The Key to Consistency and Achieving Success

London

Plans are made, your goals are clear, and you have more than enough motivation. If you start working, your schedule goes perfectly for a few weeks, and then something happens, causing a disruption in your routine. One day becomes two, and soon, you can’t return to your previous pace. As if that weren’t enough, a constant feeling of guilt keeps following you. Does this sound familiar?

Let’s continue with another example.

You’ve wanted to lose some weight for a long time. This year, you made a vow that you would definitely lose those pounds. You're practically an expert in weight loss by now—you’ve tried every dietitian, every program, and every type of exercise. You know everything there is to know about the subject, and there’s no reason for you not to start. Your motivation is through the roof, and you’re absolutely certain that this time it will work! You start the diet, and everything is going so well that even you are surprised. Until, of course, you go out with friends one night. You were so determined to just have a salad and call it a night. I can almost hear you saying, “Don’t even ask how the night ended!” By morning, you find yourself saying, “Ah, I shouldn’t have eaten so much!” and before you know it, you're clearing the breakfast table. The magic is gone, and there’s no trace of that sky-high motivation. The 3-5 pounds you lost? They've come back, along with a few extra!

We could give more examples like these. What we’re talking about is a problem that can appear in every aspect of our lives. If I were to ask you today what lies behind success, I’m sure most of you would give the same answers: consistency, perseverance, effort, not giving up, and getting back up after you fall...

Am I lacking willpower because I can’t continue?

Willpower isn’t something that develops on its own. While some people may naturally have better control over their willpower, the real question is what you’re doing to strengthen yours. In this article, I want to break down how you can keep yourself, your willpower, and your motivation alive to maintain consistency.

Be kind to yourself

You are unique! Continuing or not, all of that comes down to you and your choices. If you’ve given up on the program you started, you’re the only one who can pick it back up. You won’t get back on track by being harsh with yourself. Instead of getting angry and beating yourself up, be kind to yourself and get things back in order (you could call this learning to cut yourself some slack!). If you don’t leave room for mistakes, disappointment is inevitable. Before you start anything, always remind yourself that mistakes are allowed, and that making mistakes is actually a great way to get to know yourself better.

Remember why you started

What was the reason that pushed you to start this journey? You had strong reasons, didn’t you? If you can’t find the same motivation when you remember those reasons, there could be two explanations. Either your reasons weren’t truly important to you, in which case you can continue by finding more solid ones, or you’re simply tired. Not just physically, but you may have also lost faith in yourself. In that case, remember what you’ve already achieved—only you can give yourself the strength you’re looking for. If you think, “I haven’t achieved anything,” let me remind you that you're being unfair to yourself! Remember that falling and getting back up is a way to build willpower. Remind yourself that you’ll make mistakes again and keep going from where you left off.

Believe in the power of visuals

Let’s talk about a little motivational trick. Visuals are great tools to use to your advantage when you're about to give up. If you’ve decided to start exercising, take a picture of your current body. Keep taking photos regularly. When you feel like giving up, looking at these photos can help remind you of the progress you've made and give you the strength to keep going.

Focus on the progress you've accumulated

This is my favourite motivational trick! I believe in accumulating success from small pieces. You could call this a sort of collecting habit, but it's not quite that! With this mindset, I focus on collecting successes. To explain further, when I start exercising, I keep track of how many days I’ve worked out. When I feel like giving up, I look at the days I’ve accumulated. I remind myself, “I’ve successfully worked out for 9 days. If I stop here, it’ll stay at 9, but if I continue, it’ll become 10.” It may seem simple, but it’s a trick that motivates me a lot. You can easily apply this to your study schedule as well. By the end of the month, the number of days you’ve studied will take you to a whole new place by the end of the year.

Use social media

This is another commonly used and effective method. Share what you’re doing, and as you share, your motivation will grow. For example, if you want to develop a reading habit, you can use Goodreads. The network you build there and the likes you get from people can motivate you to keep going. Or you could start an Instagram account to share your diet plan and the changes in your body, and the recognition you receive from others can be a great motivator. It can serve as a wonderful visual tool to give you the push you need when you feel like giving up.

Ask an expert

If you find that nothing is going as you’d like and you just can’t seem to get back on track, remember that this is a scenario we all face. In that case, don’t hesitate to seek support. In fact, continuing the journey with someone else can quickly give you the energy you’re looking for. I have a slogan for this: “Ask an expert.” I’ll write a separate article on this topic, but don’t hesitate to ask a friend or seek professional help.

Taking a break or not sticking to your schedule doesn’t mean giving up. Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. True success lies in finding a way to continue from where you left off by listening to yourself during these times. Success isn’t about never falling, but about being able to get back up after you do.

If you have any motivational tricks of your own, please share them in the comments. Have a great week!