We’ve all been there, you want to better yourself and you know you need to change but are having a hard time doing that. Consistency is the catalyst that can change your life forever.
What is Consistency
Cambridge Dictionary defines Consistency as the quality of always behaving or performing in a similar way, or of always happening in a similar way.
Consistency can change your life in these 5 ways:
1. Being Able to Achieve More
2. Becoming More Productive
3. Reliability
4. Happier (Less Stress)
5. Better Habits (Systems)
1. The Ability to Achieve More in Your Life
(Rome Was not built in a day, might want to reword)We all remember those times in school when there was a big test or project and we waited until the last minute or we <u>Procrastinated</u>. Consistency is the number one tool to beating procrastination and achieving goals easier then before. If we knew that there was something we wanted in life like a good grade on a assignment, a project at work that could be the tipping point towards a promotion, or wanting to get the summer bod before going to the beach. If you were to wait until the event was already upon you then it wouldn’t be possible to achieve the same results as if you would have started days, weeks, or months earlier. When you have a specific result that you are working towards it is a lot easier and efficient to chip away at that goal in small increments then trying to take huge chucks out of it at the last moment.
2. The Ability to be a More Productive Person
We all want to be more productive. We all have those nights where we just binge the newest show on Netflix or rewatch the entire MCU instead of doing the things we know we need to do. Building in consistency into your daily life will give you the time you want in order to have those binge sessions and still feel like you did everything you wanted to do day to day. When you can build systems and consistency into your daily life you feel like you are gaining hours back to do the things you love to do. Setting goals in your life are essential to becoming the person you want to be but not the most important. Goals give us something to strive for but no process or system on how to get there. Everybody has goals in their life, loose weight, run a 5k, get that promotion, or start their own business, but the people who have goals are just dreamers. Systems allow you to design and build actionable plans to get you to that set goal.
James Clear, the writer of Atomic Habits, is a leading expert in goals and systems. He states that “We don’t rise to the level of our goals, but fall to the levels of our systems.”
Building a system to reach your goal doesn’t have to be hard. Lets take the goal of reading a book a week for example. If you found a book you wanted to read and it was 300 pages you might think this is way to long for me to finish in one week, “I’m to busy”, but if we break down the goal into a system it becomes more attainable. There are 7 days in a week and if we were to break those 300 pages over the whole week that is only 43 pages a day which seems a lot more attainable and actionable.
Breaking down your goals into easy to understand and reach levels, then you will be a lot more productive. Systems require Consistency
May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
Psalms 20:4
3. Reliability and Trustworthiness
Reliability is a trait we all want to have. People promise things all the time and don’t follow through. This leads to turmoil and confusion in their life and the people around them. To be a reliable person is someone who is a man of their word and commits to the promises and actions they have made. God honors integrity and commitment, and these can only be accomplished through consistency.
God honors our reliability towards him. King Solomon, son of King David and writer of the book of Proverbs, was a man of integrity and reliability in Gods own eyes. In 1st Kings, God comes to Solomon in a dream gives him great wisdom to rule Jerusalem. God stated that if Solomon walked in his ways and obeyed the Lord’s commandments, then he would have a long life filled with riches and whatever he desired.
Being reliable is a trait that not only you will gain from, but also the others around you. Reliability isn’t something you can just step into one day, you have to build up the trust over time through consistency. For example, if you want to be promoted inside your company you need to be seen as someone who they can trust, reliable. You have to show up to work on time, complete the projects assigned to you, and be a strong leader. All of these actions are to be done with consistency and require hard work, but in the end you will be rewarded.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 16:3
4. Being a Happier Person
Happiness, the one thing we all strive for but have a hard time actually getting their. We are told money can’t buy happiness over and over throughout our life but have a hard time believing it. Materialism has created a since of always wanting more and more: a newer bigger house, fancy fast cars, the newest phones, and the biggest number in the bank account. All of this will get you no where because you will always be striving for more.
Consistency has a connection with contentment. Contentment is the state of happiness and satisfaction of where you are. Being content means that you are able to live in today and not always trying to gather more and more things. Becoming content of where you are is not a easy thing to do. In todays world it’s so easy to be envious of everything around you. Every time we get on instagram, facebook, or Youtube we see something we want or a life we wish we had. But when we see those things we have to be consistent in knowing none of those things will bring us happiness but only God can.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
5. Better Habits
Habits, we hear about them all the time and for a lot of us they can seem like impossible things to build. Well i’m going to give you a hint on how an habit can be achieved, consistency.
That’s all a habit is, a regularly practiced action that is hard to give up. Are life can be transformed by the different habits we build. As Christians we have an advantage of building habits because of what God has given us.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline
2 Timothy 1:7
Every Christians should have two habits that that complete everyday:
- Read your bible everyday
- Talk to God everyday
The two actions can drastically transform our life’s as we know it. The book of proverbs talks about wisdom over and over again and the only place to gain spiritual wisdom is to be in the word daily. This habit will increase you knowledge and strengthen your faith. Building a relationship with God is someone we are commanded to do throughout the bible. God wants to have a personal relationship with each and everyone of us. Just like with your friends and family, if you aren’t spending time with them and talking then that relationship will slowly fade away.
