and confidence. Procrastination makes us feel like we aren’t capable of consistency in much, or anything, at all.
Since procrastination prevents us from doing our work day in and day out, we never get the satisfaction of feeling like we are mastering what is required of us at work. We’re too embarrassed, frustrated, and sad.
Consistency cures the pains that procrastination brings. Consistency brings us satisfaction, work output, and the chance to learn through doing.
Let’s break the cycle of procrastination then. There are so many good reasons to do so and a lot of great techniques to help you get there.
7 Simple Strategies to Build Consistency in Your Work
- Keep it simple. Don't set yourself up for failure from the start. Pick a limited, doable subset of your work to start trying out your new consistency habit.
- Don’t make it personal. Separate your self-esteem from your work. Your work does not reflect who you are in any truly meaningful way. Keep your work straightforward by making sure you don't see it as reflecting who you are as a person.
- Eliminate all distractions. Sometimes the only reason we aren't consistent in our work is we get ourselves involved in too many side conversations, Instagram stories, or news updates. Turn off your phone for a bit or do something else to protect your attention from all the distractions that surround you.
- Plan for the bigger picture. Start your work with an idea of where you want to end up. Map out how your consistency will move you along a success path. Imagine the feelings that you want to have at the finish line. Especially the celebratory ones.
- Remove your ego from your task list. When we feel our work needs to reflect how smart or capable or independent we are, we end up making our work that much more complicated. Take it easy on yourself. Assume you are smart, capable, and independent and then get your work done.
- Remove your feelings from your task list. I used to make every piece of work I had to do a huge drama. I was either going to fail catastrophically (in my mind) or I was going to humiliate myself (also in my mind). I never quite understood that my dramatic flourishes just made my work super stressful and sent my anxiety through the roof. I hope you can behave differently than I used to, now that you know some of what I have learned since then.
- Keep it real. Use the Consistency Challenge Tracking Sheet. In my opinion, consistency is best maintained with the help of tracking. If we don't keep track of our actions (or lack of action), we don't get the good feedback tracking provides. So keep it real and design a way to track your daily actions. Or just click the button below to borrow my Consistency Challenge Tracking Sheet instead:
Get the CONSISTENCY CHALLENGE TRACKER free download now
Have you ever noticed that people who do things consistently, seem to be a bit calmer than those who tend to procrastinate? That calm is available to you too, but first, you need to surrender the anxiety and stress you might have about your work to replace them with daily work and a mindset fixed on achieving success.
Don’t wait for the “right” time to get started. Chances are you’ve waited a bit longer than necessary. Now that you’ve got the strategies to forge ahead, there is less of a need to hesitate or to doubt yourself. You can do this, and your mind and body will be grateful you decided to make these important shifts in your work.
