Consistency IS Key!

“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day

lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

~John Maxwell

Scripture:

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that

in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

~1 Corinthians 15:58

Perspective:

Consistency is defined as the quality of behaving or performing in a similar way, of happening in a similar way…repeatedly.

Consistency is often referred to as the key to success.  It is said to far outweigh natural talent without such consistent effort and practice.  In our day to day life we crave consistency.  It makes us feel safe and secure to be able to count on people, places, and things.  When we go to work, school, the doctor, a restaurant, the hairdresser, or even to visit friends and family, we like to be able to count on what we expect to get, what we have gotten every other time.  We do not like surprises unless they are joyous and convenient.

Unfortunately, people are not perfect and will let us down, and we will let people down!  At work or school, the boss or teacher may be in a bad mood, having an off day, or simply forget something he or she said.  The nurse who checks us in at the doctor’s office may be new and still learning the office routines.  Someone making our favorite dish, the one we always order at a certain restaurant, may have forgotten to add salt or worse, added too much salt.  Our hairdresser may cut our hair a little shorter than we would have liked, maybe he or she even misunderstood what we wanted.  And, the closer we are to family and friends, the more likely they are to show us when they are in a bad, mad, or sad mood, acting out of character to what we are used to.

Life is everchanging, and it is beneficial for us to be flexible.  However, that does not take away our craving for an anchor in this life, someone we can really count on time and time again, someone who does NOT change.  Only one person can satisfy that craving and that is Jesus.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) He never changes, and He keeps His promises no matter how long ago He made them, we can always count on and trust in Him.  His love, acceptance, and forgiveness are unconditional and constant.  He gives us new grace everyday regardless what we did or did not do yesterday.  “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts and plans of His heart through all generations.” (Psalm 33:11)  We can be assured that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved.  However, it is through consistency that we build a relationship with Jesus and thus bear fruit in this life, it is a growth process called sanctification. 

As a child and family therapist, one of the primary things I learned and then preached is that consistency truly is key to successful parenting.  If we want our kids to listen to us, respect us, trust us, and feel safe and secure with us, we must be consistent in both our words and actions.  It is certainly not enough to be consistent in our words, we must repeatedly model what is right and good for them, what we want them to do.  If kids cannot count on rules and consequences, their behavior will become as erratic those rules and consequences.  If we tell them what we expect of them yet only enforce it 75% of the time, they will test us 100% of the time, knowing that they will get their way at least 25% of the time.  The only way for them to know when that 25% will be in their favor, is to test us every time.  You must be persistent and consistent until they learn that you will be sticking to your rules and consequences.  Eventually new habits will be formed, and you will see a change in their behavior…but only after there is a change in YOUR behavior!

Consistency is not just about repeating a behavior regularly, rather it is about the learning, growing and changing we incur in that process, it is about doing that task or behavior better and better each time.  If we do not improve, we will tire of the tedious repetition and give up, falling quickly into old habits.  Achieving any goal is more about enduring the struggle in the process to attain that goal than just the goal itself, which is why the smaller, doable steps toward any goal are essential!  We learn and grow in the process, not when we arrive at the destination!

It is difficult for us to be consistent, yet consistency is central to our success in all areas of life.  Anything done consistently builds momentum and leads to habits, and good habits lead to success.  Success at anything does not happen overnight, even if it appears to from the outside in.  It comes from hard work or effort, commitment or perseverance, and a clear direction or goals with the vital steps to get you where you want to be in all areas of your life.  Unfortunately, if you give up, you will never know how close you were to success!  Since my hip replacement, I never miss more than one day (in a row) of walking or it becomes easier to miss another and then another.  I have developed a good habit that I love doing, however it could quickly turn into a habit of excuses not to do so IF I allowed myself to be inconsistent.  So how do you accomplish this difficult skill of consistency, how do you become consistent at consistency?

• How you begin your day can set the stage for the day you will have.  When you open your eyes, are you setting the stage for your best life?
• Be clear about what you value and prioritize those things, giving quality time to those things first.  Do not spread yourself too thin or you will begin to feel ineffective at all you are doing.
• Keep your focus on your goals and especially on the smaller, doable steps you must take to achieve them.  Be intentional about doing something to achieve them every single day.
• Know what your distractions are, we all have them.  Do NOT let getting derailed cause you to get off course as you work toward your goals; we all make mistakes but do not allow yourself to wait until Monday to get back on track, instead begin again immediately!
• Negative thoughts and feelings are temporary, do NOT let them interfere with your efforts.  Think about how good you will feel after you push through this temporary feeling, and especially after you achieve your goal…and then just do it!
• You have the most power in this very moment since this is the only moment you have!  Tomorrow is not guaranteed and waiting can allow anxiety to creep in.  Do not put off till tomorrow what you can accomplish today.
• Be fully present in the moment, focus on where you want to go and move in that direction with your words and actions.  Do not flood your mind with the negativity that can be found all around us, instead work to stay aware of the beauty and joy that also surrounds you, of what is good in life.
• Learning, growing, and changing is a lifelong process, so you must be persistent as you work to do so.  Life in and of itself is a process, or journey, to be enjoyed every step of the way. 
• Remember: how we think, is how we feel, is how we act, is how we think!  Be empowered by your ability to control your words and actions and then become an expert and doer of it.
• Just do it; do not count on feeling like doing “it” to get you where you want to go in this life, motivation waxes and wanes, but doing so along with it is costly to you.
• Achievement at anything happens one action or step at a time; the more consistently we do something, the more quickly we will see the results we want.
• Plan your work and then work your plan, no excuses!
• Pray to God steadily for the strength you need to be consistent and to achieve your goals in all areas of your life.  He is your rock!

Steve Jobs said, “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’  And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”  If you are committed to your goals then take the steps to achieve them, if not, make changes to your goals!

Life Applications:

>What do you do consistently?  What is that consistent behavior helping to grow and develop?  Is that your intention?

>>What are you doing inconsistently that you need to be doing consistently to reach your goals?  How would your life change if you became consistent in that area?

>>>Ask yourself, how much time am I willing to put into something I want to succeed at?  We make time for what we really want to do every single day…