Consistency

We are now at the end of April. How are your daily habits going? Mine are in need of some consistency. I started off the year quite well, regularly getting through my podcasts, FB live posts and other content, but I also need to remain consistent in other areas which have slipped a bit.

My rebounding for 10 mins a day has dropped off, I still make my bed, but I don't meditate pretty much at all. Sometimes it is about time, on other occasions about a lack of motivation. Sure, we are all human and I don't beat myself up and focus on what I am not achieving, but I need to remain aware and aim to correct my course. I once heard someone talk about all the books they hadn't read on their bookshelf as an anti-library. A reminder of the learning that is still there, the things you do not know yet. I like this. My unachieved goals on my daily to-do list are also like this. Perhaps they are a reminder to keep striving, to make the use of my time. To not let myself slip too much.

Gary Vaynerchuck is constantly reminding us that time is all we have. And we have more of it than we think. It just depends on how we use it. Using it consistently over time is key. So, what behaviours do you want to put in place to help you create habits, that produce results over time? What small steps can you commit to that will keep you moving forward towards your goals and dreams and eventually help you achieve what you want?

Here are some of my commitments for consistency of the next 3 months.

• I downloaded an app called 'HabitBull' on Android and I have added, 20 mins of TV in German each day, 20 mins of Duolingo and 30 mins of technical reading (that is reading on work related subjects) and 1 TED talk. I want to see my progress towards my goals and to tick off these items to see how many times in the next year I can get close to this.
• To keep getting up a 6am Monday to Friday.
• To continue to seek new connections with people in Vienna and further a field to expand my network.

The important part here is to recognise what I need to do to be consistent. To know when in my day I can do Duolingo for instance. Usually it is on public transport, but at the moment I am driving more than usual for my work, so I need to change this habit to fit it in. Perhaps when I get up in the morning. To do the minimum I have set for myself. To not let it go all together (which is easy to do).  5 mins is better than nothing. Don't shoot for 1 Hour when you only have 10 minutes. Know your minimum for success.

What is the result? Perhaps in time, the length of activities naturally grows as interest and habits change. Perhaps they don't. When I first used a Fitbit, I drove my family crazy as I paced the lounge room to achieve my goal, but now I seem to achieve it more easily. It just took time and consistent effort. My mind and body adjusted to the challenge and I found ways to be active without completely reinventing my life. I have also been consistent.

Take a moment to check where you can be consistent. To work out your minimum and to build this over time. We have time and it will take effort, but it is worth it.