We’ve all been there – we’ve set a goal for ourselves we are passionate about one day –  and the next we find our focus is swept away by the unpredictable nature of our week. It could be a number of things, we may have had a particularly stressful day at work, or maybe we’re feeling sick etc.

I’ve shared with you in earlier posts about how consistent action over time is the key to success. We must work at our goals everyday. Knowing that we have to be consistent ofcourse is one thing, but being consistent on the other hand is another.

I myself have been trying to understand and master consistency. I wanted to share with you three simple behaviors that can help you combat inconsistency:

Write it down – Stop what you are doing right now, and write down your goals for the next three months. Commit yourself to three clear goals. Eliminate any other noise. It is important to prioritize a few goals so that we don’t overwhelm ourselves and we know where to focus our efforts. If you’re having trouble with this, ask yourself which goals, if accomplished, will truly improve the quality of your life. For example if it takes you over an hour and a half to commute to work on public transportation and buying a car would cut your commute in half, this may be a goal you should prioritize over say, starting your own home grown garden. I’m not saying getting a car should always be prioritized over starting your own home grown garden, I’m simply saying that the goals you should prioritize depend on the circumstances in your life. A second question to ask is which goals are time sensitive or which goals can influence the accomplishment of other goals? For example, the sooner you get a car, the sooner you will be able to free up time to take that salsa class after work, music lesson or start growing that garden (you get the point…).

Break it Down – If you want to accomplish these three goals, what action is required of you every single day? Consistency comes down to making small choices and taking small steps everyday towards our goals. When we clarify what it is we need to do each day, we make it easier for ourselves to make the right choice. We also realize how detrimental it can be if we “just have that one cheat meal” or “just have that one night where we binge watch netflix for 6 hours”. Breaking down the actions we are supposed to take everyday helps us to identify our bad habits. Consistency requires a battle against bad habits EVERYDAY. If we are clear on what behaviors we should be taking everyday, and create routines and habits around these behaviors, we can set ourselves up for success.

Track it – Probably one of the most important steps to this entire process, is tracking your progress. If you take nothing else away from this blog post, get out a calendar or a notebook right now and start tracking the behavior you are supposed to be taking every single day. This is something that I’ve been trying that has made a HUGE difference for me. Nothing motivates me more than to cross off the key “to-do”s I’ve outlined for myself that I know will take me closer to my larger goals. It makes me feel accomplished. The more days I can cross off, the more motivated I feel the next day. I cannot stress tracking enough.

Short post –  but I’m hoping it will have a lasting impact for all of you! Try it and tell me in the comments below how these tips worked for you.