Whatever you DO consistently is who you are. It really doesn’t matter what you say. It’s all about what you do. And we all know someone who is consistent at being inconsistent. Maybe that person is you. Yikes! I don’t want to get caught up in a swirl of buzzwords, so let me make sure I clear up exactly what I mean when I say the word consistency. To be consistent means to be predictable. To be reliable. To know what to expect every time. And In the realm of business this means to provide every single customer with the same level of service or same quality of product each and every time they transact with you. Customers must know what to expect from you each time they enter a transaction with your business.
How do you do this? I’ll get into that shortly. First, let’s take a look at why this is so key.
Consistency is powerful! Think about it. Consistency measures progress, improves or destroys your reputation and tells the world how to interact with you. This isn’t about perfection or being the best. It’s about being persistent in your actions. Period. You have to keep at the actions that drive your business forward, not just until you see results, but through those results. In my call this week, I explain how being consistent impacts every area of your business. Relentless consistency will propel you to the next stage in your business and your life.
The conundrum of learning to be consistent is that it takes consistency. Redundant right! But true. Here are some key points to consider when adding the art of consistency into your bucket of highly desirable characteristic traits:
- Build Habits. A habit, a system, a procedure. Things that you regularly do with ease, or without thinking about them. Actions that help you save time and be more efficient. The idea that you can build a habit in 21 days is a myth. This myth traces back to some largely misunderstood research by a Maxwell Matlz who conducted a study on self-image, however; you can build a habit by recognizing that you will have to mentally, physically and often times emotionally push through your old habits tiptoeing back in. You will have to push yourself 2 times, 3 times, 4 times through this stage to really break yourself of your old habits. You will have to push yourself every time you think about reverting back to your old ways. There’s not easy way to build a new habit. I wish I had some trick that could help you out there, but it takes good ol’ hard work and mental determination.
- Plan Your Day. Having a plan that includes the habits or processes that you want to stay consistent in will help focus in your efforts each day. Take 10 minutes the night before to put to paper or your trusty phone the top 3-5 items you must accomplish the next day. Building this habit will lead into my next point.
- Planning your day, the night before helps your brain visualize how you will accomplish these tasks in the morning. Don’t under estimate the power of visualization. There are studies that have shown how your brain works the same muscles it takes to physically accomplish a task as it does when you mentally work a task. Getting good at visualizing your success can have astounding impact on building healthy muscle memory to actually be successful.
- Take Breaks. Let’s face it. Our attention spans are ever decreasing. The average person is checking their cell phones upwards of 150 times a day. We rarely are totally focused on the task at hand. To help us keep focus, give yourself a break. Work for 20 – 30 mins (for some this may be 45- 90 mins) and take a 5 min social media break. Studies have shown that we decrease our effectiveness when we try to force ourselves to work straight through for hours. This means taking a break doesn’t just keep you in the loop on Facebook, it actually makes you more productive when you sit back down to work.
- Minimize Distractions. This doesn’t need much of an explanation. We know that distractions are time killers. But they also hinder our concentration and ability to complete tasks. So stay off social media, limit e-mails and phone calls. Close your office door. Say no to offers for your help that don’t align with your goals.
I‘ll leave you with this quote from Tomas Edison, “most of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Consistency goes hand in hand with success. Be consistent in all you do and your business will take flight!
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Jice Johnson, owner of B2BThrive and BBI Professional is a mother, activist, entrepreneur, wealth builder, investor, Pan Afrikkan, blogger, speaker, coach, traveler and community member.
