Motivation and Consistency - What Are They and How Do You Find Them

Motivation: do you have it, and what makes one person more motivated than someone else? Many people believe in motivation with consistency, and honestly, the latter comes before the former when it comes to pushing forward.

People often cite motivation as a barrier to not getting things done. But what does get things done is consistency and determination. From here, the motivation to keep up with your new habits and activities is what will keep the momentum going.

However, from time to time, it is only natural to see your motivation wane slightly and your commitment to something drop as a result. If you want to avoid this in any area of your life, be it your commitment to education, your career, or just starting hobbies and activities (the gym, anyone?) These tips can help you get the job done.

Put It in The Calendar

Let's circle back to the gym. How often do you say you'll go after/before work and don't? The thing is, you're treating it as an option, not a requirement. So, putting your gym date in your calendar means you commit to seeing it through. Don't allocate that time to anything else; block it off and make other commitments around this time. Even if it's once a week for now. Make a date and see it through.

Change Your Mindset

When it comes to motivation to do something, it often disappears because you see it as a chore, not something beneficial to you. You need to change how you view the task at hand. Are you bored with an online course you're taking? Then, remember why you started it and what consistency can achieve for you. Have you committed to getting 10,000 steps in every single day? Again, why did you decide to do this, and what does getting that goes do for you? When you start to look at the positive results of your efforts, you can change your approach to everything, which can be instrumental in keeping going.

Use Prompts

Prompts can be used in many different ways. You can set reminders on your phone, write them down in a calendar, get someone else to remind you, or simply use visual aids to help you see the bigger picture. Create a mood board, find the cheapest custom stickers, or create a visual scene that represents your goals and what you're working towards and gives that mental boost that comes from repeated exposure time after time.

Start Small

If you're finding that you've taken too much on or it seems challenging, strip it back down to small chunks you can easily handle. Again, exercise going from nothing to 5 gym sessions a week will only be sustainable for a short period and end up with you quitting sooner rather than later. Starting with one or two sessions will be easier to maintain and give you something to build up from. The same goes for anything. If it seems too much, break it down or strip it back into more manageable chunks. It may take longer to get to where you want to be, but at least you will get there and not abandon all of your hard work because things got too tough.