Jim Rohn is known for saying that, “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”
To really become a master at what you do, you need to do it often and on a regular basis. This is the kind of thinking that led to the famous 10,000 hour rule that states that you only become great at something once you have done it for 10,000 hours.
There is no substitute for persistent and consistent effort, and for chipping away at a block of stone every day until your masterpiece is finally revealed.
It seems simple. Do the same thing over and over until you reach success. If it was that simple, though, everyone would be successful. The problem is that consistency is hard. Human nature is just not that linear.
1. Start with why
Essentially, you need to understand WHY you are doing what you are doing. What is your real purpose? To set you on your way check out this talk by Simon Sinek.
You might be in business to achieve financial freedom, but what does that look like? What does that mean to you? To say you want to make X amount of money each month is a great objective, but it does not tell me WHY you want to make it.
You need to go back to basics. To WHY you started your entrepreneurial journey in the first place.
There is no stronger motivator than connecting your deep held beliefs, your WHY, to the actions you perform daily.
2. Measure
Do you often feel like you are not making progress? Do you feel like all your effort is wasted? Often, this is more of a feeling than an actual physical occurrence.
Measuring your progress will help keep you motivated. When you can see all the small wins you have had along the way, it excites you for the big win that is coming.
Success, unfortunately, does not happen overnight. Those that seem like they have come from nowhere have been grinding away for years before the spotlight made them seem like anomalies.
A great analogy is the process of weight loss. Initially, you barely see any difference when you look in the mirror. It can be very demotivating. But if you weighed yourself on a scale, or took a tape measure to your waist, it would tell a different story: One of progress. Those few centimetres are what will inspire you until the mirror reflects it too.
3. Accountability
The people you share your entrepreneurial journey with are important. You have surely heard that you are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.
You will find it very hard to be consistent in your life if your goals, values, and ideals differ from those around you. It is not impossible. It is just more difficult.
If you could go jogging with a friend every morning, would that make it easier or more difficult to stay consistent? It is harder for us to let others down than it is to let ourselves down.
Find and share your journey with those who hold you to the same standards you hold yourself.
Consistency requires discipline. It requires dedication. It asks a lot, but the rewards are even more. Over time, your small consistent effort will result in a life of success and purpose.