I don’t know about you but where-ever we go these days, these two words crop up constantly. In my mind they are both hugely powerful but when I truly got to thinking about them, I began to wonder if one was more so than the other?
uncountable noun
Consistency is the quality or condition of being consistent.
He scores goals with remarkable consistency.
There’s always a lack of consistency in matters of foreign policy.
(Taken from https://www.collinsdictionary.com)
countable noun [usually with poss]
Your motivation for doing something is what causes you to want to do it.
Money is my motivation.
The timing of the attack, and its motivations, are unknown.
(Taken from https://www.collinsdictionary.com)
Above, I’ve linked the definitions for both from the online Collins dictionary.
Again … I can be swayed for one being greater than the other BUT when I started to reflect on my own beliefs and I where I truly lay on the subject, one definitely started to have more sway.
Let me elaborate. When I started out on my journey to a healthier lifestyle I was motivated. I wanted to improve. I wanted to get better because I knew it would make me feel better. Like many things when we start, the motivation is there. A new job – we want to impress; motivated to get in shape for the summer to look fab on the beach; motivated to do well at school because you want to get that place. But what happens when you get there? What happens when you pull yourself off the baseline and you make strides towards your goals? You start to feel somewhat relaxed …. you feel like you don’t have to put in as much effort? You begin to take a backseat. The motivation for wanting something (because you achieved) has waned. Old habits slip back in (let’s face it, old habits are alluring, they are easy to pick up) and before you know it, you have slipped back towards that baseline. Your motivation has dropped.
Consistency on the other hand is pulling the stops out all the time. You promised yourself that you were going to workout out at 5am but the darker mornings are creeping back in, it’s getting colder and honestly, it’s just too warm in your bed. Continually hitting snooze means you’ve missed that time to keep on track. Rewind here. What if you kept going? No matter the air temperature, the thoughts in your head, the idea of having an extra 30 mins … what if you remained consistent. What if you kept going? Would you not surpass the goals you had set and allow yourself to create new ones? Smash those and continue on.
All too often I fear that motivation drives us to start something BUT when the going gets tough, we drift. We allow ourselves to listen to the negative thoughts, be pulled back by bad habits and then are back to where we started. My motivation for early morning workouts is not always there. Believe me … but the reward I get from going through my positive habits in the morning before everyone is awake is HUGE.
Being consistent, to my mind, is key. It’s critical especially when we are looking at forming new, positive habits. Breaking barriers and pushing beyond our limitations helps us to stay motivated. You have got this and if you haven’t, reach out. Let’s talk about ways of creating a more consistent you.
My next FREE group on looking at how Mindset Matters starts on Monday 16th September … if you would like more details, get in touch.
Susan x
Happy Healthy Confident 