Be consistent and enjoy the process

If you learn to enjoy the process, the rest will fall into place. You’re more likely to end up with the result your desire and learn to be happier (both during the process and with the end result).

For example, instead of just saying, “I want to lose 25 pounds,” try to figure out what process you need to follow to do this. Do you need to cut out sugar and processed foods, work out for 30 minutes or more five days per week, drink more water, get better sleep, etc.? If you can learn to love doing those things, you can easily achieve the result you desire. And then when you get to your goal, you’ll also be much more likely to keep those healthy habits because you actually enjoy doing them! No more of this “yo-yo” dieting. No more working out really hard for 3 months and then not working out at all for the next 6 months.

You have to be consistent to achieve results. And the more you enjoy the boring, consistent process, the better results you’ll see.

The key to excellence, greatness, and success

Consistent, hard work gains success.
“Consistent, hard work gains success.” – Dwayne Johnson

There is a quote attributed to Aristotle that says, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”

Excellence, success, greatness…these are things to strive for, but you don’t achieve any of them with a single action. They come with consistent action towards your goals. Set goals, review them daily, and decide what are the most important actions you need to take today to bring you a little (or a lot) closer to your goals. What habits do you need to have in place?

A lot of us (myself included) get caught up with wanting to learn more. Learning is great. Gaining more knowledge is great. But it won’t get you anywhere near success if you don’t apply that knowledge and turn it into action. Don’t confuse reading with taking action towards your goals…yes, it could give you a good foundation. It can help you avoid making the same mistakes that others have made, but often we lie to ourselves saying that we are preparing to take action, when really we’re procrastinating.

Take consistent action everyday. Live purposely. Act intentionally. Success, excellence, and greatness will come if you are consistent with your actions, but if you’re not, you’ll miss the opportunity when it’s here.

Consistency and predictability

Good leaders (including good parents) should be consistent and predictable with their actions and responses. What kid/employee would want to “walk around on eggshells” everyday, not knowing if their actions are going to make their parent/boss go berserk?

Aim to be consistent in what you say and how you act. Reward the same actions on a day-to-day basis, and punish the same actions on a day-to-day basis. Don’t be so temperamental. Those around you should know, “if I do X, my boss will be pleased with me. But if I do Y, they will not be happy.”

If we set clear expectations from the beginning, and follow through by rewarding/punishing accordingly, everyone will know the rules of the game and understand how they can win.