I have always believed that consistency is possibly one of the most demanding tests of self-discipline. Like the fitness experts say, "If you want to get in shape, go to the gym for six months." Now, if you think about it, six months sounds like a very long time, actually 180 days of pure commitment. It kind of hit me when I began seeking self-improvement myself. It was brutal at first, even torturous. Every day was a constant struggle, and it was almost impossible to be consistent.
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First of all, it was difficult, but after some weeks, I started to feel different. Those tasks that once seemed to be significant duties began slowly taking shape. The more I continued with my daily routine, the less I resented each day. It was as if my body and mind were getting accustomed to the new regime. This transformation did not happen in one day but gradually, and I realized that less and less output of energy was needed to keep this all up. The natural beauty of the process was that it started to feel natural, almost automatic.
Something that has really opened my eyes on this journey is the fact that consistency breeds habit. I found myself doing things, and where there was a mental struggle initially, it wasn't as hard anymore. This phenomenon is what I like to call the magic of habit formation. A habit means you do something almost without thinking about it when it becomes one. It is similar to drinking a cup of fresh coffee every morning. If, for some reason, you missed it one day, you would immediately feel that something was lacking in your body. This, my friends, is what dependence on routine does to make you stay grounded and thus keep you consistent over time.
I also learned that consistency has nothing to do with waiting for the right moment or when one is feeling motivated. It's about showing up to do the work, irrespective of how one feels. Many were the days I didn't feel like doing my routine. Still, it's pushing through those moments that made all the difference. That sets successful people apart from others who give up too soon.
Consistency taught me that the real work lay in hanging in there. Everything is so easy at its initiation, especially when one is highly enthusiastic about it, but it actually requires quite a different kind of strength to sustain that level of devotion. You can only build such strength with repeated actions over time. The more consistent you are, the more resilient you are. This developed resilience helps you surmount obstacles while still managing to focus on the set goals.
It's a powerful cycle: consistency builds habit, habit lowers resistance, and lowered resistance leads to even more consistency. Only then did it hit me that the advantages of consistency went beyond just the attainment of goals. Well, character is built, and discipline is instilled to seep into everything one does in life. When you work consistently on any particular subject, you have a strong work ethic and mindset focused on long-term success. That attitude is worth its weight in gold and can be carried towards any challenge.
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