Consistency and Commitment
It’s very easy to pick up the idea that you’re not committed to your goals.
If you start a new workout routine every six months, only to fizzle out after a few weeks…
If you stock your pantry full of health food every New Year, only to go back to your usual diet by February…
If you buy all the supplies for a new hobby, only to leave them untouched a month or two later…
If you set up an elaborate productivity system, only to abandon it a few weeks later…
It’s very easy for your brain to watch you do this and say:
You idiot. You never stick to anything.
Why can’t you just be consistent? You’re not committed enough.
And of course, these thoughts become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you take on the identity of “I’m not a consistent person. I don’t stick to things. I don’t follow through. I don’t commit. (etc. etc.)”…
Then the next time you start something new, or pick up something you had put down a few months ago…
Your brain will whisper: “You’re not consistent. You don’t stick to things. It’s only a matter of time before you give up on this too…”
You’ll be on vigilant alert for the slightest sign of resistance or loss of enthusiasm. You’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the fire to burn out…
And then, at the first obstacle, or the first day that you just don’t feel like it, you’ll stop.
And your brain will say: “See? I told you you’re not consistent.”
And that belief and that identity gets even stronger.
All of which makes you hesitant to even try.
You don’t even want to attempt to start something new, or to pick up where you left off — because you know this cycle is coming.
So how do you get out of this cycle?
You have to start with that belief about yourself — with that identity.
You have to believe that you’re a committed person.
Let me give you a different way to define commitment.
Most people define commitment and consistency as “I do the exact same thing every day.”
I do an hour of yoga every day. I always stick to my diet. I work on my hobby every weekend. I put everything in my task management system and follow it perfectly.
I’m here to tell you: This is an amateur’s definition of consistency.
Why? Because it’s fragile.
This definition of consistency is based on narrow, all-or-nothing thinking that leaves you open to being knocked flat by the smallest inconvenience or unexpected circumstance.
Traveling? Have visitors? Long weekend? Woke up late?
Forget it. Consistency is out the window.
A pro doesn’t define consistency by how rigidly they follow a single routine.
A pro defines consistency as the broader intention behind their actions and their daily or weekly attempts to stay aligned with that intention through the ceaseless waves of life.
A pro stays clear on their intentions and flexible on the “how.”
Let me give you some examples—
An amateur says: I’m a fit person because I do an hour of yoga every day. If I don’t, I’ve lost it.
A pro says: I’m a fit person because I prioritize my fitness. How can I squeeze in a little exercise today?
An amateur says: I’m a healthy eater because I follow my exact meal plan every day. If I don’t, I’ve lost it.
A pro says: I’m a healthy eater because I try to eat healthy most of the time. How can I eat healthy today? At this restaurant? On vacation? At this party?
An amateur says: I have a full life outside of work because I spend 4 hours every weekend on this hobby. If I don’t, I’ve lost it.
A pro says: I have a full life outside of work because I look for interesting things to do in my free time. What interesting thing can I do this weekend?
An amateur says: I’m a productive person because I stick to my task management system. If I don’t, I’ve lost it.
A pro says: I’m a productive person because I’m always trying to get things done. How can I make it easy for me to get some things done today?
A pro’s definition of consistency is anti-fragile.
It doesn’t shatter at the first hint of inconvenience.
It actually gets stronger through adversity.
When you’ve worked 12 hours that day, but you still do five push-ups before you go to bed…
When you’re on vacation in Italy, but you still eat a few bites of salad before diving into the pasta…
When you want to be a zombie all weekend, but you still work on your crafty hobby for half an hour while you watch TV…
When your workday gets blown up by unexpected fire drills, but you still pause and say: “Okay, what’s the highest priority thing here?” and tackle that first…
That’s how you build the identity of “I’m committed to my goals.”
Because you can show your brain:
Wow. I still found a way to get it done.
I found a way to stick to my intentions and priorities, EVEN when the circumstances were ridiculously inconvenient.
You are not a robot operating in a perfect vacuum.
You are a human being operating in a world that looks different every single day.
Which means that commitment and consistency ALSO look different every single day.
Not because you’re lazy or undisciplined.
But because you’re agile and smart about how you work toward your priorities while everything keeps changing — inside you AND around you.
This illustration by Hannah Wilson captures it perfectly.
And, according to this definition…
You are already a consistent, committed person.
All those workout routines you started and abandoned?
The diets you tried and gave up on?
The hobbies you picked up and forgot about?
The task management systems you set up and didn’t use?
You did those things because you are committed to the overall intention BEHIND all those actions.
All you’ve done is tried out a lot of “how’s.”
And they worked — until they didn’t anymore.
Which is totally normal.
NO “how” is forever. The specific system you use and the actions you take will always evolve.
But you always kept the same intention.
You never forgot about your priorities.
(You may have put them down for a while. Because you were tired and frustrated and didn’t know how to get there. But you never stopped wanting them.)
Which is why you are already a consistent, committed person.
Right now. Today.
(This whole post came out of something I said off the cuff to a client earlier today.
So if you want custom wisdom, just for you and your situation, every single week…
Come talk to me, and let’s go :)
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