Day 4 : It's All About Consistency

In everything you do, consistency plays a major part in my daily life.

I live to learn. And by that, I learn to live each day to the fullest. You might not understand me but some of you might.

I’m also a baker and pastry chef. Every year, I strive to perfect a recipe that is challenging as it is difficult to master.

This month is all about one of my exams. Croissants. Those beautiful layers of soft and flaky crust enveloped with flavorful european butter.

I made it six days ago. Failed. I made it again three days ago. Failed but I think I’m about 60% correct. So I made it again. We will see what happens if the recipe I’m developing is right. The key here is consistency. Mistakes and failures are part of the process and journey. And if you quit, then it just goes to show your character.

In everything I do, in terms of my projects, may it be web development or baking, consistency is one of my key ethos.

Failed croissant experiment #2.

Simple tips to develop consistency and achieve success

1. Reminders

   Sometimes it is easy to forget goals, habits, commitments especially when we make these  to ourselves. To remind yourself throughout the day, put messages to yourself in visible areas such as around home, workspace and surroundings helps a lot.

   Placing reminders at a particular place such as mirror, computer, car dashboard and planner. You can also put a reminder on your phone, using a reminder app can also be helpful.

2. Reward yourself when you get even a small task done

   Evan small goals deserve rewards it can be anything that makes you happy and not necessarily a big thing. Rewarding yourself acts as a kind of reinforcement. A behaviour rewarded has a high chance of being repeated.

   Why?

   Because you are acknowledging and appreciating yourself which makes you feel good, and in order to feel good you continue repeating that behaviour.

   For example, if you’ve managed to complete your work by 6pm everyday for a wee, take can evening off, go see a movie or treat yourself with a special dinner.

3. Mistakes means correcting them

   Sometimes despite our best planning, due to external factors we make mistakes. In a way mistakes give us a feedback of how can we improve things we are doing. But we take mistakes as a message of discontinuing the whole thing halfway and starting something completely new.

   Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake along the way. Consistency doesn’t equal perfection, if in case you miss a day at the gym or indulge in eating a dessert encourage yourself to start again the very next day.

4. Use motivational tools to keep going

   When one is stressed or tired, it can be very easy just to  let the goals slide for a day, but these actions can quickly cause you to get off the track. And when you feel in a similar way or kind of lazy to keep going, try to find new sources of motivation.

   It can be reminding yourself importance of long term goals. For instance if you want to eat healthy more consistently but you have no time to cook, pick up a salad instead of fast food. Space out things and take small break this won’t let you feel bored.

5. Give yourself time to see changes

   Whenever you try to do something understand that you that it can take time. Instead of trying to do it only once or twice do it everyday.

   Repetition is the key here, when we do it again and again we start getting results.