I recently listened to a podcast featuring John Maxwell, a New York Times Best-Selling author and world-renowned leadership coach. He was promoting his latest book Intentional Living: Choosing a Life that Matters.
One of the things that stuck out to me the most in this interview was the power of what he called, "compounded consistency."
This is the compounded effect of consistent [read: daily] action we put towards the unsexy, unexciting tasks as we to work towards our mission.
He is one of many people I’ve heard lately harp on the effects of consistent action. Yes that includes things like, social media, communicating with your audience consistently so they don’t forget you, and routinely evaluating what is and isn’t working.
But it also means just being consistent about your intention. Not expecting to get everything right the first time, not expecting to be an overnight success.
Waking up every day, and setting an intention that aligns with your mission and then CONSISTENTLY working towards it.
Even when you’re feeling stuck.
Even when you’re feeling uninspired.
Even when you’re doubting yourself.
These are just some of the benefits of taking routine and consistent action towards a life that you love:
Consistency builds momentum.
Understanding the power of momentum is key. How do you think major athletes continue to break their own records? They understand the benefits of their efforts, and instead of quitting the moment they achieve their goals, they forge on with equal or greater intensity.
Building momentum is the toughest part, but once you’ve created these consistent habits, it becomes much easier.
People often quit the moment they start to see good results from their action. Big mistake.
Maintaining a habit of consistent action each day will build the momentum you need to change your life or business. It is a million small actions compounded over time that have the greatest effect.
Consistency means you’re making progress even when you’re not “feeling it."
So often we take a TON of action when we’re feeling excited or inspired. We’re optimistic and enthusiastic and this fuels our mind and our body as we work toward our goals.
But what about the days you’re not feeling inspired? What about the days you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed?
If we let these ebbs in inspiration derail our progress, we’ll soon find ourselves back at square one. Taking SOME form of action every day ensures that we’re always making progress, even when we don’t feel super high vibe.
The twist? Achieving things and making progress will actually help you get back to that inspired place of action quicker! So keep taking baby steps, even when you’re doubting yourself or the process.
Consistency maximizes your time.
By now, you probably know the dangers of “multi-tasking” (no I don’t mean texting and driving, though that is ill-advised). What I mean is the time-lost by switching from one task to another because of the mental ramp-up period required for each.
The same goes for creating good habits in your life and business. To achieve new goals, we must create new habits. If it takes at least 30 days to create a new habit, then it makes no sense to quit on day 28.
If we’re investing time and effort towards our goals, then quitting or pausing when things get tough only increases the amount of time required to reach that goal. Sticking with SOME form of action daily will save you from having to re-create habits that proved fruitful (or might have if you’d seen them through).
Consistency increases your odds to success.
At some point, it becomes a numbers game. If you’re working out every day in some fashion, it is extremely unlikely that you will not reap some sort of health-related benefits.
If you are working on your entrepreneurial journey with intention every day, it is extremelyunlikely that you will NEVER see the fruits of your labor. You may have to switch gears, or rebrand, or revisit your “why” a few times. But consistent daily action will yield results.
Be open to the fact that they might not be on your timeline, and be ready to receive them when they come.
Keep taking consistent action every day, and you'll be amazed at the shifts that can happen.